Just sat at work day dreaming...

[AlexRowan]

and my thoughts wandered back to my Woodlore Fundamental course in April.


I've never forgotten what a mental/emotional challenge the course was and how frustrating some of the tasks were but I've rarely reflected on all the small details that made it such an experience. All the little things that I learned that make such a big difference. Then there's the things that you can't help but laugh about when you think of them. I guess because it's the first time I was really "in-tune" with my surroundings, I can vividly remember the smells and the sounds.......

If anyone out there is umming and erring about attending a course then stop right now and go for it....

For everyone else... what do your thoughts turn to when you're bored at work???

 

[falling rain]

and my thoughts wandered back to my Woodlore Fundamental course in April.


I've never forgotten what a mental/emotional challenge the course was and how frustrating some of the tasks were but I've rarely reflected on all the small details that made it such an experience. All the little things that I learned that make such a big difference. Then there's the things that you can't help but laugh about when you think of them. I guess because it's the first time I was really "in-tune" with my surroundings, I can vividly remember the smells and the sounds.......

If anyone out there is umming and erring about attending a course then stop right now and go for it....

For everyone else... what do your thoughts turn to when you're bored at work???

Recently my thoughts have been pretty much dominated about returning to Exmouth to live. I'm from there originally and am planning to go back there to live in about a year - 18 months. I absolutely love the area. I can grab my fishing gear and go fishing in the estuary or beach anytime I please or after work, weekends and evenings. Dig my own bait like rag and lug worms, collect mussels, cockles, winkles. Cook my dinner on the beach whilst watching the sunset and take part in the Christmas morning swim in the sea (Not so sure about that one though) Exmouth is just the right size to have a good community and has a lovely feel to the place and many happy childhood memories for me. Woodbury common is about a 15 minute car drive away and is a lovely wooded and heathland area, and Dartmoor is about a 45 minute drive away so again I can finish work on a friday, chuck my kit in the boot of the car and clear off to Widecombe 'et al' for the weekend. I'm going to buy a small boat with a motor to go fishing in the estuary for bass and flounder and plaice etc, and watch birds on the river Exe which has brent geese and avocet amongst others. I can't wait Small problem is there isn't much work down that way, although there should be something in Exeter. I'm going to be sensible and find work first before packing up though. The pace of life is so much slower down there than Oxford. My son will be doing his own thing pretty much by then and probably be about to start university so I have nothing to hold me back. I absolutely cannot wait. In the meantime I'm thinking about my holiday in the Gower in a few weeks time and Bassing in september with some of the BCUK folks. That's what I'm thinking about when I'm bored at work. And when I'm having a bad day these thoughts just cheer me right on up

 

[AlexRowan]

That sounds pretty amazing! I've recently been thinking about how I could move to a nice costal area.. something about yesterday evening (especially) just made me want to go to the beach! Only problem I have is my favourite beach is 45 miles away down a lovely, straight, open but speed camera infested road!

 

[Toddy]

Falling Rain that's daydream worth working for I hope things work out well for you.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Graham_S]

currently i'm dreaming of getting the cast off my arm

 

[stovie]

...sleep. Perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub....

Spent too long 'round the campfire last night, and paying for it today

 

[Abbe Osram]

...sleep. Perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub....

Spent too long 'round the campfire last night, and paying for it today

Was it the campfire doing it to you or the bottle of wiskey?

cheers
Abbe

 

[stovie]

Was it the campfire doing it to you or the bottle of wiskey?

cheers
Abbe

Hmmmm! I couldn't possibly comment

 

[PJMCBear]

Just recently I've been daydreaming about taking my son out and passing on some ol' 'Dad wisdom'. He's only 2 at the mo, but has already showed great interest when out of doors.

It was wonderful last Sunday. Took him for a walk and stopped to show him billberries. His face was a picture as he popped them in his mouth and tasted them for the first time. :Wow: His mum wasn't too pleased with the juice stains after him little snack. :twak:

 

[PhilParry]

Having a snooze in my hammock after a long walk, in some woods where I can do what the hell I like......

 

[jdlenton]

well today i have mostly been dreaming of:
last weekends canoe trip on the Thames with some other bcuk members, my wife and my little boy was a smashing weekend .
Good paddling, good company, good fire, good food, good talk, everything i could have wished for and now dream about

o why do i have to work

James

 

[PhilParry]

Now that looks like one of those memories to tuck away and savour for the rest of your life doesn't it?

Sounds like you had a fantastic time!! :You_Rock_

"Real life" is so much more interesting isn't it!!!

Phil

 

[Zodiak]

For everyone else... what do your thoughts turn to when you're bored at work???

Bored at work? We rarley get the time to breath let alone day dream, however sometime I have been known to stick a copy of a Bushcraft book in the inside pocket of my Jacket and spend an extra 10 minutes in the loo reading it

Having said that in my desk drawer I keep a pair of very thin 4' plastic sheets and a couple of meters of paracord in a ziplock bag plus a small mess tin, a hexi stove, a lighter and a spoon.

All of this fits inside my lunch box along with a tin of "All day breakfast" , beef stew, or Chunky soup and some fruit so I can slip away through the back fence and hang out in the woods beside the motorway, while the rest of my team (and my boss) think that I have just gone out to my car to eat my sandwiches. If its crappy weather I can set the pastic up as a tarp and ground sheet in about 5 mins which gives me 30 mins to cook and eat. I also have a pretty sharp small SAK on my keyring so I have time for 10 minutes carving if there is some loose wood around.

The only downside is that just recently I have fallen asleep a couple of times and been late back. Nobody has said anything yet but I am going to have to set my phone as an alarm clock in future

I only manage to get out once or twice a week but its espcially nice in the winter to sit there under the pastic with the rain pouring down and everybody else indoors. Mind you I get through quite a few hexi tablets (Just as well somebody gave me a huge box full a few years go)

 

[dommyracer]

Haha Zodiak, thats awesome.

Since I went on a course last weekend all I can think about is going back to the woods and the smell of the campfire.......

 

[falling rain]

Falling Rain that's daydream worth working for I hope things work out well for you.

Cheers,
Toddy

Thanks Toddy. I'm going to make sure they work out
Here's some photos of the general area I'm moving too for anyone who's interested. And if you're not there are some lovely photos on here anyway just for the scenery.
http://www.eastdevon.net/landscapes/coastal/gallery1.htm Navigate on the left list to see various landscapes.
Woodbury castle http://www.clintondevon.co.uk/the_commons/the_castle.shtml is not far away either and is on the high point of the common. It's an Iron age hill fort and overlooks the river exe estuary which is about 3 miles away but can be seen perfectly clearly. I've been there many times and watched the sunset over the estuary as you face west when looking at it (the estuary). I can imagine the people who lived there 2 and half thousand years ago returning up the long hill to the fort from a foraging trip down to the river Exe with their fish and shellfish and the huts and fires on the go with people cooking and going about their business within the forts boundries. hard to put into words but a beautiful spot. If your down that way, it's worth a visit especially an hour or so before sunset. Very atmospheric.