Another glorious weekend - but today I have mostly been peeling bark

After some seriously high winds this week we were pleased to see that the new roof had fared particularly well - only the ends of the bark rolls had flipped over, but were still very much attached and undamaged. So Ant's first job was to put some additional wire onto the ends of each roll to tie them down whilst I set to work staining the new decking to give it a slightly longer life and help it to blend into the woodland - plants are already starting to grow up through the slats in just two weeks - at this rate it will become a striped green and brown decking by the start of the summer.
There wasn't much wood preservative left, so I used what remained to give the shed a little touch up, before moving to help Ant build our new "bedroom" in the southern bluebell section. We will leave the "in-camp" beds in situ for when there is just the two of us staying, but we wanted to build something more permanent slightly further away; we didn't want people to feel uncomfortable making any noise or movement in the mornings with us still sleeping right in the middle of camp... who am I kidding?... we just want to give ourselves the best possible chance of a decent undisturbed lie-in when everyone descends on the place in a couple of weeks time - kids don't know the meaning of the word hangover.
So.... we needed new stakes, new ridge poles and new bed poles to make A-frame beds that would hopefully last us a good while - so Ant made his from Oak and mine are half Oak and half Alder - which we now know is a hardwood which is great for making furniture for damp conditions. In fact the pilings that the watery city of Venice is built on are apparently made from Alder wood. Which is great because we have loads of it!
We used a tarp each to provide the back windbreak walls which will eventually be replaced with a woven willow/hazel screening - but we must wait for the right time to harvest the materials to enable a steady supply. So far I have only found two young willows and so we don't want to decimate them until they are properly established - but rather harvest a few rods at a time and build the walls over a number of seasons. Tarp is fine for now - it will protect us from the wind and rain, it's just a little noisy - but I'm guessing no worse than my snoring.

We then spent a good few hours whittling away by the unlit campfire peeling bark from the remainder of the Oak ready for seasoning and chair making - Ant is going for a Viking throne and I am attempting a solid Nordic rocker. Of course I may just end up with a stool - but I'm looking forward to giving it a go.
We left the wood about 730pm just as the sun had dipped below the tree line and the midges were munching - really really really should have lit the campfire - definitely NOT making that mistake again.

yellow archangel

Come Sunday morning we were back bright and early and I took a good walk round to see which wildflowers had come into bloom in the last week or so since I last looked - we now have pink Herb Roberts to add to the mass of spring yellows and purples. It's so beautiful I was overwhelmed at one point... down by the ghyll, where we first started clearing almost a year ago, the flora has been completely revived. Removing the thick evergreen Rhododendron and allowing the light to reach the ground, combined with the foot traffic churning up the woodland floor has created an amazing carpet of flowers of all colours, shapes and sizes - I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. A little bit of effort goes such a long way in the wild woodland garden - the rewards are immense. I can't wait to see how the northern section recovers next year - because the Rhodie there was impenetrable.

So after my little emotional moment I had a word with myself and returned to the campfire, where I found Ant stripping the bark from his Oak bed poles and the other pieces he had reserved to make his throne. The sun was shining, the fire was lit and it wasn't long before the sausages were sizzling.
My sister had joined us for lunch and from her single seat by the fire managed to spot a very well camouflaged small frog to the side of her on the bank as well as our resident (as-yet un-named) bank vole that lives in the hole underneath the bird feeders.  Kenneth The Second came over to say hello and three Buzzards were circling directly over our heads for a while calling to each other - noisy buggers.
Spent a glorious afternoon in the sunshine, chatting, whittling, planning the next few projects and marveling at the birdsong - all the while generating huge piles of bark strippings and quite a few minor nicks with the knife. Happiness is only a woodland away.

First bank holiday weekend of the year

The bank holiday weekend started much like any other.... i.e. with a hangover. But we dragged ourselves up and headed out to meet our fellow Blackfold wood owners and share a brew and a Venison sausage breakfast. What lovely people - quite surprised some of them come from so far afield (like West London) but overjoyed to learn that one of them is a professional tree surgeon - good to know.
After breakfast we swapped contact details, with the new neighbours, said our goodbyes and took our beer-breath and free venison mince off home (via the charity shop, the second-hand book store and Tescos of course).  In the afternoon, Ant loaded Raymond up with the contents of the shed on our front patio, before taking the shed down ready to move, whilst I packed yet more boxes in the flat. (I tried to help with the shed - but ended up leaping about like a lunatic every time I saw a spider so wasn't much help at all). This moving malarky is exhausting.
We awoke Sunday morning to the most horrendous weather - thankfully by the time we actually got up it had slowed to a miserable wet mist.  Simon and Keith turned up first thing and together they all transported the shed to Rais and re-erected it in the woods on the northern boundary - looks fantastic in it's new home. Since we now have a lockable "Cabin-in-the-woods", we can let the beer-brewing commence!
Flee and Tracey arrived in the afternoon and the roof was finished off with rolls of bark screening.  This is the view from the top of the steps looking down - it took 4.5 bark rolls 4 metres long by 1.2 metres wide. Flee and Keith attached them to the corrugated roof with some thick wire - the stuff we pulled out from the wood over the winter that had been used to secure the chicken wire pheasant runs. I knew we'd find a use for it eventually.
The 4 metre lengths don't quite reach to the back of the kitchen area which is perfect as it's the area where we need the light to be let in for cooking etc. I am hoping too that the plants will eventually grow up and across the roof to disguise it and allow it to blend into the surroundings. I love it.

