Keeping busy

The annual MOT test for the truck is looming and for me, that is like waiting to have teeth pulled, but, I have looked the old girl over and now we will just have to wait and see what happens at the end of the week.

Meanwhile I have been making a few items out of some leather scraps, trying out my new carving tools and mallet. I haven't had too many disasters and generally I have been pleased with the results. Each new piece that I have made I have learned a little bit more and slowly got a little more ambitious, heaven know where this will all end, but at the moment I am really enjoying learning this oldest of crafts. My daughters and granddaughters have all been impressed with the hair slides and my eldest daughters "Yorkie" is wearing his new bespoke collar. I don't know what to make next but I am sure that something will come to mind.

Getting hammered on the cheap

Today it was time to put on my bushcraft clothes and go hunting for a piece of timber, having used my new leather craft tools yesterday, I quickly realised that my awning peg mallet was far too unwieldy for such fine work. I don't like to cut trees unnecessarily and I knew where the farmer, having trimmed some trees, had piled up the limbs ready for logging. I selected a piece of what I thought was sycamore and quickly cut off about 10 inches. I set up workshop in the awning and with the aid of one of my knives began roughly removing the wood from what was going to be the handle. In about twenty minutes I ended up with the basic shape of the mallet. I wanted the construction to be one piece because it would be easier to make and I wouldn't have the problem of the head coming loose. So from this point on I began removing wood with a little more care. The handle needs to be comfortable because I imagine that I will be holding it for hours at a time as I work the leather.

So here the handle is all but finished it just needs a little careful shaving to leave it smooth. The next stage was to fashion the head and because I was leaving it round this was very easy, it was just a case of removing the bark and soft sap wood. So within about an hour and a half from start to finish it was all done ready for use. I know it's a bit like me, not very good looking and a bit working class, it just needs a little time to dry out and if it doesn't work I'll take it back for a refund.

Some new toys

Today, with my thirst for photography quenched for a little while I needed another project with which to amuse myself. The weather this morning was in total contrast to yesterdays with fog and drizzle being the order for the day, as I set about my daily chores of fetching fresh water and disposing of waste etc. I kept thinking about what I was going to do, I wanted to perhaps make something but what. Fortunately, before I got engrossed in anything I had a phone call from my daughter telling me that a package I had ordered had arrived at the house, so, not being too far away we made the journey over to fetch it. The package contained some bits and pieces for my leather craft that I had ordered about a week ago, some of which were a few specialist tools. When we got back to the site it wasn't many minutes before I set about testing my newly acquired toys. The tools are for carving and decorating leather, a process known as tooling. I have done a few bits before but the use of such tools was going to be a completely new process for me to learn. I prepared a piece of scrap leather that measures about 2 inches by 4 inches and then drew onto it the outline of a simple floral design that I had seen in a booklet. Slowly I built up the design over a couple of hours until eventually I considered it complete. Clearly I have much to learn, but I got a great deal of pleasure from this and I am looking forward to a second and hopefully more successful attempt.

The early birds reward

Today we had to go to the shops for provisions, we usually make an early start in order that we miss the crowds. This morning however, was such a lovely morning that I just had to go out with the camera and take a few shots. The image on the right is the shroud that was wrapped around the windscreen, it was a shame to see the sun melt it away. It was barely light when I left the van and the air was cold and still, which is the best time for photography in my opinion. So before the sun came up I walked along the river bank with the grass crunching under my wellies when I captured this next picture.

It was my intention to shoot the sunrise but it seemed to take for ever before the sun crept over the horizon. My hands were freezing and my winter body warmer no longer lied about the cold around me, I tried to keep active while I searched the landscape for potential pictures. For the next photograph I had to lie on the heavily frosted grass at the edge of the river with my clothing soaking up the moisture. By now all of my gear and my glasses were also freezing cold and so the warmth of my breath caused me problems with condensation, obscuring the view finder and my specs. I really wanted the shot, so I wiped the optics more than once, but in the end I got it.

Experience has taught me that once the sun comes up, there are only a few minutes in which to get the shots before the sun becomes too bright. So I constantly watched the sky for clues, aircraft vapour trails can be a good indicator if clouds are few and far between. At this crucial moment I saw another potential shot forming on the western horizon that I

found I was becoming drawn towards. It took a lot of will power to let it go and position myself for the next shot looking down the river, but here it is, the early birds reward. I love the morning, I always have done and I find it amazing how the same view looks different with every passing minute.

The good old days?

There is little for me to write about at present, we have not moved for weeks, things have slowed down to a crawl while we wait patiently for the onset of spring. Maybe this is not a bad thing but it does cause my mind to wander and reflect on things that were all but forgotten, you know, "The good old days" and it is this reflection that can occasionally get me down. It is said that you only remember the good times, and I am sure this is true, thankfully, over the years, there have been many good times for me, but my memory disturbed me and caused a little discontent. So yesterday in an attempt to overcome any dissatisfaction I was feeling, I looked hard at our current lifestyle and the benefits that it has brought us. First of all is our health, so much better now that all of the daily stress of working has gone. Secondly is the freedom of choice, for the most part we do whatever we like, whenever we like, wherever we like, within the confines of the law of course. Thirdly, is our closeness to nature, surrounded by open countryside, the wildlife and that peaceful, easy feeling that goes with it. So, given the choice, would I go back to those "good old days" that sometimes tug gently at my mind?..................Not a bloody chance. I know just how lucky we are.

Running at a slow idle

Last week we were joined by my cousin Graham and his wife Sheila, it was good to see them both and to catch up on things. We had a couple of good walks around the local countryside and many hours laughing, sadly though, they have now gone back to their world while we stay put, still running at a slow idle. I have tried some grayling hunting but I've had no recent success, every time the water begins to run clear it rains some more, brings the level up and puts the colour back. Never mind, nothing we can do about that. I have been keen to make something most days, (I have to keep busy) and I have experimented with different techniques for cutting, dying and polishing. The items on the left are pocket knife pouches and the three on the right are pouches to fit "Zippo" lighters. Because I struggle to obtain the correct tools I have recently modified a few for specific jobs and so now it is my intention to make some of my own design. Other things that I have difficulty getting my hands on are press studs and rivets and when I do find some they are very expensive. The bird life is still keeping us amused with daily squabbles at the feeders and one day last week, we had a kestrel land right outside the awning, where it wandered around for several minutes, I don't recall ever being so close to one in the wild before. One morning we saw a group of five little egrets on a nearby bend in the river which does not seem to impress the herons and we see a fox most days, checking out the hedgerows.