There is now a serious danger that we will be overtaken by Spring before we can complete our intended coppicing for this year. The bulbs are already spiking through the soil and the blue tits are courtship displaying to each other.
Last weekend, which was cold, but sunny and dry, I spent a good 4 hours in the wood on Saturday and a further 3 hours on Sunday. My son turned up to help on Sunday, bringing his chainsaw with him. With 2 saws going we finally got 2 of the trees which fell in the winter winds sawn up into logs, which we stacked until we can bring them home.
While we were working a young man and his son turned up – a friend of 1 of our wood-neighbours – they were ticking things such as fungi and leaf buds off on a spotter sheet for the son’s homework. While chatting the dad told me that he’s been helping coppice our neighbour’s plot over the last few years and that they’ve had new growth browsed off by deer. This is depressing news, it means we will probably have to protect our coppice stools somehow.
This morning my daughter came to the wood to help me for a couple of hours. Between us we managed to cut out some outsize stems from our coppice stools and stack the wood and brash. It’s slow work when the stools have been so neglected. At this rate my 12 year coppicing plan may turn into a 24 year plan.
Tomorrow I have friends coming to the wood and we intend to build a fire and cook chipolatas and jacket potatoes on it – just because we can. My son has also said he’ll bring his saw and take down a worryingly leaning conifer which is threatening to fall down and block the ride. I’m sure that an excellent day will be had by all.
A Woodland Adventure 