Exploring

I love to explore.
As a boy I spent countless hours on the move.
Forest and lakes, fields and swamps.
Even as an adult I yearn to see what's over the next ridge.
In this part of the world, the terrain is almost limitless.
It takes a lifetime to learn the expansive wilderness well.

Our township is almost entirely crown land.
That means our backyard is about 35,000 hectares.
It's watershed country so the wetlands go on forever.
There are steep ridges and different types of woodlands.
Wildlife is well represented.

Our hope is that the kids love to explore.
It may not be their way, but if it is, there's more than enough land for them.
They're interested so far.
There's no need to drag them out for a walk.
I asked them if they wanted to see a pond that they'd never seen before.
No arguments there.

Once out, they travel well without prodding.
The landscape changes every hundred meters around here,
so it's hard to get bored.

Animal sign is everywhere, as is fun plants and fungus.
Wildlife is scarce when noisy children push through the forest,
but tracks and scat make for enough conversation.
The kids are showing some interest in hunting and appear willing to work on keeping quiet.
We'll see.

The going is good when the way is clear,
but they're not ready for heavy bush yet.
Bogs and alder swamps, bramble patches and balsam thickets are too much for our kids.
At least until determination outweighs discomfort.
Some height would help too.

Auren is showing a great sense of direction.
He's practically ready for some orienteering training.
Fern is not quite there.
Although that doesn't stop her from voicing opinion on the matter.

There are many valuable lessons to be found in the wilderness.
But I have other motives for encouraging the kids to explore the land.
It gives us a chance to spend time with them in an environment that we prefer.
And I get to satisfy my own wanderlust.






 

One More Time

Conditions were right for another attempt to bring wood in.
If you remember the last time, it didn't end well.
In fact, every foray in recent memory has been rough.
Entirely due to trail conditions.

Our trails are badly damaged in a few places.
It's the price we pay for abundant water sources.
Springs contribute to soft trails and it is impossible to traverse our woodlot without crossing several.
A few critical points are virtually impassable by tractor.
The solution is one quality trail through the middle with corduroy bridges where necessary.
It's on my list.

The new trail should be cut sooner rather than later.
Perhaps this Winter, if the weather favours bush work.
There has been enough time and experience to pay towards a proper roadway.
Our plans for the woodlot depend on being able to access it.


I did manage to get some logs to the house.
But after a few runs, any frost in the ground was broken up and gave way to mud.

Burying the tractor has been far too common lately.

Fetching the logs is quite simple,
provided there are no incidents along the way.
I have always thought of our trails as being in good condition,
but they need to be retired and repurposed for other activities.


It's easy enough to curse the equipment, but in all fairness,
if I keep on busting these trails up, only a tank will manage.
Dry weather makes it easy to forget about the mud-holes.
I had counted on a dry Autumn for easy skidding.
Though we are certainly happy to see the water table refilled,
despite the challenges of a wet roadway.

Most of the big logs are in.
The remaining large logs are up off the ground and should stay viable until I can get to them.
There is a wide variety of smaller pieces that have been left to be brought out with our old ATV.
It matters little if I don't get to it all.
There is no waste in the woods.
The trees are better off left to return to the forest floor.
Many of the next trees to be felled have been chosen.
Some for fuel, others for woodworking.
Thankfully, the next batch is much closer to home.

 

Turning the Page

One more rainy December day gave me enough time to finish the roof.
The schoolhouse is covered now and can be worked on from underneath shelter.
It's a major deadline to move beyond.


Though the wind still whistles through, it won't take much to seal it all in.
And now I have a protected place to work on the remaining stages.
The pressure is off for the moment.

The first thing to do is to get some electricity and light.
Just a little temporary power for the time being.


I'm looking forward to making a lot of sawdust.
Nearly every surface will be dressed with wood of all different kinds.

Some bright light during these dark months is welcome.
There's time in the late evening for some work.
Jobs that are more fun than laborious.


There will be more than simply building going on.

Other woodworking projects are on the list.
This space will help those new beginnings.

Oh!
What's that you ask?
It's a Shopsmith Mark V.


A multi-purposed woodworking tool that was developed sixty years ago.
They were made for decades and can still be purchased new.
However, there are many used units available these days;
if you know what you're looking for.


I'll enlighten you as I learn about it myself.

So it's time to move on.
Or at least, inside.