Let's talk about the weather then ...

Its as Jura posted, tree are thinned out to create more light and help the stronger trees grow. Thats where Mr B has been today collecting from a wood. May I ask GN who are against burning wood stand on real Christmas Trees?

Its ok about the wellies, only wear them to go and collect logs from the garden, wear my walking boots if going any further.

We also make paper bricks, anyone else do this? to burn. They are great at holding in the heat and last for ages. All the ash goes on the garden.

Do they still do the machines for pressing the paper bricks? I'd like to get one. Yes, all ash goes onto garden and composts.

Yes Jurat hey still do the machines you can get them on line, under £15 I think. Mind you I found mine in a charity shop and paid £2. Just a tip, The Mail, Express and Sun don't make decent bricks, they don't burn well and don't seem to hold. The free papers are pretty good though. Mr B makes one or two at a time in the winter because they need drying. Do that in front of the woodturner.

Also collect pallets for chopping up and burning.

Pallets should be returned for re-use.

Any pallet painted blue or stencilled should definitely be returned. They're the property of the manufacturer or distributor.

We have one of these

But no longer buy newspapers preferring to read them online so it's been redundant for years.

We haven’t had real snow for what seems years. I have snow boots and crampons. Never worn them.

A fire would be too hot, and the heating went off an hour ago.

I suppose perhaps it will get colder after Christmas.

thanks merlot. fancy selling it then?

Never get the Mail, Express or Sun - so good news.

Have you read The Hidden Life of Trees, Jura2? It’s a fascinating study of trees and forests. It can get a little bit anthropomorphic now and then but overall it’s a window into another world.

We have lots of trees round here. They’ve been felling many of them in recent years and the stick lorries on the road are a hazard to health!

We just have an open fire. To install a stove would involve a lot of building work as the current fireplace is 1cm too low. We didn’t know until someone came to survey that our fireplace is actually a quite valuable antique. I then felt bad for having screwed two rings into it to attach a safety fire guard.

I forgot the link. www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Life-Trees-International-Communicate/dp/0008218439/ref=sr_1_1?hvlocphy=20342&hvnetw=g&keywords=the+hidden+life+of+trees&hvadid=259097718950&qid=1576098872&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4dHZ6cGu5gIVQoXVCh2l2w-lEAAYASAAEgLYqPD_BwE&hydadcr=24431_1748949&hvpos=1t1&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=gransnetforum-21&hvtargid=kwd-298616772934&adgrpid=56946435281&hvrand=7848657812925976681&sr=8-1

Talking of weather. Let us treasure our brilliant Met Office. World leading National Met Service and leading the science on Climate change

Never get the Mail, Express or Sun - so good news.

Not sure what you mean by that jura because there is far more potential burning material in a broadsheet.

Trees do replace themselves!

We have ash and sycamore in our field boundaries and they are bent on world domination. I pull up hundreds of seedlings every year but the ones I miss grow at the speed of light (or seem to).

Trees can be managed by coppicing or pollarding and regenerate very quickly. I notice that in the part of France where we have a share in a holiday home, all the trees are managed like this for a supply of firewood.

So, if properly managed they can supply oxygen and fuel.

I do realise that trees wouldn't be sufficient to supply fuel to a whole country but they can contribute a renewable source to cut the use of non renewable fossil fuels.

Yes, we have a clean burn woodburner.

It's a beautiful clear night tonight here, with a nearly full moon. A bit cold, though...

We coppice our poplars and silver birches. Poplar is not a good fuel for a woodburner unless mixed with other seasoned wood but it helps to stretch the budget a bit as our woodburner is a big beast.

Merlot, we have a local shop that has deliveries on small pallets, he puts them out for people to collect. There are no stencils or paint on them. Don't know what he would do if people didn't collect them, might ask him.