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Big G's Been Out In The Woods AGAIN...
#1
Greetings fellow Roguesters,

It has been a wee while since I revealed much about what I get up to in RL, so I felt that it was about time to show-and-tell you all about my latest shenanigans In The Woods!

My health hasn't been great lately and work is quite slow at this time of year, so I decided to look for something that I could do to help keep me busy, get my fitness up a bit, and maybe even do something worthwhile for the community and/or environment too? So, for the last few weeks, about once or twice a week I have been volunteering with a Social Enterprise Organisation called "Green Aspirations".
We are basically re-commissioning an old Hazel Woodland which had fallen into severe neglect!
(Hazel needs to be properly managed, over a 7-year cycle, to make it productive and worth while.)
The old woods that we're working in had been left untouched for several decades, so the Hazel that it currently homes has become gnarly and overgrown. Our job is to "Coppice" the Hazel wood, to encourage new, young, fresh growth which then produces long thin straight rods (poles) which can be used in crafting, traditional construction, fencing, walking sticks, tool-making etc etc (They even used to make use of it in the local coal mines for shoring up the shafts/tunnels!)

We've been cutting back the mature Hazel Stands, then protecting the stumps with "Stakes & Brash" which is basically pointy/jaggy stuff to keep the Wild Deer off the new growth which will come, then trimming and grading the Hazel rods into piles of similar size/thickness for use or sale later. Any funds raised with the sale of the wood gets ploughed back into community projects/workshops which are mainly aimed at groups of under-privileged kids... getting them out in the fresh air, crafting, tool-making etc.
It's helping me get fit & healthy again, and I feel like I'm doing something "productive" that's also good for the local community, AND environment (using this sustainable source of Hazel reduces the amount of commercial timber, plastics and metals required for building/construction/fencing projects AND creates a varied habitat for wildlife as the Hazel is Coppiced in several stages).

[Image: attachment.php?aid=7238]

The Evidence! LOL

Any thicker off-cuts of wood are set aside to be used in the production of our own charcoal (which I am REALLY looking forward to!!)
I've met a great bunch of folks on the volunteering and I do feel that it's helping me, both physically & mentally, with my health & fitness.... it's a WIN WIN WIN!!!

minusculebeercheers
G


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[Image: CoolForCatzSig.png]
#2
Hi Gordi, its good to hear from you and that you are HOW DARE YOU HOW DARE YOU!! DONT YOU KNOW THE MAKING CHARCOAL RELEASES LARGE AMOUNTS OF CO2 THAT THE TREES AND PLANTS THEN USE TO GROW STRONGER AND MAKE MORE OXYGEN, AND THAT EVEN NASA HAS STARTED SAYING THAT CO2 IS NOT A GREEN HOUSE GAS. ALSO THE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS HAPPING NOW IS NOT MAN MADE BUT NATURAL !!!!!!!! OPS 
Sorry Gordi I some times channel GT and she tells me the truth, its very upsetting when it happens
#3
Like Wallfire says, it's good to hear from you!
But my question is... did you find Bigfoot in the Hazel thicket? You're with friends here, you can tell us.
tinywhat

Or is the reality that you -in fact, are the British Sasquatch and the image you've kindly provided is merely
a photograph taken by an intrepid researcher? Don't feel guilty, I don't like shaving my shoulders either.
tinyhuh

Seriously, considering the weather we've been having, it's good that you're out-and-about getting exercise
that I'm envious of. Well done, mate.
minusculethumbsup
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe. 
#4
It is VERY GOOD to hear from you again, it has been awhile.

I hope your Health continues to improve and it is very nice that your community is helping the less fortunate.

But, I'm like @"BIAD" , did you find evidence of Bigfoot or maybe old gravestone markers?

Please get better, you are the only Scottish person I know.  minusculebeercheers
Once A Rogue, Always A Rogue!
[Image: attachment.php?aid=936]
#5
Hmmm... Hazel... isn't Hazel what you make magic wands out of? Don't point that hazel shoot at me! It might be loaded!

I'm just amazed that there is still a thicket in Scotland - I thought the Scot burned all their wood centuries ago to keep warm!

I'm with BIAD - that image is clearly a Bigfoot, maybe the Gray Man or whatever that is dwelling on Ben Bulben. It's very clearly NOT Gordi, as there is nae kilt in sight!

.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.

Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’


#6
(03-01-2020, 01:50 AM)Ninurta Wrote: I'm with BIAD - that image is clearly a Bigfoot, maybe the Gray Man or whatever that is dwelling on Ben Bulben.
It's very clearly NOT Gordi, as there is nae kilt in sight!

Yep, there you have it. A clear and expertly-observed suggestion from someone who frequents woodland and
enjoys the company of these hairy brutes. Like Ninurta says, no kilt -then it's not Gordi and all Scotsmen wear
kilts. Snopes would agree.
tinyhuh

Disregarding the obvious 'cloaking' disguise of the greyness, I would dare to say this was never a photograph
of our favourite clansman, but a clipping from the Patterson-Gimlin footage of 1967.
tinywhat 
But I might be wrong.
tinybiggrin
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe. 
#7
HaHaHa!

Uhm... 'twas definitely me.
Those thickets get a bit too "jaggy" for wandering around in the Kilt ya know!

No sign of any (other) Bigfoot or Crypto-creatures unfortunately.
Although I have seen Squirrels in the trees, a Robin (everywhere!), a pair of Buzzards overhead and we heard at least two Woodpeckers "drilling" the other day - it was like they were trying to out-do one another.
There's lots of deer-sign as well, but I think they only visit the area at night.

There are still loads and loads of woodlands in Scotland, but they mostly seem to be of the massive commercial (non-native conifer) variety for timber production, rather than the small-scale native and "traditional" craft oriented ones.

There are indeed wands made of Hazel! But I don't tend to wave my wand about in the woods anymore since the "incident"... tinysurprised

Oh, we did find a natural spring in the woods. Fresh water bubbling up out of the ground... very clear looking!
And strangely... although the weather has been HORRENDOUS up here for many weeks now... I have been incredibly lucky with the weather on coppicing days????
On one occasion, I left my house in the middle of a snow blizzard and by the time I'd driven the 10 or so miles to the Hazel woods - there were clear blue skies and SUNSHINE????
I've had to take my jacket off every day that I've been volunteering there! It's quite weird now that I think about it! because the rest of the time it has been feckin COLD with snow/hail/rain/sleet/high winds etc

The weather makers must approve of our work??? ROFL

Cheers guys!
G
[Image: CoolForCatzSig.png]
#8
(03-02-2020, 11:22 AM)gordi Wrote: ...And strangely... although the weather has been HORRENDOUS up here for many weeks now... I have been incredibly lucky
with the weather on coppicing days????
On one occasion, I left my house in the middle of a snow blizzard and by the time I'd driven the 10 or so miles to the Hazel
woods - there were clear blue skies and SUNSHINE????
I've had to take my jacket off every day that I've been volunteering there! It's quite weird now that I think about it! because
the rest of the time it has been feckin COLD with snow/hail/rain/sleet/high winds etc

The weather makers must approve of our work??? ROFL
Cheers guys!
G

It could well be that the way we used to perceive weather, working outside in the elements and the general
view of winter, has been slowly altered by media forces and now we see what your Grandmother would have
seen as just another seasonal snowfall, now is a terrible blizzard that should be designated a name!

The weather hasn't changed... we have!
tinylaughing
.........................

Did you see any deer..? and do you wish to expand on 'the incident'?
tinywhat
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe. 
#9
(03-02-2020, 12:38 PM)BIAD Wrote: ...The weather hasn't changed... we have!
tinylaughing
.........................

Did you see any deer..? and do you wish to expand on 'the incident'?
tinywhat

That's a distinct possibility regarding the weather!

We haven't actually seen the deer, but we know they are visiting.
They've left footprints (hoofprints?) in the snow and soft mud, and they often nibble the fresh growth of new shoots on the Hazel stands. Judging by the orientation of the tracks, we've sussed out that they spend the days up in the thicker conifer woods on the hillside, then come down and visit our hazel woods at night when it's all quiet.

I just made up the "incident" to add some intrigue to my otherwise boring accounts of Gordi's days spent in the woods... honest.... ahem! LOL

G
[Image: CoolForCatzSig.png]
#10
(03-02-2020, 11:22 AM)gordi Wrote: I've had to take my jacket off every day that I've been volunteering there! It's quite weird now that I think about it! because the rest of the time it has been feckin COLD with snow/hail/rain/sleet/high winds etc

That just shows that you're working like you MEAN it! I can recall splitting wood in -20 degree F temperatures and having to take off my jacket and even roll up my sleeves to avoid sweating and catching a chill, so it happens. Of course, I don't do that any more, 'cause it's too much like working!

.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.

Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’




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