I'm Off

Will be spending more than a few days away from the forest.

I'm off to make some cabinets at a client's home. I get the bunky - not bad, huh?

Young ferns pop up along the road.

Which Way Did I Go?...

Went into the Deerwood bush last night with just a flashlight (and socks) to find a tree trunk for firepit seating.

So, I walk for maybe 50 metres and turned around - or so I thought. I didn't recognize the trees. With a course adjustment, I walked toward an opening in the trees which quickly disappeared. I tried to walk back to the last place I recalled. Couldn't find it.

"I'm lost", I said to myself. I figured it was important to acknowledge the fact. I stopped and assessed the situation. Didn't have the multi-tool that Skipper gave me! Not much of a survivor man after all. But, I had a lighter so I could make fire if I had to. Though it was supposed to go down to freezing that night, I figured I could shiver through it, covered in hemlock bows.

I wandered around a bit more and got lucky. The flashlight picked up one of my orange trail flagging ribbons on a tree branch. Once on the trail system, I knew I could make it out. And I did.

The bush can be really disorienting without a compass or sun position to guide you. There's been times - before trail tagging - that I've got lost for hours on an overcast day in Deerwood. My guts start to tighten in when I think I may have to spend the night in the woods. Not a pleasant thought.

Bear Country

People who live in bear country - the provincial park is named 'Killbear' - develop different personal sound systems to alert any nearby bears of their approach. Such people think that if the bear knows you're close, the nice, little bear will stay away. There's bear bells, whistling, singing - until recently I would argue with myself aloud and often lose. But now I yodel. The sort of yodelling you'd recognize from old Saturday morning TV cartoons as they taught me everything I know, apparently.

Well, I was walking along a southern Deerwood trail and, as I approached a blackberry thicket, I started a-yodelling. Bears love blackberries.

And I almost stepped in the biggest bear scat I've ever seen.

Big bear scat.

"I didn't know we had Grizz in this neck of the woods...". I blurted between yodels. I was even yodelling while I took this picture of fresh bear sample. You see, the more bear nervous I get, the louder and the faster I yodel.

I made it out of the blackberry thicket, but I laughed, imagining the last thing someone would see of me one day. "The bear was chasing him through the woods and for some reason he was yodelling at the top of his lungs".

Bug Hat

Not the most glamorous self-portrait: I give you my Bug Hat Head.

My exposed wrist was bitten three times (two mosquitoes,

one black fly) while taking this photo.

Bonfire

The Value of Work

Came across a review for the book, 'Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work'.

The author argues that cubicle office work is often meaningless, soul-destroying, while craft work (e.g. trades) is ultimately more satisfying and can't be outsourced. I agree.

It's nice to have a lifetime of work - sustainable forestry - where the effects and benefits of improved knowledge and skill is directly applied.

Did I forget to fill out that form? Must have missed the memo....

Blue and Black Feather

Mystery blue and black feather.

Found this blue and black feather (4 1/2" x 3/4") in Deerwood today.

I think it may be from a blue jay - as I've seen at least one fly around the office.

Not sure, and I don't know how to accurately identify it.

Do you?

Pink Trilliums

In the last stage of their flowering the white trilliums turn pink.

Summer's almost here!

The trilliums turn pink on a ridge covered in blue 'Forget Me Nots'.

Small Streams, Seepages, and Woodland Pools

I'm learning a new bible: The Ontario Tree Marking Guide.

Here's a few words on the subject of water in the forest...

Woodland pools are small depressions that fill with spring melt-water but may be dry during some part of the growing season. They generally have no well defined inlet or outlet. During dry periods, they appear as a depression with matted leaves and water lines on trees (Kittredge and Parker 1996). Woodland pools are important breeding sites for many forest frogs. Seepage areas are important habitats for a variety of wildlife because they support a diversity of plant species and green-up early in spring. Intermittent streams are valuable habitat for some salamanders. They generally flow less than nine months of the year and are characterized by a poorly defined stream channel.

Woodland pools are important breeding habitat for many amphibians. frog) and salamanders (e.g., yellow-spotted salamander). Large woodland pools are generally more valuable than small ones since large pools last longer and subsequently tend to support a greater richness and abundance of breeding amphibians.

A woodland pool in Deerwood's hardwood compartment, 2009

Research from Algonquin Park suggests that pools with a surface area of about 200 m2 (approximately 20 metres x 10 metres) or more generally persist for at least two months, long enough to be considered valuable to wildlife (Kittredge and Parker 1996). This threshold may vary regionally. Forest management operations should be conducted in a manner that maintains the integrity of small streams, seepages, and woodland pools. Avoid marking trees that are within or right on the edge of small streams and large (>200 m2 surface area) seeps and woodland pools.

