It's cold and wet. Rained hard for about an hour last night to. After a nice slow and steady start to the day the wife decided that she wanted some peace and quiet, so me and the little ones were banished to the forest......
I packed my hip pack with extra hot chocolate and some goodies for the kids. We started exploring the forest floor and came across these mushrooms. I really must start carrying my mushroom ID book as I really have no idea what the majority of mushrooms are when I see them. These were found in large clusters in deciduous woodland in damp ground.
From then on we followed an old overgrown forest track, climbing over logs and looking at many things, bugs, leaves and more fungi. The lad was chuffed to find a white fungi on the underside of a fallen ash, which when he touched it, it turned to mush and was very slimy!
Out of the gloom emerged this hut.
It was boarded up and locked with a very old padlock. Would of been interesting to see inside but we were content to walk around it, finding a hole in the wall for a wood burner flue.
A little while later, the wind picked up a bit so we decided it was hot chocolate time. My oldest picked the rest site so I began to put up the JervenBag, hunter style. This is a small shelter design, meant for a curled up hunter in bad weather, the design providing protection from the wind and rain on three aspects and from the ground. It's a tight place for an adult and two children, but with a small fire out front it reflects the heat very well. The kids helped with the pegs. My lad started throwing his pegs all over the place, which delayed proceedings and started to test my patience..... it was cold and the wind was biting. I wanted that shelter up quick. I would of been quicker doing it on my own but it's important that my kids learn that these things don't just happen and they should take part of the responsibility it caring for each other. Eventually, the tarp was up. They started whinging for hot chocolate but I didn't have a fire sorted yet and materials needed collecting. I gave them both a chocolate bar to keep them quiet and set about getting the fire lit. In the mean time, I heated up a cup of water on a small gas stove for the hot chocolate. A short while later, we were comfortable.
Hot drinks for the little ones served I was contemplating a coffee. The dog had bimbled off and I couldn't see her. Leaving the kids in the shelter I went looking for her. Less than 20m away she was digging like a dog possessed at a tree stump. God knows why but she was covered in soil and enjoying herself. I got her attention and we walked back to the warmth of the fire. Then I spied my hot drink, still stuck to the tree....
Yup! Chaga! I prised off a lump and left the rest on the tree. I may return in the future so I will remember it and anyway, I don't need it all. Best to let someone else come across this gem and have the pleasure of it to.
I stuck my cup in the flames and brought more water to the boil, propping my chaga lump straight in. I stirred it every now and then while the kids tussled over a small inflatable camping pillow. Once the brew was nice and black I took it off the heat and left it to cool off just a bit. The small fire really was doing the trick in my little shelter and we were all toasty warm.
The kids were soon laid down on their coats nice and quiet. I lay on my side, sipping my tea, listening to to the wind in the trees. Before too long it was time to head home. The little ones put their coats back on and went exploring while daddy was left to pack up and clear the fire site. Eventually I managed to herd up the kids and the dog and stomped back through the forest to the car. We found this beautiful mushroom on the way back......
Back in time for Sunday dinner!
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
I packed my hip pack with extra hot chocolate and some goodies for the kids. We started exploring the forest floor and came across these mushrooms. I really must start carrying my mushroom ID book as I really have no idea what the majority of mushrooms are when I see them. These were found in large clusters in deciduous woodland in damp ground.
From then on we followed an old overgrown forest track, climbing over logs and looking at many things, bugs, leaves and more fungi. The lad was chuffed to find a white fungi on the underside of a fallen ash, which when he touched it, it turned to mush and was very slimy!
Out of the gloom emerged this hut.
It was boarded up and locked with a very old padlock. Would of been interesting to see inside but we were content to walk around it, finding a hole in the wall for a wood burner flue.
A little while later, the wind picked up a bit so we decided it was hot chocolate time. My oldest picked the rest site so I began to put up the JervenBag, hunter style. This is a small shelter design, meant for a curled up hunter in bad weather, the design providing protection from the wind and rain on three aspects and from the ground. It's a tight place for an adult and two children, but with a small fire out front it reflects the heat very well. The kids helped with the pegs. My lad started throwing his pegs all over the place, which delayed proceedings and started to test my patience..... it was cold and the wind was biting. I wanted that shelter up quick. I would of been quicker doing it on my own but it's important that my kids learn that these things don't just happen and they should take part of the responsibility it caring for each other. Eventually, the tarp was up. They started whinging for hot chocolate but I didn't have a fire sorted yet and materials needed collecting. I gave them both a chocolate bar to keep them quiet and set about getting the fire lit. In the mean time, I heated up a cup of water on a small gas stove for the hot chocolate. A short while later, we were comfortable.
Hot drinks for the little ones served I was contemplating a coffee. The dog had bimbled off and I couldn't see her. Leaving the kids in the shelter I went looking for her. Less than 20m away she was digging like a dog possessed at a tree stump. God knows why but she was covered in soil and enjoying herself. I got her attention and we walked back to the warmth of the fire. Then I spied my hot drink, still stuck to the tree....
Yup! Chaga! I prised off a lump and left the rest on the tree. I may return in the future so I will remember it and anyway, I don't need it all. Best to let someone else come across this gem and have the pleasure of it to.
I stuck my cup in the flames and brought more water to the boil, propping my chaga lump straight in. I stirred it every now and then while the kids tussled over a small inflatable camping pillow. Once the brew was nice and black I took it off the heat and left it to cool off just a bit. The small fire really was doing the trick in my little shelter and we were all toasty warm.
The kids were soon laid down on their coats nice and quiet. I lay on my side, sipping my tea, listening to to the wind in the trees. Before too long it was time to head home. The little ones put their coats back on and went exploring while daddy was left to pack up and clear the fire site. Eventually I managed to herd up the kids and the dog and stomped back through the forest to the car. We found this beautiful mushroom on the way back......
Back in time for Sunday dinner!
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
