On first christmas day I received a new backpack that I asked for, it’s the “JĂ„GERRUCKSACK” with about 35 liter capacity.
I decided to try it out during a few hours walk in the forest with my dog, while looking for a nice burl for my future kuksa.
From that first trip, I did not make any pics except the one with what I found below. No burls, but I did find a load of dead birches which I stripped down of the bark and fungus.
Having not found a burl, I went 2 days later again to the same area, but in a different direction. My dog surely didn’t mind spending again some hours in the forest, so we both where happy 🙂
Quickly after parking the car I came across this little camp.
A bit further a woodpecker was busy building his new home it seemed. The pic is bad quality. I used my iphone 4s with max zoom to get a glimps of the busy bird.
Just walking along.
This tree had an interesting ring of branches at chest height. In the summer it must be a nice place to sit in the shade and watch the forest doing it’s thing.
Dog waiting for me to continue after making pics.
I was in a pine area of the forest, and between all the pines, this tall white birch appeared. On the pic it does not show well, but in real it was like beacon of light in all the dark green. Very nice.
Someone / something damaged this tree. It’s nice to see how they seal their wounds. No, I didn’t take any resin, it seems this tree needed it more then me.
After a while we came across this small pond, and little flakes of snow came down.
And it turned into lot’s of snowflakes falling quite rapidly.
Almost at the end of the walk, I came across this dead birch. I checked it for bark again, but it seemed the wood was still in good shape. Having again not found any burl, I thought I would take a piece of this birch to make the kuksa from.
One side I chopped through with the small hatchet that I modified for wood carving purposes. The other side I sawed through with my diy bucksaw.
At home, the results of my walk. The backpack was a good choice. Many things fit in, it’s robust, strong, and easy to carry.
Again 2 days later, still annoyed having not found a burl, I went to the same area again with my dog who needed little convincing to go :-).
In Holland we have a saying “drie keer scheepsrecht” which means something like ‘the third try is the right try’.
After a few minutes, I came across this nice find, but I left it where it was. It was quite small and no need for it at this moment.
A bit further, the forestry service apparently cut down a quite big birch, and the ‘remains’ where still there, like little branches, lot’s of saw dust. Here and there in the sawdust I found several fungusses again, which I piled up for the picture and took with me.
Also a woodpecker was busy on this dead birch.
On another dead birch a bit further these nice fungusses where waiting to be picked up.
These I left, I had enough already.
Nice little scenery, but no birches.
I have to say that during the walk, I kept looking sideways as well and every few steps also turning around to see the backside of the tree’s. Lot’s of looking around, but no burls at this moment…
Beautiful big tree next to a birch.
And success, first nice burl I found, and left it as it was. Didn’t want to risk damaging the tree, and it was no birch.
Having new motivation after seeing that big burl, we continued walking around, and came across this little lake. I broke some ice so the dog could drink there.
This birch with it’s special angle was interesting to see.
And then, I came across this birch burl. But also this one I left in place. It’s not really visible on the pictures, but the shape was like a cup with the bottom of the cup attached to the tree. The point where it is usually the thickest, it was hollow. No good for a kuksa. So maybe in a couple of years it will be having a better shape. We’ll see.
Lot’s of birches here.
And another burl, but hiding way up in the tree… So I left it as well.
And then… being back at the point where I started, I saw a big black dot on a birch between all the tree’s. Getting closer to it I saw this dead standing birch, with a huge burl on it. Jackpot !
Somehow I missed it although I though I checked every single tree I met in the forest.. Maybe here I was playing with my dog, I don’t know, but I passed I for sure, my tracks went about 20 meters from this tree when I started todays walk.
After a few pushes the dead standing piece of tree came down easily. Used my diy bucksaw to cut it into manageable pieces.
I decided not to waste any of it, and took it all home. including a piece of bark laying close it it.
Score of today.
