Issue #19 The Miscellaneous Adventures Digest
Issue #19 The Miscellaneous Adventures Digest
Woodland work updates, a trip to the coast with Fjällräven, an announcement and Nature Happenings week two...
A week of lots of little things. I wonder how the sap is flowing now? We didn’t get the chance to check this weekend. We were too busy dealing with hydraulics of a different kind; fixing the brakes on the Starwagon. Did you have a go at tapping birch sap? If you did we’d love to know.
Some woodland and conservation updates: We finally finished our spruce clearing project in Brigsteer! We’re all relieved to see the job done and happy to look back over the land to see a sea of small birches and oaks left behind ready to burst into action. It will be interesting to go back in a few years time and see how it’s getting on. I wonder if the birches will consider the creation of a new woodland a fair exchange for some of their sap? I hope so.
We’ve also just taken on the management of a lovely woodland down in Elterwater which will be the first of our own woodland contracts since moving up here. A mixed deciduous woodland of mostly oak and birch on steep craggy terrain plus an area of wet woodland along the lake shore (normally referred to as carr) dominated by lovely collapsing willows, birch and old coppiced alder stools. There’s plenty to do here: lots of fencing to fix, windblown trees on tracks to clear, trees to plant, rides and glades to create and an area of recent plantings to look after. It feels good to have a patch to regularly look after again and I’m looking forward to seeing it change over the seasons. As an aside, “contract” is an ugly word for this kind of relationship with a piece of land, don’t you think? I can’t think of a better one right now though…
We’ve been by the north sea this week on a Fjällräven event. We were invited to try out their collection of Hydratic waterproof jackets and had a wonderful time exploring the Northumberland coast on foot and by boat checking out the local wildlife. The highlight of the trip for us was definitely seeing puffins out on the Farne Islands which is a first for us, but there were plenty of other neat wildlife encounters, plus lovely people, good food and a fascinating landscape. With massive thanks to Fjällräven for having us and putting on a great event!
It was the start of BST on Sunday; a whole extra hour of daylight in the evenings! This used to mean the start of outdoor cooking season for us when we lived in the woods and marked a turning point in the year at which we would spend more time out of doors than in. We would celebrate by cooking dinner over fire and sit outside until late, listening to the comings and goings of crepuscular creatures in the woods. It was one of our favourite times of the year. After we moved to the north we had to come up with something new to mark the occasion so this year and last year we have taken our van down to where the mountains meet the lake shore to share drinks and snacks together in the fading light. It’s a ritual I think we can improve on in time as we find new places that have meaning for us, but for now it’s a cosy treat for the three of us and marks the occasion nicely. I wonder how Benji will remember these moments when he is older?
And lastly, we’re honoured to have been asked to guest curate the May edition of the brilliant Adventurous Ink. We’ll be revealing our book choice and details on how you can get your hands on a free copy early next week. Make sure you’re subscribed to be among the first to get involved!
Nature Happenings
Hello, Emma here. This week we’ve noticed a big increase in the number of flowering primroses popping up along many of our local paths and woodlands. One of the first to flower, when we lived in the woods they would shine like little suns through the brown leaf litter, lifting our spirits with the knowledge that spring was finally coming.
We also associate the flowering of primrose with our first sightings of bee flies, so we are now eagerly awaiting the appearance of these adorable little flies that buzz between the primroses, drinking up the sweet nectar through their long proboscises.
Benji loves to pick and eat the flowers as we walk, but we also like to make a tea with the flowers and young leaves of primrose. A slightly sweet, sunshine filled drink that can genuinely lift spirits, as primroses contain chemicals that can help sooth anxiety and headaches. This is the sort of drink that tastes best made outdoors, so we’ll be taking out our Kelly Kettle this weekend in search of abundant primrose patches, gathering a few (just about 10 flowers for a pot of tea) to sit by a stream and drink it, soaking up the sunshiny goodness.
Let us know if you try it - and if you spot a bee fly!
That’s all from us this week, if you have thoughts or questions or comments then we’d love to hear from you. And, if you enjoy reading about our miscellaneous adventures and think someone else you know might too then please feel free to pass it on!
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Warm wishes from the three of us. Have a great weekend!
Andrew, Emma and Benji
What an adventurous week! The Northumberland coast is spectacular and I love the puffins! It’s great to know that you had a fun time with many life enhancing experiences and certainly ones for Benji to remember💫