Having just been stung (no not wasps again) no this time grasping oil suppliers who just charged us nearly a thousand pounds for our heating oil I was inspired to start looking at our renewable heating and cooking fuel supply. Wood. Further inspiration came from a chat over dinner with the Technohermit (we weren't having dinner together, I handed him his Sunday roast, we stood chatting, him in his cave, me in the rain) over how winter was on its way, how his back hurt and how he had to get enough wood cut for the season. Carrying it any distance was a real pain especially as the grass was so long he added gravely. I nodded, having given up trying to find any logic in many of his utterances. I pointed out the really handy wood source right by the cave, some overgrown hazel trees.
Just like the ones surrounding Rock HQ. So back at base armed with my little hand saw I set about the middle tree of these three. The plan is to cut the newly growing wood and leave the old tree unharmed. What will happen next year is each branch/stem cut will sprout four of five new shoots and goats permitting in a few years they can be cut having grown into decent logable branches.
In just half an hour I had several days worth of wood to lay up and dry off, I will cut it to log length first though as wet fresh wood cuts easier than dry, and the bonus of this sort of coppice work is free food for the critters. Hetty made short work of the greenery while Morgana and Guinevere sorted through looking for nuts.
As ever I had several Bernese shadows watching my every move.
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