Three bad storms since my last visit and I needed to go yesterday to check for damage. I wasn’t too worried about the trees. Any that came down were probably weak or dead, I was mainly concerned that my new shelter was unharmed, it has withstood the winds well and no damage done. It was a clear sunny morning when I arrived but still a reasonable wind blowing that would put a hold on the prospects of continuing my felling operations. I had enough jobs to keep me busy and one of my mates was spending the day with me too. A walkabout revealed a small amount of damage, the worst being a dead birch that had blown over and got entangled in another tree. It was right between where I park my car and my bench where I have a brew and base my days activities, so it needs to come down. I think the safest and most effective way is to take the Tirfor and winch it out from the base. There is no chance of dislodging it by hand pulling or undercutting it to make it drop. It would simply hang there even more dangerous. We found another three small and dead trees had fallen, one had a nest box attached so that was re-sited ready for the nesting season.

It was one of those magical mornings, when the sun lights up the winter woods and the birds are out in force. Spring is definitely on the move. We hung out at the shelter for a while, discussing a few plans to develop it – an additional small roofed section at the back to house some of the large equipment and make room inside; a small log store on the end and some long shelves inside to store timber. This is phase two and I’m quite excited as it will take me closer to getting it functioning as a blacksmith and green woodworking workshop. The weak sun warmed our souls as well as our bodies.

We stood for ages in the hazel copse chatting and watching the various birds – a buzzard wheeled above then landed in a tree a hundred metres away. A jay with it’s beautiful colours passed through and numerous small birds flitted back and forth in the branches above us. A robin landed close by to check us out. We remarked how privileged we were to be amongst this beautiful piece of nature. This photo is of one of my favourite spots. Two ash trees and three hazels straddle the remains of an ancient ditch and bank structure which runs right through the woods. When the low early sun hits it, it has an enchanting appearance.

Our neighbours arrived to continue processing the huge beech they recently felled. We are hoping to get some slices out of it to make two or three stools but the trunk is so large and heavy that even cutting a slice to cleave into seat tops is a real challenge. The chainsaw bar is only long enough to cut half way through so I proposed a plan to cut half way down from both sides to meet in the middle, effectively creating a continuous cut that goes halfway through. Then using large steel wedges hammered into the open end, cleave the top half off. With a huge amount of brute force, the sound of splintering inside the trunk indicated that it was starting to split and eventually parted ways with the main trunk. I further split it down in half then one half of that split into two. The remaining pieces were still so heavy that they could only just be lifted. My friends kindly let me take some pieces, one for a chopping block and two to have a go at making some sort of rough rustic stools. They will be experiments to see how the timber can be worked and hopefully make some more refined stools later in the year. What a fantastic day.

What could that title mean for heavens sake? Bear with me as I relate my latest visit on Tuesday. I met with a pal to help me with some more felling but the morning started too windy to cut trees. There were still two on the ground that I cut last time but needed moving and stacking. That’s where the log dolly comes in. Some pieces I leave about four feet long and are pretty heavy to simply carry or drag along the floor. A log dolly is a sort of two wheeled cart for pulling them and I had an opportunity to make one. A neighbour down our street has been clearing their garage full of old stuff – tools, pieces of metal and all sorts of interesting junk. I bagged a pair of wheels and some old timber and set-to making one. It’s an experiment that might not work but worth a try. It looks like a Heath Robinson contraption but it works reasonably well. The balance point (where the wheels are) could do with being further forward to lessen the weight on the front and the addition of a bungee or rope to hold the logs in place as they tend to bounce and fall off. Here it is –

After using the chainsaw to cut up a few logs, it jammed. It’s happened a few times now despite a new chain and bar and it meant no more felling was possible. We spent our time usefully employed shifting, splitting and stacking logs for seasoning which is a job I tend to leave till spring but it was rewarding to get it all done in one hit. The new log pile for use at home is looking healthy and always gives a sense of fulfillment – rather like cooking and baking and filling your freezer or pantry (who has a pantry these days?)

So what about the reference to Narnia? Well I have often mused over the shift in perspective of my environment when I enter the woods. It’s one that is so radical. When I arrive and open the gate to the woods, I leave behind all the high tech world that we live in 99% of the time – traffic, industry, electronic gadgetry, tv, the internet, radio and the incessant bad news media we are pounded with. I enter a different world where virtually none of this is evident. It’s a small piece of natural wilderness where countless non-human lives co-exist in harmony. A whole different world just simply getting on with their own survival. Yes there are mini dramas – competition for food and mates, predators that will kill and eat others but it’s simple and natural and local. It’s a place where we once lived before we developed and over complicated our world. The gate is like the wardrobe in the Chronicles of Narnia. You step immediately from one world into another. It’s a magical world. From the outside, it’s just a load of trees to the vast majority of people. For those of us who are lucky enough to access and spend time in it, it’s a wonderful alternative community where, for a while, we can leave behind all the modern nonsense and rejoin our natural habitat. Sadly these places are disappearing fast due to human greed and over population, so we need to look after what we have left, nurture it and enjoy it while we can.

Spring is around the corner. Birds are getting more vocal, bluebell tips are pushing through the leaf litter and I saw a Red Admiral butterfly. I’m looking froward to a year where we can start to regain some fun and adventure after two years of confinement. I’m hungry for some camping when it warms up a bit. Sitting around a camp fire enjoying woodland tv and chatting with some mates. Bring it on!