Who would have thought we might have a blackberry flower at this time of year?

Technically speaking it was the day after the Solstice but it’s officially the start of Winter. That always puzzles me because it’s the shortest day in terms of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, so logically it should be midwinter. Well it was still dark when I arrived but lot’s of birds were up, presumably looking to “catch the worm”. They flew up out of the undergrowth as I drove up the rides. I sat in the car for a while enjoying the warmth and watching the morning get light. It was frosty and I headed to the shelter and lit my homemade fire-bowl for some comfort.

One of the main jobs on my list was to coppice a hazel tree. I wanted some thickish straight rods to make stool legs but they need to season for awhile. I picked a tree that had plenty of light above so the new growth would go straight and worked my way through the rods and limbs by hand. Far more satisfying than using a chainsaw. I got some nice forked pieces out of it too which can be used to make coat hooks or rests for fire cooking. I trimmed all the rods and stored them in the shelter to season.

I’m really pleased with some of the hazel I coppiced a few years ago. They have grown abundantly and quite straight and already are probably thick enough to cut again for walking sticks and such but I’ll leave them another year or two.

I wanted to try my fire bowl for cooking on, so I took my trusty cast iron skillet, an egg and veggie sausages and made a delicious fat sandwich. It worked well. Oh and I do like my yolk broken otherwise it oozes out and drips!

Before I left home I joked with my wife that I was having our woodland works Christmas “do”. My guests were my two little buddies – the robin and the wood mouse who regularly appear in the area of my mini fireplace by my car. I put seed on it, at first for the robin who always hangs around me. Then I spotted a tiny mouse popping it’s head through the rocks and when it feels safe, it takes a seed and disappears again. We did have a party for a short while, both turning up at the same time to tuck into the grub. They left me gifts of companionship and sheer pleasure!

Apologies for the slight lack of quality to the photos. My camera batteries were flat so had to use my phone. This might be my last visit before the New Year. Thanks to those who regularly follow my woody ramblings. I hope you can all enjoy your Christmas despite the crappy Covid situation we have to live with still. Best wishes.

Almost three weeks since my last visit and I was in need of some woodland therapy. Numerous small tasks to tick off but I wanted to embrace the experience and get that lovely feel-good factor. It was just coming light when I arrived and a low thin mist hung through the ethereal woods and all was quiet. It was a good start. We had storm Arwen after my last visit, so first job was a walkabout to check for damage. Apart from a few small dead branches, all was intact. My shelter was just as I’d left it and the sight of it warmed my heart. I was going to spend some time here, do a few jobs and just enjoy the place. I felt real gratitude for my friend who had helped me build it – thanks mate.

I have made a fire bowl from an old helium gas tank that I cut in half, drilled holes in the bottom, added legs and a removable grill. I don’t want a permanent fire place at the shelter but something I can move around, have a brew on and maybe cook a simple meal on. I wanted to try it and hey, it worked fine. Here are before and after photos of the inaugural fire – and the “elevensies” to celebrate it – filter coffee and a mince pie and what could be a better setting to enjoy them?

It was a good time to get to know the shelter better, make a few adjustments and plans and just simply enjoy. I filled my trugs with logs to take home, each time I took one to the car and came back to the log pile, my friend the robin was there. Taking advantage of the newly exposed areas where tasty titbits might be lurking, all the while checking me out to see if it was safe. I just love that interaction with wild creatures.

Some woodland neighbour friends arrived who I haven’t seen since early Spring and it was great to catch up. This year I have seen very few of any neighbours, I guess the covid thing has put some people off travelling though I can’t think of a safer place to be.

Below is a tiny Yew sapling growing in the rotten centre of a small birch log. It speaks volumes to me, a symbol of the tenacity of nature, hope and positivity. It also poses a certain moral issue – leave it or transplant it? Well left alone it will never make an adult tree. It will outgrow it’s source of water and nutrients and die. Often nature film makers will just let nature do it’s thing. They feel they have no right to interfere but I don’t agree entirely. We interfere all the time just by being here and ruthlessly using the planet’s resources. So if it’s not robbing another creature of it’s food source but helping another life to survive longer, then I feel it’s justified. So I will pot it up, nurture it at home for a few years then return it to the woods to live out it’s (hopefully) very long life.

Having done all the jobs on my list I took time just to walk around and take some more photos. We have this misconception that nature goes to sleep in winter but there’s still plenty going on and some nice photo opportunities to be had. The lack of foliage reveals things we wouldn’t see in Summer. I’ll leave you with a selection of wintry scenes. First one is some new hazel catkins. They will stay dormant now until Spring when they will open.