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A walk in the wood

saxonaxe

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It seems yesterday, Friday, was a day when a few forum members managed to escape for a few hours, me included. I went for a wander up through the woods behind the cottage where I live. There is still quite a lot of leaf cover in spite of the steady leaf fall that has buried my back garden :D
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It's still very mild locally and there's still free food in the woods if you look carefully.
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My Funghi recognition is very poor, I know the useful ones like the Polypore, but as I don't eat any of the others I tend to look but not touch. They may be high fibre but their very low calorie content has never interested me as a survival food, so I'm not sure of this one.
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The Foresters will be busy this Winter as there are many unfortunate Ash Trees marked for felling as they are infected with Ash Die Back disease.
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The dead branches of the infected trees show against the sky like black fingers reaching up, but for every tree felled another is planted and it's encouraging to see the young Chestnut and Oak Saplings growing well.
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Down in a lower part of the wood where members of the public sometimes walk I had spotted a strange tree growth. I vaguely recall seeing similar things years ago but at nearly 78 all I can remember is they are somehow connected with howling Nippers.


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The lower part of the wood is the playground of the local village kids. They make camps and pretend fire places, but I'm pleased to say I've never seen any destruction or rubbish left behind.
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High in this particular wood on the border with adjoining farmland is a cottage, but even in Summer I can walk all day and not see another person. In Winter I would never walk there without the kit to overnight if necessary.
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Some folk put " No Callers" notices on their doors, others show " Neighbourhood Watch" or CCTV notices. The people in this cottages are much more inclined to my way of thinking....
The obvious approach route of undesirables is well covered....:lol:
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Views from a high point in the wood.
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I called on the Elf King but he was out, probably over at the Witches Hovel liaising about the approaching modern 'Halloween' or money making festival...:lol:
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Brew time..absolute silence except the occasional whisper of falling leaves that fall around me after a breeze passes through the wood.
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Then Pavarotti arrives and I get serenaded, but I know he's really just eyeing up my sarnies..
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All cleared away except for a few well earned crumbs left for the entertainment.
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A slow wander down to the easy paths that lead towards home. Then the final effort, still slow but a lot easier than the first climb some months ago.
I always have to smile going up these steps as I remember a saying from years ago used by a Moron...sorry that should read PTI. " You will learn that suffering is a skill, so get good at it "...
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No suffering was involved, but it still just makes me laugh..:thumbsup:....:lol:
 
As always, an enjoyable read sax , cracking pictures 😁

Wonder where the cannon comes from sax , just an ornament or was it on a ship or part of a castle’s defence .. really enjoy seeing things like that and possible history joined to it 👍🏻
 
I did have a look at the Cannon Mark but could see no inscriptions or foundry stamps/markings. At a guess I would say pre 1750's and possibly a small Bow or Quarter Deck gun, not main armament anyway. All sorts of vessels carried armaments, Civvy East Indiamen, Royal Mail Packet Ships, Customs and Excise etc:
I'm guessing pre 1750's as after about that date such guns were fired by an attached Flint lock device, so the gun was made with a slot, screw holes or raised casting so that the Flint Lock could be attached to the breech above the touch hole. (prior to that date guns fired when the Gunner stuffed a lighted slow match into the touch hole) The flint lock system made firing quicker, more accurate and safer for the gun crew, especially the Gunner who could stand clear and tug on a lanyard to trigger the flint lock ignition.

I could see no method on the gun for firing other than the old fashioned touch hole in the otherwise smooth breech, so just a guess on my part about age, but definitely not a signal gun or ornament as under the breech end was the angle shaped section that allowed wooden wedges to be inserted to effect elevation and depression of the gun for firing at different ranges ( Distances to target )
There were some very happy and contented Spiders living in the barrel...:lol:

The nearby town of Milford haven was a major Royal Navy Base from 1809 and remained so until the RN transferred the short distance across the Haven to Pembroke Dock about the time of Waterloo. So plenty of old guns kicking around still in this part of the world where I live. :thumbsup:
 
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😁 I don’t retain much knowledge when it comes to things of history but I do like old firearms of any sort, really any weaponry . The where , when and who used them are very interesting… not that I retain much of that information😂 possibly I’m a nosy shit and just like to know 😂

You have a keen eye sir 👍🏻
 
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