A tea and biscuits break before tackling the parking area up the top. We put some food in the Dutch oven to warm up by the fire whilst we worked and six of us set off armed with spades, strimmers, pick axe, and chainsaw - it didn't take too long at all. Gave the Holly overhang a haircut, strimmed the brambles and rhodies back and dug out a few rotten tree stumps and bits of old wire etc., leveled it all off as best we could and before we knew it, we were left with just a single stubborn, fallen (but still living) tree with red roots (no idea). Ant and Raymond pulled the thing sideways to split it at the base and then Flee went on a mission to dig the remains free. Eventually the thing was hand-axed out and the hole filled in. By 5pm we had a fairly level and circular route to drive around. We tested it with the two Landys and then Tracey's car and decided we could probably get 15 cars in at a push - although we'd possibly have to pull a few of them out if it rains - but all in all a cracking days work.

Dutch Oven dinner was served; Cheese, Leek and Onion Jackets with home made curry fish-fingers to start, followed by Muntjac meatballs in a garlic and veg tomato sauce and tiger rolls to mop with. Only thing Ant and I forgot were bowls to eat it from! oops. We decamped from the newly finished kitchen and glugged wine and cider til half one, whilst watching the almost full moon sneaky peeking through the clouds above the clearing. Stunning.

Monday 
Slept a good 6 hours on the new A-frame bed, but was way too hot and was woken at 8am by Kenneth the second, (or "Ken-two" as Keith has now taken to calling him), flew past the tarps squawking at top volume. I got up and got the fire going again and the kettle on. Then promptly burnt six of my fingers onto the base of the storm kettle as I tried to turn it into the wind - totally not thinking - idiot. With no running cold tap, I ran to the stream and held them under for a good while (well until I got backache leaning over the bridge anyway). They are still pretty uncomfortable now, but I think I managed to cool them sufficiently to stop any major blistering.
Once everyone was up and about, Tracey cleaned, heated and then filled the large Hackman pan we got from a car boot sale with sausages and bacon and all was well again.
After our heroic efforts yesterday, we had already completed the weekends tasks and so sat back in the Sun for a lazy day of whittling, tea-drinking and contemplating the summer - it was bliss. Before we knew it, it was 4pm and time to pack up again ready for home and the chaos of packing, box-shifting and mundane reality. Still.... new bedroom to be built next weekend - very excited.

Corrugation Sunday

Ok so I still haven't finished my washing-up stand. In fact I haven't touched it all day (except of course to dump stuff on it). However, we now have a large decking area which makes a fab flat area to work on it in some kind of order - particularly as I probably need to take the stand apart and put it back together properly. The most amazing part about the finished decking though is that it will now remain dry.... the shelter has a roof! We have a waterproof "kitchen" and it's simply awesome.
There were some scary moments on the roof when all spectators were actually holding their breath watching Flee balance precariously whilst screwing the corrugated roofing down - but he has done an outstanding job. Just the bark roll covering to go on the top to help it blend into the woodland, then the name board to hang along the front and it's done. Then of course us ladies can get to work on the "interior" (namely the wine rack). I'm intending to grow some native climbers like wild honeysuckle and Old man's beard (wild British Clematis) up the support posts and over the top. I have found the honeysuckle in the wood already, so I will take some cuttings and grow it on in pots first before transplanting into position early next year. We are also intending to dig a channel along the back of the roof to collect the rainwater for hand and dish washing etc.
Tracey and I extended the steps down to the fire with three new ones and tried out some different ideas and materials to make the kitchen sideboard from - needless to say there's still some thinking to do on that one.
Ant spent most of the day sorting through and sawing up the dead wood into a massive firewood pile ready for the first proper camping weekend and we still managed plenty of coffee time admiring the spring flowers and watching the birds (and bank vole) taking their turns at the peanut feeders.
We also met another neighbour, Jeremy, for the first time today. He owns High Beeches and was out walking with his two dogs when one of them decided to bound right up to Ant and start barking insanely at him! Jeremy came over from his land to the west to have a look around and chat about the recent bout of clay pigeon shooting that he wasn't happy about. Thankfully he now knows it wasn't us.
There is a gathering next Saturday for all the new owners of Blackfold wood, where we will hopefully get some answers and meet the other neighbours as well as receive our share of the venison that has been butchered after the spring deer management work. Seems a shame obviously to lose deer, but we see first hand the damage too many of them can do in a small woodland so it seems justified for the good of the other wildlife.

