Lots to talk about this time and the title could have included mossies, frogs, toads, brambles and found objects. I’ve split it into two parts because it could be a long one and you might want a break. The weather was great, temperature in the mid 20s. It seems that summer has finally arrived just when it’s about to end! What a weird climate we have in the UK. It doesn’t seem five minutes since spring was here, bluebells and birds nesting. It’s only just over a couple of months since the longest day but the nights are drawing in and the woods are slowly winding down. The sycamore has started to drop it’s first leaves, plants are seeding and going brown and there’s a definite feel of Autumn knocking at the door. It’s a nice time of year but always gives me a pang of mild panic and sadness, that the light nights and warm weather are about to end again and we’ll have to wait at least another six months before they return. Yesterday was a day of foraging and some essential jobs. I wanted to focus on some log chopping and bramble clearing but before you sigh “not again”, I’ll say read on as it will be more interesting than just that.
The log chopping was the first job but I’m saving that for part two. 10.30 was time for a brew and a rest. I mentioned that I had processed some nettles to make cordage. To be honest, I’ve become mildly obsessed with it. I find the whole thing very satisfying. To non-bushcrafty people it might seem a bit odd and geeky when you can buy a whole ball of string at the pound shop. It’s a number of things but it’s not about needing string or being too tight to buy it. It’s about learning new (but old) skills, experimenting and seeing what I can produce from naturally found materials. Our ancestors knew about these skills not so long ago before we became so dependant on cheap manufactured goods and our throw-away society. Most folks have lost the knowledge and skills and that’s a shame. My first attempts at nettle cordage have not been great but I’m quite pleased with the final product. It’s surprisingly strong, looks satisfyingly rustic and wholesome and now that I’ve made some, has become more valuable to me than a mere piece of string from Wilko’s. It represents a stroy and a learning curve. Here’s a photo of my first decent piece. I need to find a special use for it rather than just tie up the sweet peas. In true Blue Peter style “Here’s some I made earlier”. The one on the left is the nettles and the other is made from spruce roots but that’s another story.
nettle and spruce root cordage
I sat with coffee, watching a tiny shrew bobbing about a pile of brash and stripped some nettles. I think I’ve cracked that part of it now. My first efforts produced thin and small pieces. The key is to flatten then split the stalk open, then starting in the middle, bend it and pull the pith away from the outer skin rather than trying to pull the skin off the pith. You can see from the photo I managed some wide and long pieces.
stripped nettle skins ready for drying
I noticed quite a few small acorns had fallen and collected them to try raise some more oak saplings. There’s nearly always something new to find that has been discarded at some point. Today’s find was an old glass bottle that had been used for mineral water, probably early to mid 20th century. Unfortunately the bottom was broken off. Here’s my day’s foraging results.
old mineral water bottle
You’ll have to come back for part two to find out about the tiny pink sausages!
Diary of a man and his woodland 