Path Work - Cairn Lochan path, Fiacaill path, Windy Ridge, Beinn a'Bhúird, & Carn Crom

The start of the first week in July was spent on the Cairn Lochan path, which needs a lot of work done to it due to the level of erosion.  

Before

After

Before

After

On this path we added some double waterbar with additional steps above.  In the before picture I've kept in the stones that are going into the structure so that you can see the size of the size of the stones used to ensure their permeance.

We also added a few more step rises to help with the steepness of the path as well slowing the movement of the path surfacing.  As well as spreading surfacing along the path.

Before

After

The last day that week was spent on the Fiacaill path that takes you to the Fiacaill Ridge.  There was erosion along this path so it was needing step rises and surfacing added along the way.

The second week was spent completely on Windy Ridge on the CairnGorm Estate.  Even though we were low down on the path it still lived up to its name, apart from the Friday when there was hardly any wind and lots of midgies.

This is a very steep path with large steps and one of the most popular routes on this estate, so it needed a number of step rises added to the path a long most of the path to make the path easier to use and reduce the erosion on the path.  I didn't take any before pictures as the after are pretty self explanatory.

For the third week we were back on Mar Lodge Estate on the Beinn a'Bhúird path.

Before

After

After - ditching on the left

On a section that has suffered from particularly bad erosion we turned the waterbar into a double waterbar, added step rises, and a ditch along the side to reduce the amount of water actually hitting the path.

Further down the path step rises were added to a particularly steep section (I've only shown my work here).

Before

After

And more step rises in a section where there has been some signs of water erosion, moving the surfacing off the path.

The last week was spent on Carn Crom.  This path was interesting for me to go to as it is one of the path I did my training on last year.  We were lower down this time and in a section I used to walk by on a regular basis and is were the erosion had meant that the path is down to the base rock on one side and was we into the vegetation on the other.

Before

Before - where ditch will be

After

After - ditch

After - down hill

First was to add a much needed waterbar at the top of the steep section to reduce the amount of water rushing down the path.  We found a lovely but particularly large stone that took a little while to move, but which fitted perfectly and worth the effort of moving.

Further down I added a couple of steps to help with a section that was quite steep and should now help hold any surfacing in that area.  I'm really chuffed about this one as it looks like a very natural feature and you wouldn't necessarily know it's man made.

I also worked on a couple of step rises further down to, again, hold the surfacing in place as it's likely there will be water moving down the path just because of the base rock on one side.  As well as resurfacing the section.

Before

After

Then there was turning a waterbar into a double waterbar to hopefully reduce the amount of surfacing being lost here.  We had noticed that this was a particularly bad waterbar for surface loss and definitely needed some work.

And then more step rises and more surfacing, as always.  Working on this section was an interesting challenge as the stones had to be balanced against the base rock and placed to ensure they didn't slide down (which can be an issue when placing stones on base rock) but I think it worked out quite well all in all.

Unfortunately not a large amount of wildlife to be seen, but the weather was interesting with us back to the usual Scottish weather.  I don't think there was a day when we didn't spend time repeatedly taking off and putting on our waterproof jackets as the weather swung from cold, windy, and raining to hot, sunny and calm.  We also get midges this week, a rarity for us this summer.

Book Review: The Soil Will Save Us

The Soil Will Save Us is a book that looks at the very overlooked microbials that can and should be found in our soil.  These not only help all plants (including those we eat) to obtain all the nutrients they need, but also sequester carbon into the soil storing it away for generations.  Unfortunately the methods of agriculture we have used over the last thousand years has meant that we have actually been destroying the health of our souls, reducing the health of the plants we grow but also releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

The author, journalist Kristin Ohlson, talks to farmers, ranchers, scientists, landscapers, and environmentalist who are working to improve the health of our soils both in the labs and on the ground.  Using methods previously used in farming before the industrialisation of agriculture and mimicking species interactions found in the wild there is evidence that their work is bringing the soil back to its previous health.

Research has shown that this healthy soil has not only improved the health of our food, reduced the cost to farmers and ranchers as the natural processes take over, reduced drought and erosion, and made improvements to air and water pollution, but also storing away large amounts of carbon helping with the fight against climate change.  This last point is especially important as this fact means we can remove the carbon we have already sent into the atmosphere.

Whilst this book is now about four years old and American centric it is still relevant today and provides information that could be used all over the world.  Despite the amount of science in this book, Ohlson has done a very good job in making this an easy and very understandable read.  This is a fascinating read and comes up with a viable solution usually overlooked when talks on tackling climate change occur.  Based on the imformation this book provides it does seems that the soil could really save us.  It is definitely worth a read.