Fire by friction

We knew we were going to have willing volunteers today, but we were astounded at how much work we'd actually get done on such a beautiful day. Flee and Tracey were on a brew break when we arrived mid-morning having just finished lugging a load of wooden posts and planks from their landy down into camp. Simon arrived shortly afterwards and before long we got started on the next stage of getting the kitchen/shelter ready for the late May bank holiday. The chicken wire that had served to stop us slipping on the clay throughout last autumn was removed, along with a few more layers of clay to level it out and the old posts laid out to form joists for the decking. Long roof struts were needed, so after some seriously bad spade action, Tracey and I left the boys to it in search of long straight trees in the north west corner where the birch needs thinning. Simon made light work of getting them down with the chainsaw and we humped the 6 metre lengths back through the trees to the waiting foreman. By the time the sausages were sizzling on the fire for lunch, half the decking was down and the first few struts were in. A few more lengths were needed and more planks will be needed to finish the floor, as well as the waterproof corrugated sheeting for the roof which we will hopefully have for next weekend. So all in all, the kitchen is really starting to look like a proper shelter - can't wait to see how it will look when the roof is finished. The sun was hot today despite it being only April so I think we are going to be thankful for the shade too come mid summer; the camp area is such a sun trap.
Lee and the kids came up too and spent some time building their own small camp in the eastern Alder carr with a fire and tarp shelter - getting some practice in for their own Bear Grylls weekend.
Time spent chilling by the fire and admiring our handy work allowed Ant the chance to turn "islander" and have a go at making friction by fire with a bow drill whilst I did some more work on my washing-up stand. Tracey and I even snuck in a couple of mugs of Spanish plonk, so all in all, another cracking day.

sunshine and stripping...

...bark that is! It's been a weekend of blisters, knife wounds and bark stripping for me, in my attempt to make my first piece of green, round-wood furniture. Now, for a planner such as me, you'd been forgiven for thinking I would approach this armed with reference books, neatly drawn diagrams, and a tape measure at the very least... but you'd be wrong. Very wrong. I went last weekend armed with determination and a saw. I chopped down, (in an area that needs massive thinning of course) a fairly straight (or so I thought), 4" diameter tall spindly tree. Which I then chopped up into pieces roughly the same length with the idea of making a long, low, skinny table to put next to the shower. I had no illusions about my level of skill or experience and so decided I would aim low and make something that only needed to be strong enough to keep towels off the ground and would be infrequently used (and hidden away in a secluded spot, visible by only those brave enough to strip off in the woods to wash).

As it turns out, I am not half way through building a towel table at all, but half way through building a VERY rustic washing-up stand, with two shelves, a sunken bowl and brush holder, oh and of course it does actually now have a place to hang a tea towel. Ambition is over-rated.
The problem with my "just-get-on-with-it-how-hard-can-it-be" approach is that I've done it all in completely the wrong order and made life ten times harder for myself.... but by god have I enjoyed doing it (apart from the inevitable injuries of course). I intend to finish it next weekend when I hope to have mastered the carved joints, wooden pegs and cross-bracing as it is still a tad wobbly!
Ant and Alan were brave enough to spend last night in the woods under tarps and spent much of yesterday making some new beds for the occasion, complete with ridge lines and new rustic tent pegs. Thankfully it stayed dry as we had plugged a hole in one of the tarps with sticky plasters from the first aid kit. Something I was to regret today when I ran out of plasters and bled all over my lovingly stripped woodwork. Typical. I however had a nice warm nights sleep at home where I spent the evening tackling the mound of paperwork that arrived from the solicitors on Friday. The joys of moving house.
The sun was absolutely glorious today and after watching the Chinese grand prix at some ungodly hour, I set off for Rais once more to see how the boys had survived the chilly night.
Ant was up, the campfire was going, but there was no sign of Alan. Cocooned in his tarp tent and snoring away I figured it wasn't really fair to start hammering or drilling away at my table again, so we headed up onto the clearing and got the bonfire going ready to burn the last of this seasons efforts to clear the Rhodie. We won't take any more out now until the wildlife have had a chance to raise their young and summer is over. Around mid-morning Simon turned up to help, armed with much-needed bacon sarnies which brought Alan out of his slumber and together we got the last of the shrubs on the fire and gone - good bloody riddance! I have to say I'm not going to miss Rhodie duty for the next few months and I know Ant won't either. He has, almost single-handedly, managed to clear most of the Western side of Rais now and it looks incredible. Going to take a season or two for the ground level to start shooting through the leaf litter, but I'm guessing the forest floor hasn't seen any sun for many a year.
Took a wander over the southern clearing too and was pleased to see it carpeted with tiny purple Dog Violets. The primroses are out in full bloom and we saw a number of butterflies today too. Such a perfect day for them. Woodpeckers still drilling, Tawnies calling to each other all night and the birds are now visiting the feeders even whilst we are working around them. Also noticed the badger sett is being used too as a pile of freshly excavated earth has appeared outside one of the entrances. Very excited. So I have set up the camera trap outside and will check again in a couple of weeks time. Can't wait for next weekend now.