Bathing Bark

After pollarding some trees, there was fresh material available to experiment.

Not the best time of year for harvesting bark.

Mid-spring (May) is ideal, when the sap has risen and new leaves are well opened.

But the period for willow (Salix alba) is much wider, from April to August.

 

It takes some strength and effort but then you'll end up with a nice piece of bark.

Inspiration

Perhaps you remember my Neolithic beach find from 2021.

A Doggerland 'spits', you can read about it here.

There was an opportunity to join the Resurfacing Doggerland project.

The project lend the spits and I agreed to remove a small piece of material.

After 19 months, ZooMS and C14 research, the spits returned home.

(as soon as I can, I'll share the results of the outcome)

When we went to Leiden in January to pick it up,

I was intrigued by these objects....

The fur one inspired by a mummy; the Arrow Quiver of Iceman Ötzi

Back to DIY:

You can fold the bark and make yourself a 'bag' or 'quiver' (smile)

Have a can with rain water available to keep the branch and bark wet.

Your material will dry quickly as soon as you start peeling the bark.

 

If you're not sure what to do with it yet....

You can buy some extra time by preventing it to dry

.... the harvested bark is underwater now. 

The largest piece is rolled with the outer bark on the inside and secured with wooden pegs.

  

You can dry the bark to store it for arts-and-crafts projects later. Soak it well before use.

I also tried to harvest a piece of bark from the goat willow

(aka great sallow, pussy willow, boswilg, Salix caprea)

It was really difficult, labour-intensive and not motivating at all.

There wasn't enough sap, it has been a very dry year so far.

Next spring I'll give it another go.

My previous post about bark harvesting: Barkin Time

Tree Treasure

Last winter I found a black and soaked branch collar (takkraag) in the woods.

After letting it dry slowly, to prevent cracks, it's on the wall now.

I just love it. To surround yourself with beauty can be easy.

It doesn't have to be expensive or 'arty-farty' at all.

Ocean

- We have one ocean, we have one world -

If you can go to the cinema to see Ocean by David Attenborough... do it!

The film, the underwater shooting, is phenomenal and the message is clear.

As humans we're disturbing the balance and the damage is incalculable.

But there is hope!

We have to change our thinking and protect a bigger area of the ocean. 

We are lucky, the restorative capacity of the ocean is incredible.

The 2025 UN Ocean conference will be held in Nice, France, from 9 - 13 June 2025 🍀

Barkin Time

I started this blog and have been posting since 2012

and I just can't believe it has been 13 years already.

Time flies!

The last year has been a 'turbulent' year for me.

The blog disappeared to the background. Life can 'absorb' you.

But then someone reminded me of my blog (merci!)

When I checked the statistics today, I was blown away.

All time 234 K

Last 12 months 52 K

Last 30 days 8 K

Last 7 days 2.81 K

Last 24 hours 776

 

Most views from Singapore, Vietnam, Brazil, Austria and Germany.

A big thank you to all of you  ♥︎

Especially to those who come back to have another look.

I could really use some extra motivation and energy.

Some how I want to continue where I left off. 

My blog became some sort of diary or external memory to me (smile).

The big gap has to be filled now (wink).

 So several new posts with old news will be antedated to 2024.

Please be patient with me and in case you're curious, scroll back to 2024.

There will be posts about sea visits, walks, design and art soon.

Hopefully my blog inspires you to see beauty in simple things,

enjoy wildlife and spend more time in nature.

Or perhaps it will inspire you to visit a museum, the cinema,

a concert or, even better, make time for your own creativity. 

It provides the best medicine to our stress and busy lives.

Perhaps you already support or protect wildlife. Chapeau! ★

 

harvested white willow and 'noisetier rouge' bark

The Earth has a lot to offer.

I think we should treat it with respect and be careful with what we take.

The trees and shrubs in our garden need pruning and pollarding regularly.

Instead of stacking the wood for wildlife, I harvested some bark form the cut branches.

I don't want to take the risk of damaging a tree or shrub.

Rolled up and dried, the bark can be stored for a very long time.

My intention is to gather enough material and use it for a bark weaving project.

I will keep you posted so to be continued...

Bats Rock

Sometimes Bats are associated with evil events.

Or people are scared for whatever reason. 

Perhaps they think a bat might get tangled up in your hair... NOT!

So don't be scared and appreciate them.

They're catching insects ands bugs.

Like humans bats are mammals.

They're the only mammals that can fly.

Bats are nocturnal animals and sleep during the day.

Perhaps that's one of the reason to think they're creepy.

The Dracula story might add to that (smile).

Bats are wonderful, useful and vulnerable creatures.

Threatened by natural enemies, disappearing habitats and ignorant or violent people.