The Clothing I Own

Last year I wrote a couple of blogs on my favourite clothing out of my wardrobe.  Since then my wardrobe has reduced in size as I've removed items I no longer use or like and changed slightly as the work I do has changed.  I thought I would do a blog on all the clothes I own (not including my very small collection of work out gear, outerwear, and underwear) now that it's much smaller.  The colour palette of my clothes is mainly blues and greens with the neutrals of blacks, greys, and creams.  This hasn't actually been a conscious choice, but more the route that has naturally occured due to the colours I like.

Work Clothes

Starting with my work clothes - it hasn't been necessary to have a large number of these but these do need to be sturdy enough to take the physical work I put them through.  Most of these (the two army trousers, orange shorts, and two t-shirts) are second hand and the fleece is over ten years old and still going strong.  The long sleeve top was brought new last year in a sale, but the plan is to replace it with a second hand item when it wears out.

New and 'Unethical'

Then there are all the new clothes I brought and still have, but haven't been ethically sourced.  Most of these were brought before I started this process and have had for many years, but some have been items I have brought out of necessity.  Once they fall apart I will try and replace them with more ethical items.

Ethical Material

I'm not really someone who's into the leather look, but there are some items which I want to have either the longetivity you normally get with leather (such as the Elvis and Kresse belt) or the structured look.  All these items were brought new.

I also have some organic cotton items which were brought new.  These items have lasted really well (especially my Thought Clothing jeans), especially with the mount of wear I put them through.  I expect to have these for a long time.

Hand Me Downs

There is only one item in the hand me down section which is from my Nan.  It is a beautiful piece which I like pairing with unexpected items, but it is also special as she is no longer with us and it's a nice way of remembering her.

Handmade

Buying handmade items is a good way of supporting local communities wherever you are.  Most of these are from when I over in Africa, but the jumper is very special as it was made by my Nan (it is also theoretically a hand me down as it started as my older brother's).  The Femme Head is a new piece which has now only been hand printed but the t-shirt itself was thrifted.

Gifts

There aren't many gift items as I am very difficult to buy for clothes wise.  The fleece is a no brained really as I may have a slight obsession with these.  The dress is not necessarily my style, but it's actually the bridesmaids dress that was brought for me when I was a bridesmaid at my brother's wedding.  ImI keeping it for now, but if I really don't wear it I'll think about getting rid of it.

Pre-loved, Charity Shop, and Vintage

The last section is second hand, predominantly brought in charity shops.  This is how I buy most of the clothing I need now, and charity shops are always my first port of call when I need a new piece.  Whilst I am interested in buying new, but ethical pieces in the future, to me buying second hand is the most ethical way of sourcing clothes and I'll only buy new when second hand just isn't possible.

My wardrobe isn't big by any stretch of the imagination, but it still larger then I actually need.  At the moment I wear and like all the items I own so I will keep them, but I don't intend to add to this only to replace when the time comes that I need to.  I expect it to reduce over time and maybe illIdo another blog this time next year to see the change.

Project Use Up Update #7 and Other Products

As I thought last month, the progress this month has been very slow on the use up front and I can't see any of these products disappearing in the next few months.

I'm going to start with the one product were there has been the most progress and were I have finally got into a habitat of using regularly.  That is the Argan Oil hair treatment which I put on my hair every time I wash my hair.  This still won't be finished by the end of this year as I only wash my hair twice a week but at least I'm getting through it.

The NYX Dark Circle Concealer Corrector in Light / Pale is showing a little more progress as I've been concentrating on one side of the product where there is now a definite dent.  I'm hoping this will be gone by the end of the year.

As with last month I've been concentrating on the Gosh Velvet lipstick in Matte Rose, which means that there's a little progress in this lipstick but none in the others.  I am not sure if any of these lipsticks are going to be gone by the end of the year, but I'll keep going through them.  Then MUA lipstick in Raven is actually the easiest to go through so I might actually concentrate on that from now on.

The Living Nature eye liner in Midnight is making a slow and steady pace (not really much to write about here).

As is the Barbara Day even smoother eye primer in Vanilla.

Another product I finished this month is the Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation in Warm Silk.  I use this mainly as a setting powder with a slight cover rather then a foundation, but I like that I can increase the coverage of this if I want.  This is my favourite foundation and I will buy it again in the future as my only foundation.  It is a pricey foundation, but I think it's worth the price for the quality of it, the fact is offers protection from the sun and is cruelty free.  I also believe this is a vegan product from the ingredients list, though please let me know if I'm wrong.

My progress so far:

• Project Use Up 2018
• Project Use Up Update #1 and Other Products
• Project Use Up Update #2 and Other Products
• Project Use Up Update #3 and Other Products
• Project Use Up Update #4 
• Project Use Up Update #5 and Other Products
• Project Use Up Update #6 and Other Products