Friends Help

I had the best xmas, i got a few bits of kit in my stocking which i'll try out over the coming year.
On my walks round Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve i often see folk taking photos & one guy i've been chatting to for a few years has a website with some stunning photos please go check it out here -:

http://www.mostphotos.com/paulj1969/

Or you the Link to the right --->

'Twas the Night before Christmas'

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Happy Winter Solstice

As promised here's a few pictures of Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve taken over the last week. Every passing season brings out something special to catch your eye or to further encourage your enthusiasm for Mother nature & all she brings.

The contrasting Greens & the Yellow flowers of Gorse early evening looking across to one of the Islands




Just another Winters Trail

Here's a few pictures i took today



I am not a snow fan apart from Christmas cards or looking out the window at but it does make for amazing sights.






Snow is great for practicing your tracking skills with. As you walk round take a little time to look at all the different tracks/footprints you can see & try to identify them. Today i saw some MUNTJAC, Fox, Rabbits, Squirrel & too many bird tracks to list.














Being Winter Solstice from now the nights start to get Lighter.

A Bimble

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS

Tuesday 22nd December 2009.

Join us for our Christmas Craft event & make your OWN decorations in time for the BIG day !!

£2.00 per child age 5-13.

TIME 1pm-3pm.

To book contact: The Park Rangers, Visitor centre,
01522 873577.

Had a nice slow Bimble round Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve today. The weather was sunny & dry, a great day for just strolling & soaking it all up. We saw a kingfisher, what a cracking bird, whenever i see one i'm just gobsmacked.We had the pleasure of this little fellas company another charasmatic bird.



The Fungi are really colourful on the ground & on the trees now too.
The conservation work is still in progress (Volunteers ALWAYS required contact Rangers) & the Rhododendron is going slowly but surely & it's really opening the place up.Most of the leaves have fallen & you start to see through places you've missed since last winter.I only wish i had a camera that could do the place justice. I'll try & find time to post up some pictures over the coming week.
DON'T forget if you would like to see more pictures of Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve
click on the H.A.R.T.S link on the right or try this one.

http://hartsholme.weebly.com/index.html

Winter Colour

The Mosses are a rich Green colour highlighting the various Boulders & Ruins.





Also the Bracken is a striking Russet/golden colour against the dark green leaves of the Rhododendron & Winter Sunshine



Rabbit Hmmmm !!






Where's the BOG ?

Here's a nice secluded spot see if you can find it by the pictures next time your on a Bimble.

Path IN



Going through



& find the SPHAGNUM BOG









Walk on to the path which takes you to the BLACK bridge, (WARNING Wellies required !!) please take care on this route as there is plenty of roots & unlevel path to cause a trip up .

November is my busy month so the blog posts are a bit thin on the ground.
The last 3 weekends i've been out doing my thing & on one of the weekends celebrating my birthday.



Last weekend (13th-15th) i had a couple of mates over so i took them into Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve, they were in their element & dare i say it loved the place.

We did manage some Rhododendron lopping & burning as well as enjoying the splendid wet & windy weather !!

Throughout the weekend i managed to spot a lot of wildlife, but alas my camera skills were way too slow, I'm pretty sure i spotted a Muntjac so it looks like they're back for the winter. We also sat & watched all the CORVIDS coming into roost, it's one of lifes simple pleasures, masses & masses of them heading for the trees.

Another important lesson i learnt is be careful with water treatment & who's bottle you drink from. I have THYROID problems so i am usually very careful with what i use to treat water. Usually it's a "Millbank bag" to filter & just boil water.


At the Brecons i used a second hand kettle & i think previous owner might of used IODINE in it,it knocked me off my feet & i was really rough.We used the same kettle this weekend & the same happened a severe rash & weak & feeling ill !! lesson learnt !!

LEST WE FORGET

This week i have been unable to find the time to get into the reserve, i have been busy collecting for the "British Legion POPPY appeal"

On Thursday i head for the hills in Wales (Brecon Beacons) & we'll be doing our remembering there with a good campfire & some Ale & like minded people.On REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY i'll take a bottle of Ale & a poppy & walk up Pen 'Y' Fan

PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD to the POPPY APPEAL.



For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.



In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

P.T.V

Yesterday (Friday) i was back in Swanholme Lakes nature Reserve helping with the Rhoddie/Brash clearance.
I was in Fantastic company too, a bunch of folk from the "Princes Trust" came & gave us a hand & Al (Ranger)mucked in to,
The weather was on our side & we managed to shift quite alot of the Rhoddies & brash, the Volunteers worked extremely hard & it was a pleasure having them as company, they all seemed to be enjoying the job & got along well with each other,
I am looking forward to next time already, even the Pater Pan quips (LOL)

BIG THANKS for all your help & hard work folks see you all again soon i hope.

