wood collecting

 My day began with a walk on the island of Capri which is now a destination on my adventure list for 'afterwards'.  Lovely walk on the treadmill with the views in front of me so much nicer than the ones I glimpsed outside the window and I was actually filled with joy which is never a bad start to the day.  Boring things followed but then I decided to get out in the fresh air before the rain came so layered up against the cold until I looked like my version of a Michelin man, put my rucksack on my back and went out for a short walk with the idea of collecting wood for the fire if I saw any.  Wasn't out for long before I came on several pieces which went into the rucksack and two large bits which I decided I could carry so all was looking good.  Got to a stile and clambered over leaving the two large pieces behind with the plan that I could collect them on the way back, waded through mud and over another stile and then I was in a huge meadow with huge trees and broken branches everywhere.  I filled the rucksack and hoisted one strap over my shoulder but it was so full and heavy that it kept swinging to one side as I struggled to get the second strap on but I wasn't going to be beaten so the struggle went on until I'd won that particular battle and I tottered off back the way I'd come.  On the way back to the stile there was another large piece of wood which couldn't possibly be ignored so I carried it with me, climbed the stile, waded through the mud and finally arrived at the place where I'd abandoned the first two heavy pieces.  I threw the new large piece over the stile and clambered up only realising as I was near the top that the weight on my back made me slightly unstable.  There then followed a slightly slapstick episode where I teetered and swayed as I struggled to keep my balance but I managed it and suddenly found myself over the other side and on solid ground ready to pick up the THREE heavy pieces of wood I'd managed to collect.  The problem with picking them up was that the weight in the rucksack threatened to send me face down onto the wet/frosty grass but I recovered myself, got the wood in my arms, balanced it perfectly and set off once again.  I'm sure you now think this is the end of the story but you won't know that there was a third stile which couldn't be avoided as well as the thought in my head that if I put the THREE large pieces of wood down I wouldn't be able to pick them up again so I decided to go for it and, using only my legs (my arms were full of wood remember), I managed to get to the top of the stile and hoist one boot over the top.  And that's where things got a bit tricky because this particular stile is at the entrance to a footbridge that goes across a stream.  Not a deep stream but a stream nonetheless and not one I wanted to end up in but just for a moment it was touch and go as I swayed backwards and forwards trying soooooo hard to keep my balance but fearing very much that I was going to end up very cold and very wet.  I hope at this point that you won't be disappointed to hear I made it over the stile, along the footbridge and back home without any further incident and deposited the wood in various places in the garden depending on which saw I need to wield before putting them on the fire to burn.  Definitely not a boring day and one I've come through with a huge feeling of achievement.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
How I Jucilei, but Jane you have successfully completed all the initiation to become a true logger. Like so many of us who have amassed a stack of wood to only wonder how am I getting that home! Your story however is also a metaphor of life, that any hurdle(stile) or load can be overcome and carried with grit and determination. Brilliant!
Anonymous said…
How I juckled !! Damn auto fill!!
Jane said…
And I thought I was the only one who got carried away with the wood collecting!! I've done it before but never in quite those quantities and never with 3 stiles to get over. I felt really good when I got home though and am looking forward to getting out there again and seeing what else I can find.
Carol S. said…
You certainly never give up Jane 🤣. All of a sudden my gas fire is looking really boring - no adventures at all. Every piece of wood your tells a story 🤗 Enjoy.