The Ever Evolving Plan - Thursday 23/09/10

Another pair of volunteers. Put them to work stripping logs but also made full use of having 4 people by using a bearer system to carry poles from a pile at the bottom of the plot. Just as well too as they are predominantly of a larger diameter of japanese and european larch. After a conversation with one of yesterdays volunteers, Ayres has now decided to extend the building by putting an indoor/outdoor space to the front.
The theory being this would serve to capture and store more natural heat as well as promote natural convection. There was also talk of underfloor heating using the backboiler he has attached to another woodburner.
Will be interesting to see whether this indeed happens and how it would come together.
Another evolution in the plan.

A volunteer from... No prizes for guessing.... thats right, Tipi Valley!

Gappy loses another tooth.

M Jones

Alligator Log Stripping - Monday 20/09/10

Up early to gather some kit for todays work. Charlie appeared at 08:50 and we set off for Willow's Forest. What greeted me was an incredible 325 acres of Douglas and Norwegian Fir set across a valley.
Our task was to strip the bark off some 200 2m long sections. For this we had a tractor attachment. This machine was basically 2 cogs and a cheese grater. The log was fed in and gripped in a death roll as an alligator might an antelope, then grated at an obscene speed. Was a horrific and fascinating sight. In the first hour it devoured 57 lengths!
Pretty back breaking work and was glad when 17:15 rolled around. 7.5 hours well, 8 hours minus half an hour break.
Got a text to say there was football going on. Was torn. I was pooped, but at the same time liked the sound of a kick around, even if it made tomorrows labour even more painful.
I decided to go as i felt if i didn't on the basis of work the next day, and being tired from todays toil, i'd be living to work and not the other way around.
We left in Ayres' car and were delayed as one of the guys was a volunteer who needed to erect his tent whilst it was still light. On the way we met a large 4x4 coming the other way driven by a woman who looked far from confident at passing in such a narrow lane. Therefore Ayres had to squeeze further in than was necessary. She passed fine, but as we pulled back out BANG! Ayres gouged out a chunk of his front tyre side wall and a large part of the alloy rim. Not good. He dropped us back, understandably rather pissed off and we took my truck. As a result we only played 30-45 mins but that suited me just fine. Feel sorry for Ayres though...

M Jones