I have always been a bit obsessive about the jobs at the mill. Unfortunately, the nature of having 6 acres of woodland and a mill in those woods make one a bit obsessive. It is easy to turn your back one year to find the whole place overgrown with twice as much to do the next year. We have a lot of hazel around the mill that goes mad if not cut back hard. The upper drive is covered in broom and every year must also be cut back. Larger tree branches covering the paths must also be cut back to let in light. Also it is good for small log rotation for heating in winter. Obviously larger tree-felling is beyond us and we have to pay for it.
What I call routine maintenance takes around 26 hours in a trip. About 2 -3 hours for about a quarter of the days we are here. I actually enjoy the strimming and mowing. They keep me active if not fit. Tasks have been made better with the addition of Stihl battery operated machinery like the lawnmower, hedge trimmer and pole saw. Still it seems as though the jobs are never ending. I might have to ask Diem for more help. Although she assists by splitting and logging she doesn’t seem to like trimming hazel.
Nevertheless, we managed a great deal this trip. The hazel on Jaques side of the river has been trimmed. We will have to cut that up as we have just dumped it for now. Also Cuckoos end path has been trimmed of overhang. We split and stacked the pile on Cuckoos end path now stacked in the garage which is a good job done and will provide wood for the fire. I strimmed the upper drive and plateau which was a bit of a mission. We also started logging up the shrap pile on the plateau. Steve and Jakes efforts in June were good but they cropped the edges too much removing the potential for wildlife to thrive. I have a plan for this and want to keep some areas of Cuckoos end wild next year. Moles have taken it over so it’s no longer pristine by any means. This trip we also mended the washing machine which was quite pleasing.
We spent some time in cabin which was lovely. Also Mummios stayed one night on her way back to blighty. We put up the parachute but didn’t camp out on this occasion. Being a very damp year there were ticks everywhere. Not really an excuse, but also the weather wasn’t brilliant… or is it a further case where I can’t be bothered.
I seem to have dropped off with personal projects now. I completed the ancestry project just before we came over. I seem to have dropped off on nature observations, but of course, I still love nature. It was nice to go on a walk with Diem. We went 6 miles. I’m not sure whether I would want to do this as a hobby. My photography was not good even though I tried to take photos of wildlife. It all seems too complicated or am I not motivated enough. I am rubbish at drawing so that is also on the back-burner for now.
I think these two aspects are separate but now seemed to have become mixed. It seems lack of motivation and too many jobs have made me a little mismog on this trip. This is exacerbated with the fact we have to leave early and go to an event I certainly don’t want to be!
A good thing on this trip is that Diem has decided to end Hummingbird. It has been an exasperating mission throughout with others not pitching in as much. Also she is trying to lead but is always getting blocked – a similar story with myself and GATR. She resigned yesterday – 29 July.
The wildlife still remains a wonder here. We completed a river patrol to find crayfish remains so I have set up a trail cam on the riverside. A pine marten zoomed across the garden which Erin spotted and gave chase. We have seen roe deer on the trail cam. Similar to last year a flock of cranes flew over in a westerly direction. There’s been an abundance of beautiful damselfly, but as it’s a bit early, not too many of the dragonflies apart form a broad-bodied chaser, a brown hawker and an emperor. The usual butterflies are about – red and white admirals, mar led whites and a new.y identified heath fritillary. I have also confirmed a march tit as opposed to a willow tit on the bird table using the Merlin app.
We have new neighbours in the nearest village Sous Les Fougeres. They are a young family of five apparently. The young one tends to be a bit screechy-noisy but not overly so and it doesn’t last too long as they seem to play in the garden in fits and starts. It looks like they have bought old Renee’s house. It isn’t a problem at the moment but, of course, we don;t want to spoil the ambience of the land.
I have started to move a couple of stones form the folly to Hogh Point in Mill Woods. The idea is to have a small stone circle so we can medidate and have a setting for full moons and even for any rituals we might have. It will be a bot of a mission moving the larger ones, which I want to do as the small stones will get lost in the area. Another work in progress.
Now back in UK and I really want to be back at the mill. I must loose this attitude of wanting to complete jobs. This will help me enjoy the mill much more. We are back in October where it will be easier to trim and fell – but I intend to be on the land much more.
