9:30 7th Jan 2012
We wake up as the steaming sunlight hits the tent. The sun seems to be awake much before we are. I checked my phone for the time, 09:31am. We had managed to sleep for at least 10 hours. Althought it was interupted by the howling wind, the roaring trees, and the thunderous rain. Other than that, it was a good nights sleep.
Alice slowly unzips the fly mesh of the tent, then she opens the main front section. That flimsy plastic sheet that kept us safe from the wind and rain last night. As she opened it wide, we were met by the most beautiful view of the forest! The sunlight was breaking through the canopy of the forest in small streaks here, there and everywhere. The floor was green with a beautiful moss, the trees were glorius colour, all lit up with golden morning sunlight. It really was jaw dropping to see where we were. I reached into my bag again for my phone, "This is a Kodak moment." *Click* (see Flickr to see that)
Like a flash I was into my shoes and out of the tent! I wanted to see where we were. I look around and there is nothing but trees. Everywhere we look, all trees. It was a man made conifer forest. Either way, it was still beautiful.
Alice slowly wakes up and comes to join me outside the tent.
"Have you got your knife?" I ask her.
"Yes, it's in my pocket." she answers.
"Okay then, let's go have our first lesson." I said. So I picked up my pretty machete (Gerber 18") and trek up the hill to go see what there was.
We come to the top of the hill and can see.....more trees. If you looked carefully you could see a small narrow that looked like a path through the trees. I turned back to see how Alice was, she was fine, chugging along just behind me.
Lesson 1: Mushrooms and Fungus Identification Part 1.
Alice had brought the Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft book along with her on the walk and was looking at the lichen, and the few mushrooms we could see in the area. It seemed Ray Mears was more interested in the mushrooms and fungus of the area than the guy that wrote 'Forgaing', as apparently there are no pictures of mushrooms or fungus in that book, Alice informed me. It was a good class for us both. We found a few edible species, but thought it better that we didn't touch them, just in case we made a mistake.
Lesson 2: Fun with machetes
We went over to a felled tree and I took out the machete and taught Alice to use the blade to make a V cut like you would with an axe, then she had a go. Almost perfect first time. But it did seem to be beginners luck. "It would take a while for her to learn" I thought. After a few more practices I taught her how to cut branches off the felled tree, and then how to use the saw on the back of the machete to cut through the thicker branches. She wasn't really comfortable using the machete, but then again, most people are not comfortable with their first time using a new tool.
We walked on a little bit and then set our way back to the camp.
BREAKFAST!!!
There is nothing like having a good breakfast to really wake up. So we got to it after we were back at camp.
There was a beautiful tree stump at the perfect height for a camping table, so that became our working surface, where we put 2 tins of 'Tesco beans and pork sausages'. I left Alice to open then with the Swiss Army Knife, as I went to find a tree to sit on.
Moments later I had found the tree. Alice came over and agreed that it should be our breakfast bench, so I got to sawing through it. A few weeks earlier I had given Alice a small EuroHike survival tin for Christmas. In it was a small wire saw. When I mentioned it to her she went and got it out for me.
Lesson 3: How to use a wire saw.
I wrapped the saw around the bottom of the log and started sawing. Then Alice had her turn and proved better at using a wire saw than she was at using a machete.
Lesson 4: Why survival tins are so cheap.
The wire saw was effective for at least 1 minute, maybe even more. But the sawdust had stopped and I was still sweating in effort. It was time to go back to the machete's saw blade. Note to self, buy a hand chain saw for myself and another for Alice.
Lesson 5: Fungus and Mushroom Identification part 2.
Alice was at the kitchen struggling with the tin opener. She had always used the conventional kitchen ones that involved turning a handle that cut through the top of the tin. Seeing she was struggling, I called her over with the 'Ray Mears Essential Bushcraft' book and the 'Foraging' book to see if she could identify the black mushrooms growing out the bottom of the felled tree I was 'masterfully' crafting into a breakfast bench (chopping in half to a size I could carry to the kitchen surface stump). The mushroom was not in the book. But she did find one that was edible growing out the back of our kitchen tree stump.
Lesson 6: How to open a tin.
It was time to eat! I had just successfully cut through a large piece of tree and I was ready for food. Meanwhile Alice had gone back to the stump and was still struggling with the tin opener. So once again I got to look like a man that knew what I was doing. I showed her how to use the Swiss Army tin opener. She finished off the can that I started, then went on and opened the other can. With both cans open, I set up the cooker, light it, and Alice cooked up the mode delicious breakfast I had enjoyed since Christmas.
And that is the end of our Breakfast journey.
I'll type more of the weekend up, but before I do that, I'll finish off the flickr photos and post the link on this thread
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73883511@N0...8777939425
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