Actually, they were Fallow deer...

Six wild board, two pigeons and a fox

Wild boar - lotds of them!

Tree planting
For a long time now we've been wanting to increase the diversity of trees in the wood, and we've finally got round to it. This week we planted 15 assorted native fruit and nut trees (sorry, no chocolate trees to go with them...), scattered through the area we coppiced two years ago. Here's the packages as they arrived, and the wire mesh fence we bought to protect them from marauding rabbits and deer:

Nov 2009 storm at Camber Sands
As you may know, the south of England and Wales have been hit by stormy weather yesterday and today. I thought I'd take a walk on the beach and get some video and photos of the sand storm that is always a result of a wind day here. So, here's the pics, and a video at the end - all taken with my mobile phone, as there was no way I was taking my camera out with this much airborne sand and salt water. Don't forget you can click on the pictures to get a bigger version.

News round-up
With both of us doing our "desk jobs" full time for the past couple of weeks, there hasn't been much to post on the blog. A few things have been happening though, so here's the news...A few weeks ago we went to a wood near Ashford for a meeting of local coppice workers, organised by Esus Forestry. It was pretty wet, but fortunately this wood has an "indoors"!

IEA whistle-blower spills the beans on Peak Oil
The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves....In particular they question the prediction in the last World Economic Outlook, believed to be repeated again this year, that oil production can be raised from its current level of 83m barrels a day to 105m bar

Where have the Peplers gone?
Well, nowhere really! We are here, just not been in the wood. Mike is working hard for the Ashden Awards and I am working on the Small Woodland Owners group stuff. Mike is doing trips to London and I am off to Wales and Chester end of next week. We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of yet another nephew/ niece!! This will make number 8. I think we will never keep track ;-) While some are being born our oldest nephew is preparing for his wedding. Makes me feel ancient. .....We do hope to get into the wood soon to do some more coppicing soon over the weekend sometime.Tracy