Big kids in little woods

[Roadkillphil]

Went for a poke in a small patch of trees today with my two kids, on the hunt for moss, potential spoons and a nice place to park our bums for lunch.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5635580949_dd88cf795a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5635580949/)
Walk in a teeny tiny wood (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5635580949/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Lunch

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5635626513_9aea38f912.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5635626513/)
Lunch in the teeny tiny wood (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5635626513/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

A big bag of moss and some spoon/fork blanks. The moss is for our hanging baskets btw.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5636168108_46bec7bbf0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5636168108/)
Bag o moss and spoon blanks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5636168108/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

I found a small branch snapped and scarred on this tree, so I cut it off nice and clean and got 4 maybe 5 blanks from it with interesting grain/scars. Not sure what it is... thought maybe Elm?? Ideas welcome.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5636200460_986d504032.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5636200460/)
What is it?? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5636200460/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

After lunch, we hauled off to go pick up Mrs Roadkill from the stables and after various chores I set about making a new spoon and fork. Pics of this can be found here
http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?951-My-first-spoon/page4

Thanks for looking

Phil

[Mang]

Going out with my two this morning...got a new crusader mug that needs christening! Lovely grain in that spoon BTW.

[Roadkillphil]

'ansome grain eh! Really, the wood has done the work for me :D
Have yourself a nice day, great weather for it!

[Roadkillphil]

I'm convinced the tree is whitebeam now, all opinions welcome :)

[Ivan]

Hi Phil , nice to see the kids out and about , like the spoon !, and i think the wood is whitebeam or hornbeam ,both very light coloured wood , was originally used to sterilize surgical instruments as it produces such a clean flame !

[Ben Casey]

Looks like yous had a great time there.

[Ashley Cawley]

Very happy faces :) We're having some beautiful weather down here in Cornwall!!

[Mang]

Lots of dappled sunlight, *lots* of Bluebells-A great morning until my eldest said 'Daddy, I've made you a triple S'more'. I felt obliged but slightly nauseous afterwards!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/DSC00090.jpg

[Roadkillphil]

Hi Phil , nice to see the kids out and about , like the spoon !, and i think the wood is whitebeam or hornbeam ,both very light coloured wood , was originally used to sterilize surgical instruments as it produces such a clean flame !

Defo Whitebeam Ivan, there's a hornbeam hedge in our local park and I was comparing leaves etc this morning and double checking with TreeID today. Its a tree I've never ID'd before, another one lodged in my brain now... I know the more common broadleaves but my tree knowledge has many holes and I'm eager to learn. :D

Cheers Ben and Ash, the kids love being out in the woods, Corey especially is hungry to learn, his wildflower knowledge is awesome, considering he's just turned 6.

@Mang... What's that you're munchin on then?? :D

[Roadkillphil]

As I spent most of the week messing about in woods and field and rather than start a new thread, heres some more pics.
This was yesterday in a larger patch of trees a short walk from my house.

Ramsons everywhere in the valley of the river Menalhyl

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5637211837_58036dc64a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637211837/)
Wild garlic walk (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637211837/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Stopped for lunch by a tinkling stream

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5638448604_efafba571f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638448604/)
Lunch on a stone bridged stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638448604/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Look what we found

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5637916337_c27dfb1f4a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637916337/)
Hunting cramp balls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637916337/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

And more!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5637907751_a1cfc8eefd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637907751/)
Corey found a good stash (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637907751/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Hollow trees

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5637920077_92a8ccf44a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637920077/)
Treehouses (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637920077/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Spring!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5638436036_b467ab2018.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638436036/)
Fronds (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638436036/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Corey reckoned this log looked like a seamonster with two big googly eyes!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5141/5638468038_334562beb7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638468038/)
Seamonster!! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5638468038/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Stone style at the top end of the wood

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5310/5637863637_46556bf591.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637863637/)
Magic hour (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637863637/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Then through the fields back down to the river

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5637884843_ecdfa000bd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637884843/)
Dandelion fields, Trewan wood and St Columb Major (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5637884843/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

A bleddy 'ansome day it was :D Warm as you like, the bluebells were out and we heard an owl hooting just after lunch. Ice cream from the shop in town to cool us off, then home to the smell of home baking :D

Thanks for looking

[fish]

that photography is award winning mate.