Moreover, within a tree length of large woodland pools, retain at least 50% stocking unless based on other biodiversity or habitat objectives. In parts of southern Ontario where forests are highly fragmented and large woodland breeding pools are relatively rare, this should be a no-cut buffer (OMNR 2000). When lower basal area (or a larger opening) is required to meet other biodiversity or habitat objectives (e.g., for regeneration of yellow birch or butternut), locate these areas on north or east sides of woodland pools.

Markers should map small streams that are not depicted on forest resource inventory maps and large seeps and woodland pools to help ensure that skid trails and landings can be located so they avoid these features. Reporting requirements should be outlined in a local data collection arrangement.

Source: Ontario Tree Marking Guide

Yaup: 'SombodyGonnaShootThaDawg' by Mr. Greene

Mr. Greene and I have been workshopin' the philosophy of Yaup.

Or, simply, Yaup.

Yaup.

Here's a video demonstration of Mr. Greene's 'SombodyGonnaShootThaDawg Yaup'...

'SombodyGonnaShootThaDawg Yaup' by Mr. Greene, 2009

'Yaup'

Breathing in...
Elbows crossed.
Yaup.

'Yaup'
by Bill Pocock
2009

Bonfires

Pruning trees means a lot of branches underfoot. Often I'll make a bonfire at the FMO firepit to get rid of it. But mostly, I leave this wood litter on the forest floor to decay and provide soil nutrients.

Now I have fire, I just need my bongos and some dancing girls....

Thanks to visiting Dr. Scott for solving the office lighting problem with battery power.

Dr. Scott demonstrates his firewalking skills.

Scarlet Tanager

Had a neat birding moment as I walked to the office. A scarlet tanager, rare for this area, was nibbling on insects - or sapling maple leaves - in front of the office.
Wish I had a better lense on my cheap digital camera.

Low-Impact Trail Clearing

Yesterday afternoon I started to clear the deadwood, some rocks and saplings along a planned trail. This trail leads to the infected cherry trees that need to be fallen and burnt to destroy the black knot fungus.

The black flies are increasing now and almost need bug gear. But I just put on some bug spray and dived into Deerwood with my handy-dandy forest ranger utility belt.


My utility belt includes...

• water can
• multi-tool (Leatherman Wave)
• 240mm pruning saw

I can think of a few more items off the top of my head to include: bug spray, first aid kit, orienteering compass, forest map, 2 grocery bags (for feet in case of a soaker), toilet paper (in case there's no leaves available...). 'Soaker' means accidentally stepping in water and soaking your feet.

The water can weighs the belt down quite a bit. Eventually, I think I might get some webbing (belt with shoulder suspenders) like army troopers wear. With all this gear on a belt I can carry the forester's best tool, the Pulaski axe.

Hold the Cherry Bomb!

Had a few hours to spare today and was cruising Deerwood, pruning the black knot fungus from cherry trees. It was a windy day and I was thinking of the ways this fungus spreads in springtime.

1. rainwater,
2. wind, and...
   
3. idiots who tramp through a woodlot carrying bundles of the fungus!!!

So, I dropped what I had in a pile on a future trail, marked it with orange flagging and walked away. Hopefully I've done more good than harm. To top it off, I started looking up into the forest canopy instead of along the forest floor, and noticed that every mature black cherry tree was doomed. I was surrounded by death.

I've decided to start clearing what dead wood and saplings I can on the planned trails for access in the autumn start of cutting and burning.

The trails...the trails....

Burn, Baby, Burn...

Day Two of Operation Cherry Bomb.

It's a roller coaster of emotions as I happily take out a lot of black knot fungus, then discover a patch of mature black cherry trees that have to be cut down.

Carrying by hand whole trees to a burning pit really drives home the need to cut access trails throughout a woodlot. Everything flows from the trail system. I spent most of my time today walking to and from the fire pit instead of depositing the cut limbs and trees along a trail for ATV pick-up.

I'll keep up with the cutting with a few hours here and there. I'd like to devote all my time to it, but there's so many things I need to do right now.

I cut down the cherry tree the old fashioned way.

Operation Cherry Bomb

A cherry tree infected with black knot.

I've decided to call my all-out assault on the black knot fungus 'Operation Cherry Bomb' (after a movie script by my buddy, James).

