farmdoc's blog post number 109

The River Thames, and therefore the Thames Path, is 294 km long. In May last year Sweetheart Vivienne and I walked the first half of it – from the river’s source in the Cotswolds to Reading. While we were en route, a tree fell over our Mole Creek driveway which our friend and sharefarmer Sharon cleared for us. (Subsequently a second and then a third tree have done the same.) It’s now 15 months later – ample time for the timber in the fallen tree to have seasoned ready for burning. Last Tuesday was a bright, sunny, cloudless, late winter day – perfect for woodcutting. So out came the chainsaw, earmuffs, goggles, gloves and blockbuster. The wood seen in the photograph is the result. It’s colloquially called blackwood (for the obvious reason), its botanic name is Acacia melanoxylon, and it’s a wattle and so a hardwood. I’m far from a hunter-gatherer, but there’s a certain joy for me cutting, splitting and stacking firewood, knowing that it'll warm the house, cook the food and heat the water. Also that it'll burn up calories and improve my fitness. And I’m pleased that at my age I’m able to ‘get my firewood in’ (as the locals say) with nary an ache or pain let alone a palpitation. Indeed I felt more aches and pains walking the Thames Path 15 months ago.