I arrived into camp after work on Friday with my friend Caryn and a weekends supply of food, to find this gorgeous chicken roasting on a greenwood spit - it had been on a "high up" heat for an hour already and we turned it for another hour before moving it off to the side to "rest". It was succulent, still warm and very very tasty. We had it in pitta breads with pre-made butter containing spring onion, garlic and seasoning. Truly gorgeous and with zero washing up to do too. Top job Ant; Sunday roasts here we come.
After washing the chicken down with some very nice Rioja to mark the one year anniversary of becoming Rais wood's new custodians, I awoke on Saturday a little worse for wear; in truth, quite a lot worse for wear... it was lunchtime. Thankfully the kettle was on and there was still chicken and pitta left which partly revived me (unlike the head-dipped-in-the-pond method I had already tried).The kids were off den-building for much of the day as new arrivals turned up and set up camp in the trees. A small woodland village was forming and the kitchen was filling fast with bags of food, drinks and cooking pans. This prompted me to actually work my way through my hangover by finishing the washing-up stand and having it ready for use. The extra cross-bracing has certainly made it much sturdier than it was before and the new joints look much better.
On Sunday morning after the boys fry-ups were all finished on the campfire, I borrowed Flee and Tracey's new cast iron skillet from Ronnie Sunshines to make a Ugandan Rolex. (mine contained shredded cabbage, carrot and onion in an omelette, rolled up in a flour tortilla) - the bottom did not stick at all, but the bottom had cooked long before the top had. Next time - I am putting a pre-heated cast iron lid on at the same time - to turn it into a mini oven.
After breakfast the men were left in camp to do man-stuff (log chopping, splitting and stacking) whilst we women, set off to clear the northern wayleave of Bracken by pulling up stems one-by-one from the base which grabs the root too - or at least part of it. Bracken has thick, fleshy, brown-black underground stems that can travel long distances, and in cool, woodland areas, bracken will germinate from spores carried in on the wind. Bracken should not be eaten, either by humans or livestock, since it contains carcinogens linked with oesophageal and stomach cancer. Eating the young fronds, which are considered a delicacy in Japan and parts of North America, is definitely NOT recommended! One website states that "People who have spent all their lives living amongst bracken and breathing in the spores may be at higher risk of getting some cancers, but the danger to the general population and to casual visitors in bracken-infested areas is negligible. People gathering bracken for composting or eradication purposes are advised not to do so in late summer when the spores are released, particularly in dry weather." So doing it now before the spores form is definitely the best option. Thanks guys for all the hard work - the wayleave north of the stream is now almost clear of Bracken and the wildflowers will once again have a chance to grow. The bracken will of course be back next spring and it will take a few years to get rid of the lot - but we will get there. Little and often.
The afternoon was much more sedate, Tracey teaching everyone to make para-cord bracelets and the kids swinging from trees above the mudslide. Lots of sunshine, lots of laughs and a few drinks to go with it - perfect.