Local (Limburg's) Bat expert Ghis Palmans, here unlocking a winter stay of the bats,

is training and coaching the kenderman and the youngest volunteer of the local team

 to identify and count bats in the wintertime, during hibernation.

It's difficult to find new volunteers willing to put in some effort.

Bats are 'cool'. The more you get to know about them the cooler they get.

Given time you can become a valued and dedicated volunteer or even an expert.

 Perhaps you are interested to help out? Then contact your local nature organisation.

Tips:

Don't disturb them, keep you're distance, don't touch them.

Even during hibernation bats can be very sensitive to:

• light don't use bright (flash)light
• sound don't talk when they are near, just whisper
• smell you're breath or deodorant can wake them

Please leave them alone.

 Let them be and respect their need for a quiet and undisturbed environment.

Just enjoy the short encounter!

Would you like some to find more information, links and video's:

In English: Bat

In Dutch: Vleermuizen in Vlaanderen en Vleermuizen

Link to my earlier post: BaT Habits

(PS the photos from bats were taken for education purposes only)

Plant Nursery Time

We visited nursery Bastin with my parents-in-law, more than 25 years ago. 

Later we visited regularly, once or twice a year.

Due to covid it stopped and now, after 5 years, we returned.

Oh oh, three trays filled already...

While the kenderman was searching for plants, I had a stroll around the nursery...

and was almost immediately accompanied by a new friend...

(it's two strangers on the photo above, not us)

My adorable new friend...

... waiting for me while I was taking photo's ♥︎

Only after our 'fruitful' visit we read: 

 

"... wij hebben alles al" we don't need anything more, we have it all

We should have seen this text earlier! (smile)

Introspection

Haha, a challenge to do some self-reflection! I tell myself (big smile)

 - Verbeter de wereld, begin bij jezelf -

 An old Dutch saying, something like:

Improve the world, start with yourself  /  Changing the world starts with you

- All ehr ghy een ander wilt schandael up welven,

Keert den spiegel eens umb, end besiet u selven -

by graphic artist Nicolaas Braeu 1608-1666

link: Rijksmuseum collectie

- Be the change you want to see in the world -

Arleen Lorrance in 1974

- All the tendencies present in the outer world are found in the world of our body.

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.

As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him -

Mahatma Ghandi / Mohandas Kramchand Ghandi in 1913

Golden Roof

The thatched roof was in a bad state and beyond repair.

Although we do like a worn look, something had to be done.

Years of moss growth and reed plundering by birds has had an effect

and the danger of leakage was lurking.

It's hard to believe a thatched roof is fully waterproof without some kind of underlayment.

We like thatched roofs, a traditional build of the area we live in.

In the early days a roof covering with hay, branches and heather sods.

Then much cheaper than roof tiles. Nowadays it's the other way around.

First of all ..... demolition of the old roof.

And then, finally, the craftwork could start...

The traditional craftmanship is outstanding!

Some sheeting at the end of the day... just in case...

A reed delivery in the evening.... it seems like a lot...

What a beautiful sight! I could have watched this all day....

It's obvious I didn't. You don't want to 'breathe down someones neck'.

I like the crest of reed stems...

It reminds me of traditional Flemish, Japanese or Scandinavian roof tops.

Check out artists like: Dirk Baksteen and Tanaka Ryohei

Earlier post: Dirk Baksteen exhibition

But let's not get distracted ☺︎

The work is done and we're good for 30 years to come... hopefully. 

If only you could see and smell it!

We have a brand new 'golden' roof and the smell inside is delicious.

Now the roof is watertight, we could use some rain.

It hasn't been raining for quite some time now...

Walk

Walking is relaxing and healing.

Sometimes we forget we need nature.... we are nature.

(photo credits to DS)

Usually I walk alone, sometimes with a nature association and guide...

(photo credits to DS)

The community feeling it brings, adds another layer.

It strengthens my feeling of hope.

We're not alone, many of us love nature.

More and more people are joining for walks!

Some 'theme' music tips for the weekend:

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - The Proclaimers

Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

Walk - Foo Fighters

★

Masters of the Sky

For me the best time of year has arrived... 

The common swifts are returning.

Their arrival brings summer to me. 

Little lifts me as much as this mysterious bird ♥︎

My heart jumps when I hear their sound.

Their speed is phenomanal.

It reminds me of a poem by Robert Frost:

The Master Speed

No speed of wind or water rushing by

But you have speed far greater.

You can climb back up a stream of radiance to the sky,

and back through history the stream of time.

And you were given this swiftness, not for haste

nor chiefly that you may go where you will,

but in the rush of everything to waste,

that you may have the power of standing still--

off any still or moving thing you say.

Two such as you with such a master speed

From one another once you agreed

that life is only life forevermore

together wing to wing and oar to oar.