There are plenty of downed trees to be found in the woods, at the edges of fields and at roadside.
The wood may be on the ground for several reasons; downed during a storm, death- the completion of its life cycle or it could be a discarded part of timber cut for various purposes. As the fallen wood lies through all types of weather it becomes transformed into a beautifully hardened, aged piece of wood. As it ages the bark peels away to reveal a hard smooth patina which sometimes has interesting trails which were carved by insects that use to live beneath the bark. This process may take several years. The trick is to catch it at just the right time. Too soon and the bark cannot be removed easily. Catch the deterioration of the tree too late and the wood will be compromised with rot and the bark will be to deteriorated to the point of crumbling. (Deteriorated wood eventually breaks down into great planting soil.)
Aged wood is the ugly duckling of the forest who, with a little pampering, can turn into a lovely swan!
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