Work must begin

I don't remember noticing so many different mushrooms last Autumn but maybe I just wasn't really looking. It's astonishing how many one small patch of woodland can contain. I think this one is Russula ochroleuca or the 'Yellow Brittlegill'.

 There were a couple more that currently have me stumped.

I need to start doing some winter work at the wood soon. So far I have finished logging up some last remaining pieces from last winter, rather late but I'd left the biggest to last in anticipation of buying a chainsaw. It certainly made light work of the job. Some of the wider piece need to be split with an axe yet to help the air flow.

Then it will be onto chainsawing a second uncut pile for next winter. I may not cut any new timber this winter as I seem to have a enough stock already. There are also a couple of standing dead trees that might provide a lot of firewood if they haven't rotted. Most dead wood I'm just leaving to help the ecosystem but it looks as if these two may have dried out nicely as they haven't been on the ground as they got caught up by other trees on their way down. Cutting windblown trees is a more tricky job so I'm currently scouring the internet for some guidance. It's making me wonder again about doing the NPTC qualification on chainsaw, cross cutting and felling. The problem is both cost and time involved. It looks like a really beneficial course but will take a week of my time.