[Roadkillphil]

Thankyou kindly Fish! :D
Believe it or no, all my photos are taken on my iPhone, sometimes cropped and shopped on a camera app, then sent straight to flickr from my phone.

Thanks again

Phil

[Ashley Cawley]

Thankyou kindly Fish! :D
Believe it or no, all my photos are taken on my iPhone, sometimes cropped and shopped on a camera app, then sent straight to flickr from my phone.

Thanks again

PhilWow! Photos look superb! :D

[Martin]

Love those Phil. The last ones have that very 'nostalgic' lighting. :)

Martin

[Adam Savage]

I wanna come play in the woods... :( lol

[Roadkillphil]

More playtime in the woods last weekend with the whole family :D

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5800305279_6891f67a2a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800305279/)
Coreys hammock (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800305279/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/5800324453_25252280a3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800324453/)
Ems monster bacon stick! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800324453/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/5800336997_c3e1728857.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800336997/)
Camp (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800336997/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/5800359345_faa27e8b95.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800359345/)
Rabbits!! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800359345/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/5800349145_b22c2498da.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800349145/)
Obi gone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800349145/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5273/5800923478_2eeb140512.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800923478/)
Fire n mead (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5800923478/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

A nice weekend at Woodland Valley, we were surrounded by tons of wildlife, had the whole wood to ourselves, had a little dangle in the pond and got real close to the wildlife :D

[Adam Savage]

Looks like a funtastic weekend buddy. And seems the weather held good for you.

[Ben Casey]

Brill :)

[Roadkillphil]

Just a few snaps of some woodland (and watercraft) playtime me and the kids have had recently :)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6218588924_65b4166d5c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588924/)
IMG_1607 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588924/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6099/6218588946_ceab3f5bd9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588946/)
IMG_1629 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588946/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6218588956_3e07994227.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588956/)
IMG_1630 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218588956/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6218698410_d7b2fbe851.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218698410/)
IMG_1628 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218698410/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/6218698408_08fc23a077.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218698408/)
IMG_1627 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6218698408/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

thanks for looking

:D

[Adam Savage]

You're knocking out some excellent photos mate. Looks like a magical land, far far away ;)

[Roadkillphil]

You're knocking out some excellent photos mate. Looks like a magical land, far far away ;)

Cheers bud, youm not too far wrong mind.... Cornwall is a magical land, far far away! ;)

[JEEP]

Excellent photos!

[Roadkillphil]

Excellent photos!

:D Thankyou Jakob :D

[Roadkillphil]

Today we made it up as we went along, we headed into Truro for shoppin and needed to walk the doggies somewhere nearby. Having scoured the map in the van on the way, a couple of choices sprang to mind, but we settled on Idless Woods.... Somewhere we've never been and until now, didn't know existed!
After being pleasantly surprised by the stunning scenery of the location, we set off into the woods and had a great time. It is a Forestry Commision patch, but has a lot of broadleaf that is left well alone, in particular large patches of middle aged beech.
We stopped for a brew, using a few of my new toys to make it, and explored the woods for a while before heading into Truro.

Heres some pics of the day.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6045/6365088697_e4efe7ca90.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088697/)
Idless woods (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088697/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6365088719_1c6b5bd39c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088719/)
Pixie house (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088719/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6364501043_d66d901e94.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6364501043/)
Stool? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6364501043/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6221/6364517639_ba5ff40735.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6364517639/)
Tall trees (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6364517639/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6365088735_41d21f1507.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088735/)
nother stool (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088735/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6094/6365088771_936d721589.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088771/)
soooo, wheres the party (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088771/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6035/6365088785_2bd7aec466.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088785/)
mshrooms (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088785/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6118/6365088759_3dcfbb88f4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088759/)
Them momkeys get everywhere! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365088759/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6365246155_7511e494a3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365246155/)
Another big stick! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6365246155/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

A good time was had by all, I love playing around in new places and I'll certainly be coming back here for more exploring :D

Thanks for looking

Phil

[rossbird]

Nice pics Phil, can't believe your still getting Boletes down there.
Must be 6 weeks since I found any locally.

