High winds and the threat of an incoming storm meant that this mornings woodlanders work had to be cancelled. Just in case someone did not get the early morning email calling off the gathering, I walked carefully down to the wood and spent an hour being part of an active woodland organism. The sounds, smells and movements engulfed me completely and felt part of something very much alive. Last week I took some pieces of the sycamore tree that John felled earlier this month and a student called Bradley immediately claimed them and started turning some bowl blanks. Bradley is studying on the 3D Design and Craft BA(Hons) course at the University of Brighton. These are at the first stage of turning. The wood is very wet so reducing the mass to thin out the wall thickness lets the wood dry out slowly with out cracking to pieces. Bradley will finish the pieces in a few months time, meanwhile they will be placed in plastic to control the drying out process.