Armed with only my pruning saw, hard hat, and water jug (and a layer of bug spray), I began Operation Cherry Bomb in Deerwood.

Here I use the pruning saw to cut off an infected black cherry branch.
The pruning saw is really amazing - and, um, sharp too.

After four hours of tramping through the bush with saw and bundles of black knot branches, I made a fire and watched them buuuuurrrrrrnnnnnnn.

Black knot infected cherry branches are burnt to stop its spread.

And another pile is set and buuuuuuurrrrrrrnnnnnnnneeeeeed.

And just when I started to taunt the black knot, saying things like, 'I encompass your doom!', and 'I am that thing you fear in the night!', and 'there's nothing you can do to stop meeeee!' I cut my finger and thumb while sawing and taunting. And so, I stopped.

The pruning saw cuts both ways. Just a flesh wound, nothing serious.

Dam Beavers...

You may not know, but I've waged an ongoing battle with a pack (?) of beavers on the western edge of Deerwood. They keep building up a dam with the purpose of flooding a large portion of woodland, killing the vegetation and transforming the whole area.

Well, the beaver play their games and I play mine. I think I have every right to maintain the woodlot without the gallivanting beavers making a mess of it to suit their selfish ends.

Anyway, after busting up a new beaver dam a month ago which leads to the beaver pond, I returned today to find this....

The beaver have repaired their me-destroyed dam for the third time!
Notice the flooded area (bottom) and beaver pond (top).

So, with broken silver birch limb in hand, I scooped a hole in their dam repair job and the water flows again. Yea!

A-ha! Billy Bobo 4, Beaver 3.

Now that the Spring snow melt is over, the beaver will have to wait a long time for another chance to flood Deerwood. And I'll be waiting....

Black Knot

A major issue at Deerwood is the presence of black knot (Apiosporina morbosum).

A dead infected black cherry branch (left),
and a newly infected live black cherry branch (right).
Taken from a tree beside the FMO.

Black knot is a fungus that feeds on prunus trees (cherry, chokecherry, plums and prunes). The spores (called ascospores) of the fungus are spread by the wind and splashing rain in springtime - now.

The fungus has spread throughout Deerwood and surrounding forest. My mom has for years pruned the infected branches along her private road. This has been a good practice, as the fungus enters woodlands along open boundries. However, black knot has been here for many years. It is a rare black cherry tree which has not been affected. Countless mature black cherry trees have their entire trunks encased in mounds of black knot.

A mature tree suffers black knot death.

The solution? The trees must be pruned back if possible, but most of the mature cherry trees have to be cut down and the fungus put to the flame. This drastic action is the only way to ensure future generations of Deerwood cherry trees will be disease free. And it will take years to cut and burn the fungus out.

The black cherry tree is important to many woodland animals for the small cherry fruit (mast) which they eat. Bears will often bend saplings over to get to the cherries.

Recovering the health of Deerwood's black cherry population is a top priority.

For more information about this fungus, follow the link to the Manitoba Agriculture webpage on Black Knot.

The Summer House

My very good friend, Skipper, gave me many things upon my departure from the big city. Now that the blackflies have started to bite, I whipped out the instant Summer House as a sanctuary from the mad flies.

I took it out of the storage bag and within 5 seconds (no joke) it was up and I was in it and the bugs were gone. Amazing stuff. BOOM! Like an emergency life raft. I placed it on the only flat (yet sloped) surface near the FMO. A real sanity saver....

The Summer House.

Thanks, Skipper!

Bow Saw and Bark Spud

Had a good ole time today cutting down some maple saplings in an area beside the FMO. Not just for kicks, though. The area will be turned into a small forest meadow where deer can graze on clover. As it's the site of a decommissioned hydro line, the maples are just saplings with a diameter no greater than five inches.

Because Spring is mating season for the forest inhabitants, I'm reducing my use of the noisy chainsaw until fall so as not to disturb all the goings on. Instead I used a bow saw to cut down and cut up the saplings. The limbs were cut off with a hatchet.

Bow saw.

Next, I had a lot of fun peeling the bark off of the green wood (debarking) with my handy-dandy bark spud. It was the first time I'd used it and was amazed at how easy it was to use. It's just like peeling carrots. Really big carrots.

Bark spud.

Maple saplings before (top) and after (bottom) debarking.

Installed the saplings in the FMO attic as storage surface.

