While yesterday I really just wanted to stay in bed, I had to be up and out early, as I had to meet up with the welder who was going to secure the tubs to the tracks for us (The Friends of Chopwell Wood). As my regular reader will know the Friends’ have just refurbished these coal tubs after a stolen car was dumped on them and set alight. One of the effects of this was to partially break the welds that ensured the tubs couldn’t be rolled along the short stretch of track that the friends laid previously when the tubs were first installed.
This work was needed as if any children, or adults that had left their brain at home, should get the tubs rolling, it could cause serious injury, each of the tubs weighing about four tonnes. However it was a relatively simple task for the chap who did the work, and my role was purely that of banksman. You will be surprised just how many people seem to want to get very close to industrial or dangerous processes. But one look at the mouse and they turn tail and head off in the other direction.
With that done I was able to start getting through some of the letters and correspondence that goes with promoting Vice in the wood. I doubt that this month I will complete my allotted tasks, but who knows I may still be able to pull something resembling a rabbit out of that cap. Part of the difficulty is that I accept one part of some task and then all sorts of other matters arise. Or as in the case of the Bat Survey, I am asked to do a little bit more in addition and its often the practical aspects that have to be completed by a certain date or at a particular time.
It sometimes feels as if looking after the wood is like a full time job. That said it is great to have the opportunity to be out in the forest as it is a great place to work and play.
However, this sometimes makes it difficult for me to write my Journal or to keep up with mail etc but recently in an anonymous comment, I was asked by an American reader if we have Red winged Blackbirds over here? Well better late than never, I have to say that we don’t, we do have Black Winged Blackbirds, but we just call them Blackbirds. I am hoping that I can get more images of the birds we have locally, and in this the new digital camera is paying dividends as I have been able to snap a few pictures that had I just been using my film cameras I could never have taken.
After today’s rest I have another very busy week ahead but while it will be busy, I will enjoy just being out in the countryside in my patch, I hope you will get as much enjoyment from the open spaces where you all live too.
The Picture is of a Great Spotted Woodpecker that I came across the other day.
This work was needed as if any children, or adults that had left their brain at home, should get the tubs rolling, it could cause serious injury, each of the tubs weighing about four tonnes. However it was a relatively simple task for the chap who did the work, and my role was purely that of banksman. You will be surprised just how many people seem to want to get very close to industrial or dangerous processes. But one look at the mouse and they turn tail and head off in the other direction.
With that done I was able to start getting through some of the letters and correspondence that goes with promoting Vice in the wood. I doubt that this month I will complete my allotted tasks, but who knows I may still be able to pull something resembling a rabbit out of that cap. Part of the difficulty is that I accept one part of some task and then all sorts of other matters arise. Or as in the case of the Bat Survey, I am asked to do a little bit more in addition and its often the practical aspects that have to be completed by a certain date or at a particular time.
It sometimes feels as if looking after the wood is like a full time job. That said it is great to have the opportunity to be out in the forest as it is a great place to work and play.
However, this sometimes makes it difficult for me to write my Journal or to keep up with mail etc but recently in an anonymous comment, I was asked by an American reader if we have Red winged Blackbirds over here? Well better late than never, I have to say that we don’t, we do have Black Winged Blackbirds, but we just call them Blackbirds. I am hoping that I can get more images of the birds we have locally, and in this the new digital camera is paying dividends as I have been able to snap a few pictures that had I just been using my film cameras I could never have taken.
After today’s rest I have another very busy week ahead but while it will be busy, I will enjoy just being out in the countryside in my patch, I hope you will get as much enjoyment from the open spaces where you all live too.
The Picture is of a Great Spotted Woodpecker that I came across the other day.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment