****Workday at the Woods**** November 2011 and REVIEW

[gregster]

Hi foggers

Please be advised that on Sunday 6th November 2011 we will doing a Workday at the Woods in preparation for the next picnic...

We will meet at 10am at Notcutts garden centre just off j7 m20 (head towards maidstone from j7 and its immediately on your left...)
(the meet point may be changed to the woods, if everyone attending has been before and knows where they are going...I will advise)

Please bring with you any tools that you have that may be useful for clearing trees, digging and lunch/drinks as nowhere very near to get grub when you have worked up an appetite.

Dont worry if you cant bring your fronty, we find somewhere to park the lesser cars if not 4x4's so you can still join in if you want to.

Probably not a good idea to bring dogs to the work days, I am just concerned about them running around with chainsaws going and 4x4's moving around,
and children must be kept on a tight leash and near parents at all times as we don't want any accidents.

Workdays will not be capped at the moment as loads to do, and we will be grafting as a team to get work done...this will involve some delegation of tasks within the team to ensure we are both productive and safe...
Use of chainsaws will be restricted to logging or pruning areas as instructed...I don't want to risk accidents with inexperienced members felling trees and anything we cut has to be considered so as to retain the character of the woods and to represent best productivity.
This is gonna be hard graft, I can be a bit of a slave driver

Please note this is NOT a playday, and although some 4x4 driving/working will probably be involved during the day, we are there to work to get the site ready for the next meet...

Anyone "outworked" by Sally will be on toilet emptying duty at the next weekender!!!!

Your safety is paramount, I must insist that anyone attending ensures that they stay a safe distance from any felling or chainsaw operations or moving vehicles...
Falling debris can be unpredictable in its direction or distance of fall, so please be very careful...



Please add your name to the list if you are coming to help with this, and thanks for your support guys...we are really getting there with the site now!!!

See you soon

Gregster

[Krusher]

Greg I have got some things going on, on the work front at the mo so cant commit to anything at present. I got some things in the pipeline that need my full attention but I will tell you about it soon (dont want to jinx it)

Hope you understand?

[gregster]

Intrigued... Good luck fella

[Hound Dog]

There is a good chance I can make it

[MG Autos (Mark)]

Will do my best to get down to you for this one mate , definately won't be able to make the picnic on the 20th though as will be out of the country i'm afraid.

[davetheraveuk]

om in

[Retro Pedro]

Sorry guys don't reckon I'll be able to make this - I was aware, but I've just been reminded again that my daughter and her boyfriend are coming down for a visit that weekend. If that changes, then I'll amend to a be able to attend.

[Wilberforce]

No Wilberforce for this one
Sorry Sal, you'll have to make your own coffee I'm afraid, heh.

The picnic though, I shall be there, with bells on

[Gregsters Boss]

What no coffee maker - how will I cope?

The bells at the picnic had better be good ones to make up for it.

[Krusher]

Didnt know you liked whisky Sal...

[Gregsters Boss]

On a cold day down the woods, while waiting for the return of the "one last run" gang, anything will do.

[woodwizzard]

Would love to get to one of these work days and or weekenders, just worked out that notcutts is 215 miles away Have to see what next year brings when the evenings get lighter, could always whizz up on the bike and blag a jolly around the woods

[gregster]

Would be great if you get up at some time mate ...maybe one of the weekenders next year?
Making a weekend of it has got to be a better plan considering the distances...
See what you can do fella...

[cheekychick]

Yeh Jim, try, and Jude We could go in convoy not if you are on 2 wheels tho

[MG Autos (Mark)]

Really sorry Greg, but I'm going to have to drop out of this one

Got to work this weekend now. Sorry mate, hope it all goes well and you don't get too much rain.

[gregster]

Todays workday was a bit of a different one as there was only Davetherave and myself, Sally opting out seeing as there was not going to be many other there, and so that Dave and I could have a play up the workshop too.

So we started out by sorting out the wrecker so it was ready for work... We stuffed some new springs in the rear of it to make it carry weight better, and then proceed off to the woods...

It was lovely down there, about half of the leaves have fallen, but it was still firm under foot..




The workers beasts...
Davetheraves shorty


The redneck wrecker...


Had a scout around the bottom of the site and cleared any fallen stuff, then parked up to do some work down by the under the tree climb...


You can hardly see the holes for the fallen leaves..


We then did some work round the new hole that Rose, the landowners daughter, dug for us when she was having a digger lesson off Lloyd...
Basically lost a few trees so access is now brill...Dave pulled the stumps with his truck


We then took the stumps back to the fire pile the easy way with the wrecker...
This is Dave lifting one...



Then up to the top of the woods and more stuff to clear...


We then improved access to one of the tracks we put in at the last workday...heres Dave driving it to check it out...




Then back down to the clearing with another stump attached to the wrecker...
On the way back we saw one of the girls who lives up the farm, with a couple of her friends and their "birds"...they were rabbitting with them...
We stopped and had a chat for a while, they are amazing creatures, but kinda scary...they look all fluffy when they try and get warm, but you know that it you tryed to stroke them that you would loose a finger or 2...
here some pics of them...
The one I stoked...its more tame this one, made a funny noise when I touched it though, so I wasnt sure if it was liking it or it tummy was rumbling cos my finger looked like a sausage!


This one didnt like having her picture taken...


This one was proper evil looking...but majestic with it...


Then off to offload the stump on the pile...



Dave then pointed out his truck was sporting a new "feature"...

closer up

Dunno how he managed it...but he did!

We then decided to hook up daves truck with the wrecker and test out it new springs (and to ensure we got Daves truck out of the woods without him hitting anything else!)

See the Video below....it works!!!...



Arrival back up the workshop, as we couldnt be assed to unchain it again in the wet woods, when we had got a dry yard up the workshop to do it in up the hill out of the woods and a couple of hundred yards up the lane...
It towed it lovely...well impressed!



Need a bit more air in the rears though...

Unhooked it and got my lift back again!



Next job was to get out a nissan patrol engine that I had sold as the fella was picking it up late this afternoon...
So everything out, so the wrecker could get in there to do its thing and save our backs moving it...

The "cluster" of fronty's up the yard...










Dave showed me what my truck looks like, as I dont think I have seen it moving from outside before...it looks proper fat! see the vid below...


I then attached the redneck intercom...squeeze it an it squeeks...one short squeek for go, and a long squeek for stop!



then we loaded the sd33 nissan 6 pot diesel, this weighs a ton...but no hassles for the redneck wrecker...




And that was that really...
we stuck the cars back in their homes, and waited for the fella to pick up the engine...
Then offski after a well productive day...


The woods are looking really good, and are pretty firm considering the rain last week...so the next picnic promises to be a blinder.
Big Big thanks go out to Dave for his help today (and other days)...couldnt have done it without you bud, was a good laugh too...

[davetheraveuk]

ye no probs mate was a dam good day fun with the trucks to

[gregster]

Too right it was fun...was nice and firm up the woods though wasnt it Dave...thought it would be muddier, but it was nice...

Still cant believe you hit a tree...where was that?

[andytats]

Too right it was fun...was nice and firm up the woods though wasnt it Dave...

That sounds so wrong

[gregster]

Bloody Essex boys...

Meant the ground was firm, albeit covered in wet leaves!