Mangy

There's three red squirrels who have taken up residence below the bird feeders hanging fifteen feet above the ground at Deerwood manse. Two of them content themselves with eating whatever seeds the birds knock down to the deck below.

But not Mangy. Mangy is a female squirrel who is nursing at the moment and likes to climb up the house exterior board and batten wall to eat from the hanging feeders. It's quite the sight to see, but a nuisance as Mangy scares the birds away - at least from the feeder she's chowing from.

Smokey the Cat watches Mangy - photographed from my squirrel blind.

Mangy holds onto the house with back feet and eats with the front.

Mangy spots us!

I open the window and Mangy high-tails it down the wall batten.

I don't like Mangy because these aren't squirrel feeders. Though, to be fair, there's no sign stating that it's 'birds only', or 'no squirrels allowed'. But I do respect Mangy. Mangy's smart, has grit, and character. I figure that's worth a lot in this nutty world.

FMO Windows Installed...Sorta!

It was another dawn to dusk day. The main construction of the forest management office (FMO) is nearly complete.

I started with a supply run for final building materials and ended by installing the three windows and firming up the blue roof tarp. The window placement and tarp are only temporary and will be adjusted (windows) or removed (tarp) in the autumn when permanent boarding and pine shakes are installed. I'll rough it until then once the door is installed tomorrow.

I'm getting a little bored with posting these construction photos. This will be the last lot of FMO photos for a while. Time to look for a paying gig.

Installed the bottom ridge board with some love taps from Baby Sledge.


Sledge hammering made for many water breaks.


The gable end plywood and sliding window is installed.


A parting photo of the exterior. And I promise to fix the loose tarp.

White Trilliums

After yesterday's photos of the reds, I thought I'd snap a shot of some white trilliums.

A bunch of white trilliums on a southern ridge.

And while I'm on the vegetation kick, I thought I'd show the maple buds emerging into leaves.

Photo of maple buds three days ago.

Here's the same tree three days later.

Red Trilliums

It's always nice to see the trilliums bloom.

In my wanderings today I came across two very nice red trilliums.

Found in an open area with full sunlight.

Found in the middle of a forest boulder pile.

Here's a brief description of this flower from the Ontario Woodlot Association...

Trillium erectum, or red trillium is also known as wake-robin, stinking Benjamin and Beth root. The flowers are dark maroon and usually appear in late April and May. This trillium prefers a more acid soil than Trillium grandiflorum. It is found in upland deciduous forests or mixed white pine deciduous forests. This trillium sometimes hybridizes with Trillium cernuum and a white variant has also been found.

Bear!

I was a-walkin' out to the wood shed to drain the wood splitter oil when suddenly...

... movement off to the left caught my eye. Over the crest of a small forest hill near the deer feeding troughs, a blur of black bear rug loped off away from me..and toward the office.

'Gettoottaheeeerrree!' I yaulped half-heartedly as it was already moving off. While I only got a view of the butt-end, I think it was a young bear. The last bear I saw around the shed was last fall when I was triming saplings. It was a two year old bear crossing the driveway behind me on the way to the deer troughs. Cute thing that moved like a rotweiller. They don't stay cute for long.

Mom has also seen a young bear - not a cub - coming by to eat the corn, oats, and sunflower seeds left for the deer regulars. The deer tend to disappear for days when other large animals decide to tuck into the free chow. A few weeks ago it was a coyote. Though, the coyote was interested in chowing on deer no doubt.

Hey, the more bear the better, I just want to scare them away from the house area as I don't want any bears to turn surly rogue like dump bears who think they own the joint. Then the ministry would have to live trap them and haul them away. Then there's always the chance that one of the neighbours shoots a curious bear used to humans. Would not be the first time.

Often the mother bears are shot or hit by cars and young bears must fend for themselves. Whenever this happens to any animal, I resist the temptation to feel sorry for it as it's the way of things I guess.

FMO Top

The forest management office (FMO) at Deerwood got its roof structure mostly up today. It's the first time I've build a rafter style gable roof - usually a truss guy. Thanks to David baby's advice, I went ahead and did it. There's a special nervous sweat the gods reserve for nailing the end rafters on with solid granite below.

First the ceiling joists, then the roof's ridge board is set.

Then the small matter of sawing 36 cuts for the rafter boards...

...and not cutting my fingers off.

Then it's time to put the rafters up
(notice the temporary diagonal braces).

Looking down the ridge board where the rafters meet.

Think I'll add another ridge board under the first one later.

At last, a tarp wrapper on top.