Fungi Foray

Today as i walked the dogs round Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve i caught up with the folk on the Fungi Foray. What lovely weather they got to walk round in, glorious sunshine & temp of 19-20 degrees.

Here is New Ranger Lisa, Ken (MYCOLOGIST) & Ruth.



The folk were cheerful & seemed to be really enjoying the walk & finding out all about the different Fungi that's popped up. As i walked round i came across quite a few species,






I will add this though, it is quite rare now to be able to have a Fungi Foray & actually come across some, as the plastic bag brigade are usually raping the place of the Fungi & the ones they can't eat they destroy !! Another sort of SPACKTARD !! In my opinion the people who are raping our Nature Reserve will carry on doing so until the Authorties start doing something about them. Make an exhibition of some & drag the culprits through court, as what they are doing holds a £20,000 fine !!

If you do have permission to forage for Fungi get the right equipment, a wicker basket like in the header photograph so that the Fungi Spores can still DISSEMINATE.
WARNING FUNGI CAN KILL !!! If you don't know what your doing go to a supermarket for your mushrooms.

FIRE

As you stroll around Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve you will undoubtedly come across some "FIRESCARS" with FIREDOGS lurking. Now some of these firescars are managed ,as in Brash/Rhododendron burning & the Firedogs either taken away or used next time the fire is lit, others are left by the SPACKTARDS usually with glass bottles, Ale cans & various plastic wrappers & broken saplings & branches surrounding the Firescar !! I like to pride myself on the fact that if i have a fire for cooking & warmth i leave NO TRACE & make sure the surrounding area is not an eyesore & is in keeping the rest of the area.
Always try to leave the area cleaner than you found it !!

I have the same feelings about FIRES as i do KNIVES,they are both just TOOLS to do various jobs.BUT in the hands of SPACKTARDS both become weapons !!. Used correctly they are the wilderness living persons most precious & valuable tools.



A plant to look out for on old fire sites is the "Fireweed", otherwise known as the "ROSE BAY WILLOW HERB" Epilobium angustifolium (Linn.).
This plant is very common here in England, i gather it originally came from North America.
Rosebay Willowherb is the main food-plant of the Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar.

Parts of the plant can be eaten (please do allergy test before attempting)

The young shoots were often collected in the spring by Native American people and mixed with other greens. They are best when young and tender; as the plant matures the leaves become tough and somewhat bitter. The southeast Native Americans use the stems in the stage. They are peeled and eaten raw. When properly prepared soon after picking they are a good source of vitamin C and pro-vitamin A.

The root can be roasted after scraping off the outside, but often tastes bitter. To mitigate this, the root is collected before the plant flowers and the brown thread in the middle removed.

The leaves make a tobacco substitute.

The leaves of the Rose Bay Willow herb have been used as a substitute and adulterant of Tea. Though no longer so employed in England, the leaves of both this species and of the Great Hairy Willow-herb (E. hirsutum, Linn.) are largely used in Russia, under the name of Kaporie Tea.

Green (Universal Herbal, 1832) reports:
'The young shoots are said to be eatable, although an infusion of the plant produces a stupifying effect.

'The pith when dried is boiled, and becoming sweet, is by a proper process made into ale, and this into vinegar, by the Kamtschatdales; it is also added to the Cow Parsnip, to enrich the spirit that is prepared from that plant.

'As fodder, goats are said to be extremely fond of it and cows and sheep eat it too.

'The down of the seeds, mixed with cotton or fur, has been manufactured into stockings, etc.'
The young shoots are boiled and eaten like asparagus.
The ale made from the plant in Kamchatka is rendered still more intoxicating with a toadstool, the Fly Agaric, Agaricus muscarius.

The roots and leaves have demulcent, tonic and astringent properties and are used in domestic medicine in decoction, infusion and cataplasm, as astringents.

Used much in America as an intestinal astringent.

The plant contains mucilage and tannin.

The dose of the herb is 30 to 60 grains. It has been recommended for its antispasmodic properties in the treatment of whoopingcough, hiccough and asthma.

In ointment, it has been used locally as a remedy for infantile cutaneous affections.

PLEASE BE AWARE -: we do NOT recommend you try eating anything without YOU doing proper RESEARCH.






I got into the reserve this weekend & took a couple of mates along, my dog Indi & Steve.

On Friday i cracked on & set up the camp for the weekend, the communial/social chute & my tarp/bed area. Steve arrived late so had to set his up in the dark !



He chose to tree hang this weekend & try out his new Hammock


Woke up to Rain all day Saturday, but we made a start & got tidying & lopping. It took us over an hour to get the fire going to burn the brash & Rhododendron, it was hard going but eventually we got there.




Relax Time