the village idiot

Faulty wiring Mick.

Yes, this is my feeling too (although admittedly I know bugger all about economics.) I wonder whether a reconfiguration rather than a dismantling might be better? Capitalism does work pretty well as long as there are proper checks in place to stop things getting too top heavy. We haven't done too well in this department. It's a delicate balance though. We could do with improving wealth distribution but we don't want to dis-incentivise innovation.

Roe and Muntjac.

It was probably nesting in her hair. Looks like pretty good habitat.

Numbers have declined by 90% in the last 50 years!

Are there many of you that are familiar with the Nightingale song? It's a delightful little bird that unfortunately has been in freefall in the UK in recent years. We get quite a few in the Wood each Spring, fresh from a gruelling migration from Africa. For a small bird they can belt out quite an astounding repertoire, particularly noticeable as darkness falls and the other birds tuck themselves up for bed. I took this recording on my phone this evening. It gets louder as I creep closer. You might be able to hear a second male in the background doing it's best to get his love sonnet heard. Hopefully you can play the file. Edit: There's nothing more after 4:40 Nightingale 5 mins.aac

That is awesome Beau! I love the barrel loading and unloading system and the expanding air regulation system. Genius. Have you ever had a barrel reignite once it's been removed from the retort?

Hi Beau, Is there a way to access this for non-facebookers?

Thanks AJS I'm not popping the champagne corks just yet. I am hoping we get a variety of 'herby' vegetation coming up in what will be our zone 2's along the rides. If we just get solid grass then the mulching will not have been a 100% success. I'm confident we will get a variety, but it is still a bit early to tell. We don't fence our coppice compartments. The regrowth usually gets hammered by Deer in the first year but comes good in years two and three as the bramble gets going. This situation would be unacceptable for some but we are OK with it. If we did not get much bramble then I imagine we would be forced into fencing of some kind.

Thanks Andrew, I hope it didn't take up too much of your day! If you think forestry journal might be interested then by all means send me a contact. I would be keen to promote the concept of a woodsman being responsible for a particular wood/woods full time. It is a system that has fallen out of fashion in recent decades but has some distinct advantages in terms of 'holistic' woodland management. Thanks for the kind words.

Quick update on the Woodland rides as they start their first full growing season since the mulching operation. They are beginning to green up nicely. Still a bit bare where there was a particularly big tree stump and a heavy layer of mulch but elsewhere the wildflowers are starting to peek their heads through. Up to this point it has been mostly Primrose, Violets, Bugle, Wood anemone, Stitchwort and Celendine. I'll keep you all posted as more appear. The 'zone 3's' between the short grass and the mature trees are filling out nicely. These were coppiced right back but not mulched. The cut Hazel is regenerating well from the stools and we are getting all the gaps filled in with pioneering Birch now that there is enough bramble to protect them from Deer. Apologies for the quality of the photo but hopefully you get the idea. These sunny shrubby margins are fantastic wildlife habitat. If you remember from earlier posts, the idea is to mimic the conditions found on the outside margins of the Woodland which are always buzzing with life. The Wood Anemones are in full flower at the moment. They are an Ancient Woodland indicator and one of my favourite woodland plants. If you catch them on a warm sunny day like today the sight and scent is truly life affirming.

Perhaps you could pee out of that first floor window next time someone comes to the door. Might make you feel better?

I'm going with Oak.

We were just on our way up to the butterfly glade to pick bluebells for Gutrot's pressed flower collection. Didn't expect to get papped!

There's always been stupid people, we've just got more ways to show it now.

That sounds good! My ex partner's sister once made me a massive batch of flapjacks for my birthday. She accidently used double the amount of sugar, butter and syrup. Best things I've ever tasted.

It was a pretty good effort I thought, given the circumstances. I've never seen a bottle bank in a domestic back garden before.

Unfortunately he is too busy. Should be able to find somebody though. Thanks again for the advice.

That's great, thanks Steve. Just need to find a trustworthy local engineer. In your estimation would a 'standard' electrician be able to do it?

That looks promising. I wonder why I was quoted £2000 plus fitting for a replacement by the engineer? I must look like a sucker.

Where did you find that?

Decided to fact check this. Took a trip to Bolam acres armed with my camera. Behold!

Thanks William, that's very kind of you. Below is a picture of the type of generator I have, although mine is a rather fetching blue. The alternator is a Mecc Alte S20FS-160

Thanks Steve, that is very helpful. The alternator doesn't smell of burning, but it's useful to know that rewinding is probably not a great option. The online calculators seem to vary widely in their outcomes. It doesn't help that start up loads seems to be such an inexact science. The hydraulic pump idea is a good one but the way we operate doesn't really lend itself to that system. I'll get in touch with Steve Wells (thanks for the contact). Have you got any idea what it should cost for an engineer to remove an old alternator and fit a new one on a canopied mobile generator?