A day in the Mournes

It was one of those days when a little snow had fallen, but the sky became clear and blue and tou know you've just got to spend it as high up as you can. The Mourne mountains are really just hills, but to us, they are mountains that reach to the heavens and are beautiful beyond compare.

A few new pike lures

I bought some pike lure blanks from a certain chinese online seller and have to admit, I was quite impressed by them. I'll colour them simply using aerosol paints as I dont have an air brush but I dont think the pike will mind too much. Just made a start, I'll post more pics when I get a few painted up.

Candlesnuff fungus

This little fellow is often overlooked when out in the woods, yet it is quite common if you take the time to look around. It tends to grow on rotten wood and is small in size with white tops and a black base.

In theory this fungus is edible as it has no poisons or toxins in it however it is so small and tough in texture that it really is not worth the bother. The main thing I find interesting about this fungus is that it is bioluminescent, it emits light, however this is usually so faint that it cant be seen with the human eye, but it can be picked up with light intensifiers.

How to roast beech nuts

Every few years or so we get a mast year , a year when nuts are in profusion. Most people know about hazelnuts and walnuts and acorns but few ever bother with beech nuts or mast as they are sometimes called. It is understandable as they can be fiddly to prepare  but if you take the time you can end up with a delicious snack that tastes just a little different than other nuts.

The first thing you have to do (after the husk is removed) is to peel off the tough skin that coats the nuts, this is fiddly, but it is worth it so persevere.

Next step is to roast the inner nut in a shallow pan, the inner skin that coats the nut (similar to a peanut) can be left on as its roasting as it often falls off in the process. Keep roasting until the steam evaporates and the nuts start to gently brown.

Once roasted you can rub them gently in a cloth to remove and skin that is left, then put them in a container with a little salt, they taste wonderful and have a distinctive taste to other nuts that is quite delicious, if stored salted, in a jar, they will keep for a considerable time. Enjoy.

Phil.

Rustic 3 leg stool

I found, as you often tend to, a log washed up along the bank of a small stream. Instead of using it for firewood as would normally happen I decided to try and make something useful out of it

I cut a couple of rounds from it and one longish length the idea being to make some stools.

The rounds made lovely little seats easily capable of holding an adults weight though they do have a tendency to split over time, I will split the longer piece and make long stools that will be more stable.

And after a few coats of linseed oil, they are practical, pretty and easy to make.

Phil.

Sea Buckthorn

One of those nice and nasty little sea bushes we find all around the coasts these days, it's got wonderful little berries but they're a nightmare to get at leaving behind scratched and bleeding arms.

Normally you can find lots of these berries, often called sea berries, on these bushes but the ones I came across where rather sparse, none the less it always worth a nibble for the really sour astringent taste you get from them which I really like , as long ad you can get past the initial plasticy taste!
They have been used in the past to feed to horses, been used as a herbal medicine and often used in proprietary brands of cosmetics. They are also often found when most other berries have long gone.

Messy when picked you often have to lick the juice off your hands but if gathered in quantities can be made into pies , jams and juice drinks. They also contain trace amounts of vitamin B12 which is rarely found in plants.


Phil

Happy Christmas 2019

To all my wonderful buzzard friends who have joined me down through the years I just wanted to thankyou so much for being a part of the Buzzard family, I love and appreciate you all wherever in the world you come from, may you have a blessed christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Tried something different this year instead of a wreath I hope you like it.

Phil.