![[Sam cleaving a log ]](ccam01.jpg)
Its been an exciting month as I’ve now got Sam the new BHMAT apprentice started with me. There is always some worry about how you will get on with someone new, but Sam is easy going and is picking things up quickly (then putting them down over there).He has some good ideas for what he wants to do with the apprenticeship. His big problem will be finding somewhere to live in Kendal on a pretty small income. My big worry will be keeping us all busy and paid as work seems to be dropping off a bit at the moment. Luckily Sam’s arrival coincided with a big order for cleft oak palings, so Sam has been straight in to learning a useful skill.
![[The finished palings ]](ccam02.jpg)
A lot of our skills have been learnt through hard experience and so Sam will have a short cut on some of that. Considering its been such a dry start to the summer charcoal sales have been pretty flat, is everyone moving onto gas barbecues? The new firewood processor is now installed on the back of Tomski tractor and its very nice to use a tight sharp machine again. The drought did come to a sudden stop and I am now regretting not extracting the firewood from some of the wetter woods.