wood for the taking

Today we went to the local Normanby Hall Country park, as they are still cutting down trees from the strong winds a few weeks back. It was a treat for me as there is loads of free wood going, great if you have a log fire or a pole lathe and an art degree. We helped ourselves to as many logs as we could carry beech and oak, but also aquired some beautiful Wellingtonia pine slices from the trunk of the tree about 2 feet across. I thought I might try and make tables out of them but I’ll see after I’ve scratched my beard for a while. The best part about the pine is that in the middle it’s almost bright pink possibly due to the effects of rotting but I’m no expert.

We also watched a huge tree being cut down, I was in my element, so much so I forgot to take a photo. The little lad loved it too. It’s another thing that I have never seen before, so simple but it made my day.

I had a chat with the head Ranger at the park and was sad but not surprised to find that most of the wood is just burned. Some gets sold to local wood yards but they only want it if it is right next to the road and cut up into lengths. As the park does not have the facilities this rarely happens. They cut up as much as they can and people are invited to collect it but this only applys to the large trunks which need to be removed, much of the smaller branches are still burned. My permaculture brain was working overtime trying to think of a better solution but it was money and time against them. The Ranger said she felt the same but there was not alot she could do.

The artist in me would love to work there turning the huge trunks into sculptures, like one of my heros David Nash but it’s not an option they have to be removed as soon as possible, this is a council run park. I also wonder whether this type of storm will be on the increase in the years to come but only time will tell.

Here is a tree goblin that was seen just after the tree was felled it muttered something about ice cream and ran off.

the thrift of storm damage

Luckily we got away with just a few broken plant pots and a fence pannel but on walking out today there were many trees down- a chance for me to get some wood for the pole lathe. For anybody who turns wood or works with it some other way a stormy day produces loads of free materials. Remember when a plant pot breaks to use the pieces for drainage in other pots and at least it will not be a total waste. A lot of people get rid of old fences after they have been damaged by winds here is another opportunity to aquire free wood for building compost heaps etc. I think a walk after strong winds is always a good idea as there is opportunities for free wood but also to help neighbours by taking a look to see if they have lost any roof tiles. Most people forget to to check their roof after strong winds but it’s so important. If you share a roof with others like in a semi or terraced house and you have both lost tiles and you are not able to repair it yourself offer to split the cost rather than get a builder each. It will save you alot of money. Another tip is when you see a skip full of old roof tiles pick out the best ones and save them, if you happen to loose some it will save you loads of time and money.

best blog of the day award

thankyou whoever nominated me best blog of the day. best blog of the day and in the local paper in the same week, watch this space.

voluntary hard-work

Voluntary simplicity, downshifting, low impact what ever you want to call it, sometimes feels like alot more hard-work than the name implies. Much of the way in which I choose to live requires me to break with the norm, to leave behind accepted behaviour. I often feel resentful at having to explain my reasons for not wanting to do something or why I choose to do without. Even psyically the attempt to be an ethical shopper requires me to travel further, rather than aquiring everything from one place. Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that it’s worth it, there is no prize for being an ethical shopper or reducing your eco footprint.

However there is also part of me who enjoys the challenge, finding the lowest price the most local produce. Our lives in the western world are no longer a struggle, but why should food etc be so easily obtained. So often you here” I would buy organic but it’s too expensive” or ”they don’t sell it here”, my argument is, that it’s not an organic chicken thats expensive, it’s the factory reared chicken thats too cheep (sorry bad joke). I get such a good feeling walking with my son, visiting the differnt shops talking to people who actually know where there produce comes from. Perhaps people would have a greater respect for there food and their environment if they were forced to be more envolved in it.

First time Bodger

I’ve finally finished my pole lathe it’s been stuck outside since febuary half finished, but a brief spell of enthusiam got the thing finished. The design was taken from Mike Abbots fantastic book Green Woodworking, which has detailed plans of how to build a pole lathe shave horse and many of the techniques of wood turning. However I was stuck on how to make the metal screw threaded part which holds the piece of wood to be turned. I finally decided to sacrifice an old G clamp by cutting off end to allow it to pass straight through the G part of the clamp. I then made a point at the end with an electric grinder and drilled a hole through the poppet slightly smaller than needed so that as it was screwed in it created it’s own screw thread.