As I write this I'm looking at the forecast for the weekend. Snow! What's all that about after the really mild weather we've had reently which almost heralded the early onset of Spring.

Well, things happened quite early around here. First to show were the Snowdrops of course then Dog's mercury creeping up through the undergrowth and then Celandine in the warmer areas. Young nettles are now appearing. It will soon be time for nettle tea and soup.

I've been lucky enough to sleep out for a couple of nights about every two weeksthroughout the winter and early spring so I've watched the woods closely as the sap rises and small buds appear on the trees.

I've been successful at last in seeing the elusive badgers at a local sett and I'm keeping a close eye on whether or not a pair of buzzards will settle down and nest. I saw these Snowy owls at a Sanctuary by the way. I couldn't resist putting the photo up. They're great looking creatures.

I've used the hammock all winter and I've had no adverse affects from the cold apart from a couple of chilly nights where I woke up with freezing toes. I admit that the temperature has not been that low but with good insulation underneath the hammock, I can see no problems with winter hammocking. I've not seen the need for an underblanket.

From now on until summer I'm having a go at ground dwelling again with just a hooped bivi and tarp. We'll see how it goes.

That's all for this update. Thanks for reading.

More adventures at www.woodlife.co.uk

Pablo.