Something has started again.....

[Kobione]

Our Autumn firewood collecting season has just started again so, because we like to get in early we headed off to investigate this morning. The first two areas, were pretty useless. What they do is open up an area, and even though all the big wood has been taken they reopen it as a 'stovewood area', which means only the tops of branches are left, and that's not 'solid enough' for us. Moved on to another area and yes, there is wood of the sort that we like. Not the easiest place because it is an old gold mining area, so there are lots of dug out hollows etc and you have to be  very careful not to slip down one. This is just an overview of what it is like:

We did find some nice wood - this is Grey Box, very dense and burns well:

Ironbark, not quite as good, but still worth the effort:

We also found this - way to heavy!!!!!!:

Saw a couple of Bardi Grubs under the bark, don't think he was happy being covered in sawdust:

And some nice lichens:

And a few signs of regrowth:

More trips will happen but it needs to cool down a bit first. At least we have done the 'exploring' and know where to head now.

[kev7d]

Seasonal work.  A busy time for you Dee.  That grub looks mean.   

[FUJI]

Well done both of you .....first for your joint devotion and determination to working hard to keep warm during your winters.....and for your  Green credentials for using a natural non-manufactured fuel.......you are excused the carbon emissions where you are too.

As a keen wood-turner, I might collect the hardest of the timber to make things with too.

FUJI

 

[Kobione]

Thanks Kev and Fuji.

Fooj, we really enjoy getting out there into the natural environment, and also consider the wood collecting as an exercise regime. We do have what you might refer to as 'greenie townies' who would love to see wood collecting banned, but they have no idea what the true rural life is like. If that happened our electricity bill would easily triple, or it would cost us about $100 per week for bottled gas, whereas they could just opt for the town gas lines, but their warmth is still not as good as ours!

I could see reasons for banning wood fires in some of the urban areas, but not here. The other thing the 'greenies' don't think about is the necessity for fire management, and that's why many of the designated collection areas are on the outskirts of rural towns, to keep the risk of severe fire down and yet still retain a natural forest.