Chihuahua Siesta

Cold & grey is almost better than yesterdays cold & sunny - at least if feels right even if it lacks Vitamin D.

More wood work today, mainly splitting and sawing. always fascinates me when splitting wood to see how full of life and character wood is and I have always loved the feel of wood. I had no influence whatsoever but very proud my son learnt a profession based on wood and while he has moved on from daily hands on working with it, much of what he does involves centuries old, as well as new wood.

I really am not one to wish back "The Good Old Days". This week a book of photos and postcards from 1900 was published, a time when Europe was enjoying the longest period of peace (since 1871 I think) and unaware of what was to come. Everything is shown as wonderful and romantic, the sun always shining. The truth is most farmworkers had to leave the rural areas for fear of dying of hunger, to work 12 hours a day in the lead polluted cities. In the poor areas, only one baby in three lived to see it's first birthday, There have never been The Good Old Days.

However I do think we have forgotten to live, listen and learn with our world, with nature. I mentioned Paleo yesterday - I'm not sure they eat any cereal but still today, on a very small scale, the ancient (10,000 years) Einkorn wheat is grown. Worst possible wheat for farmers to grow and harvest, difficult to thresh and mill, it doesn't rise well in dough but makes the best tasting bread there is and to quote Wiki "Einkorn has a higher percentage of protein ...  is considered more nutritious because it has also higher levels of fat, phosphorus, potassium, pyridoxine, and beta-carotene.In contrast with more modern forms of wheat, evidence suggests the gliadin protein of einkorn may not be as toxic to sufferers of celiac disease."

The same thing applies to good old hand crafts and notably everything connected with wood. The masters will tell you that a sledge should be made from Nov/Dec felled bent ash. Try telling a university trained forest manager to leave a tree that is growing bent, rather than fell it straight away. Why are hospitals nowadays studying replacing formica with natural wood? Because wood is naturally antiseptic, ask any of the craftsmen who made butter-tubs from wood including the rings that held them together. Does the modern architect know that the wooden tiles he clads his latest "Ye Olde House" with, should be made from trees that are straight or with a slight left turn. By the way, lightning only strikes standing left turning trees so make sure you look for a right turning one BUT I'm not sure if that applies in the southern hemisphere! The list goes on - chimneys & fireplaces made of wood etc etc. But who is interested, has the time to consider type, turn, dates and indeed the money. The boys from the management consultants said ......... (I used to be one of these types)

The Bliped log was heaved on to the splitter when I suddenly saw an animal face and had to rescue it. Took a photo and sent it to my son-in-law Barry in Ireland who can handle a chainsaw properly and suggested he had some thoughts as to what he could carve out of it when he's next over. Didn't take long for a reply - Chihuahua. So will put it to one side.

Luna was lying in her favourite spot, cuddled between the roots of one of the spruces that fell victim to the chainsaw in autumn. She didn't seem impressed by her new toy boy.