[Adam Savage]

Nice photos as usual mate. As for the boletes, this year has been a strange one for flowers, trees, fungi, etc. They don't seem to know it's the second half of November.

[jus_young]

This weather is barmy! Looked around the garden yesterday, roses still blooming and I have flowers on my strawberry plants. Them that know call it a second spring apparently.

[Roadkillphil]

Went out this arvo to walk the dogs in amongst some small patches of trees and have a play with Coreys hammock. I used my whoopee and ridge setup from my travel hammock and got the kids to test it. Ash's little bro was tearing around the woods on his bike and come give us a hand to set it all up and have a natter about knives, firelighting and hammocking. here's a coupla pics :D

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6737296431_df719d8738.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6737296431/)
Corey demonstrating diagonal lay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6737296431/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6737281547_661f89c4f9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6737281547/)
Kids n dogs n hammocks (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6737281547/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

I must say I really like the whoopee and ridge rig, I used to be a big fan of sls, but whoopees all the way now :D

Cheers

Phil

[Adam Savage]

I haven't tried whoopies yet, but I still haven't tried my SLS yet lol. I must say, tree huggers seem to be the easiest setup for me so far.
Glad to see the young uns out in the woods again Phil.

[Ashley Cawley]

LOL - Quality, caught mini mears tearing about the bush. Kids look happy to be out'n'about :)

[Ben Casey]

Love the pics and story LOL

[Roadkillphil]

Last night Ash, his brother Joe and I went for a walk in a small woods nearby. We went to harvest some hazel but ended up grubbing up Pignuts (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/wild-food/foraging-for-pignuts-learn-how-to-forage-for-wild-food.html) instead.
We spotted one by an unusually large Alder tree and got my food for free book out to try and ID it. We thought we'd found one at Woodland Valley last weekend when we went on a wildfood walk, but none of us were 100% sure and we only found the one plant so was a little reserved about digging it up to find out.
So last night we decided again to leave it alone until our interest turned to the pair of enormous Alder nearby. We had a good look around and found a small Elm too. Then we started to see suspected pignut everywhere and our reservations about diggin them up dispersed.
Ash had a blast on my new Woodbee from Adam to make a diggin stick and Joe n he set to diggin up a morsel while I used the wonders of modern mobile technology to look up this article (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/wild-food/foraging-for-pignuts-learn-how-to-forage-for-wild-food.html) to positively ID.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7283954332_0955ece55a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/7283954332/)
Foraging Pignuts (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/7283954332/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

So after some tentative diggin, abandoning the stick after a bit to use his fingers, Ash pulled out the tuber and after a minute of cross referencing we chopped the bulb in half and had a taste... as the article suggests, it tasted a bit like hazelnut.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7283970542_e683abc3eb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/7283970542/)
Pignut, stem n tuber (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/7283970542/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Twas mighty tasty, and seeing as we'd found loads, I turned my hand to digging one up. I only used the diggin stick to make a shallow trench around the plant as they really are delicate, then I got my fingers in there. It's too easy to snap the stem and then finding the tuber is nearly impossible, also if you find it, there is so much other stuff growing, you can't be sure it's the pignut tuber. We dug up 3 in total and all the bulbs were different shapes. they all had a brown leathery coating on, but rubbbing this off exposes the fresh white bulb that is fine to eat raw.

I'm sure Ash will stick some more pics here later, showing the plant in more detail.

Twas an ansum evening, we spotted more wildfoods and was nice being out for a wander in the woods :)

Cheers

Phil

[Ashley Cawley]

I'm sure Ash will stick some more pics here later, showing the plant in more detail.Even better I'll post up a vid... :o



https://vimeo.com/42961141



Great photos & lovely write-up Phil, better than I could have put it. Was a ansum evening stroll.

[Roadkillphil]

Lovely write-up Phil, better than I could have put it. Was a ansum evening stroll.

Cheers Bud! :happy-clapping: Great vid meht!! :D

[AL...]

T^

Cheers
AL