It was a pretty dismal view that greeted me, as you can see from this photo I took of the horses in the field!
It was really not a day for working so after putting out a few nuts for the birds I put my waterproofs on and had a good slow wander round to see what was to be seen.
Since I was last there the last of the leaves have come down from the trees and the whole wood seems so much more open and light. It seemed before that a lot of leaves had fallen but it's amazing how many were still up there.
I think Flee and Tracey must have been there last week as a roll of roofing felt for the wood store has appeared. so there's a job for the new year.
There has been some serious wind while I have been away apparently and up by your tent a fairly large, but obviously dead for some time, tree has fallen from the other side of the boundary into Rais. There was no other major damage apparent though.
The stream was running quite full and it almost looked like you have a pond again!
I crossed the dam and worked my way up the southern boundary. I'm sure you have done it but I have never been able to make my way all the way along that boundary before, the undergrowth always beats me, but this time, by climbing over the fallen trees I managed it. In the process I found another den or burrow under the root of one of the fallen trees.
Your neighbours certainly use all of their wood right to the boundary!
The wet and fairly warm weather obviously agrees with the fungi as there were yet more new ones on show (you may be starting to suspect I have a bit of a thing about mushrooms. and it's possible you are right! but in my defence, they are something that changes pretty much every week that I can get pictures of for you) I think I have identified the Birch Polypore or Razorstrop fungus (Piptoporus betulinus) which seems dead common but I have had no luck with the ones that look like fried eggs even though I saw them in several places or the really big one, although I guess that may have looked quite different a few days ago.
The Oak saplings have finally pretty much dropped all their leaves and something has had a good go at the rotten tree stump by the stream since last time.
When I got to the two streams by the glove tree I found them totally clogged up with fallen leaves, so even though it was still pretty grim I got the rake and cleared the most northerly one, (which was enough work with my cold still hanging on, the one right by the glove tree will have to wait until next time) It's amazing how just raking out a few leaves changes it from a nearly stagnant pool of water to a flowing stream in just a few minutes. I guess the leaves must kill the momentum of the water and end up slowing it to a virtual standstill.
Once that was done I retired to the yardarm, where we may well want to add chicken wire to a few more boards yet as it was wet and pretty slippery, to sit and have a cup of tea as dusk approached. it was getting noticeably dark by 3.45 so I packed up and headed home, pretty damp but refreshed.
