Yesterday was the Winter Solstice – the so-called shortest day of the year. It’s a day I am always pleased to see because it means that soon the afternoons will stay light longer and we are on the run up to Spring and new life emerging. Ironically it’s also the official start of Winter which makes no sense to me.

I was meeting a pal to spend the day with, no work to do, just enjoying the woods and a catch-up. No his name isn’t Bertie, that’s the name I have given to my little robin. During a conversation with my daughter, she said I should give it a name and as she works at a childrens’ nursery, I thought about getting the kids to come up with some suitable names. To me the bird seems like a male so I discounted all the girls names and picked Bertie out of the rest. I was hoping to get him to take food from my pal Phil’s hand but despite several attempts, he just didn’t have the confidence to. Later, when on my own, Bertie came to me and landed three times for food. I guess he’s a one-man robin.

Recently I had a blacksmithing session with another mate Simon. We made a cooking tripod to go over the camp fire and a firesteel for using with a piece of flint. You create sparks by hitting a glancing blow to the sharp edge of the flint with the straight portion of the steel. When one lands on a piece of charred cloth it will smoulder which is then popped into a tinder ball and used to start a fire. I wanted to initiate both items and light a fire to cook lunch on. Here’s the equipment and Phil blowing the tinder bundle into a flame.

The new tripod in action, kettle on for a nice mug of coffee from a cafetiere. Who says we have to rough it in the woods?

Lunch was a simple but tasty affair, sausage sarnies with onions and ketchup. Pork for Phil and veggie ones for me. Phil took charge of the cooking. Words aren’t enough to describe the wholesome pleasure of lighting a fire in the woods and cooking over it, then sharing the meal with a mate.

The day was mostly just chatting and enjoying the woods in winter and that’ll do nicely for me. A last walk around and we found this weird fungi growing on some dead oak logs. I think it ‘s Bulgaria Inquinans (Black Bulgar fungi). Hope you all have a good Christmas.