It’s a coffee day.

We walked on the fields to get to the creek this morning. The wild hogs have dug the ground so much it’s almost impossible to walk there now.
They predicted heavy snowfall here yesterday and with the speed the snow is falling ion the ground today we’ll have an inch in two or three years π It does snow almost the entire time and the flakes are as big as a pinhead or slightly smaller π π π They also predicted it would start to be cold today but now it might start tomorrow. If it eventually happens the predictions says very cold for at least a week, I’ll believe it when it happens π
The day has been rather pleasant so far, slightly above 0C (32f) and no wind. We’ve been walking along the creek today, first down stream and then up-stream, I tried to find any wolf tracks but no luck today. I did see deer and wild hog tracks perhaps one day old. The fox and hare tracks however were fresh this morning. I also found what I thought was foot prints of squirrels but the size of them were too big, perhaps we’re having mutated mega squirrels in the forest π
I also took a walk by myself to try the Edixa camera with the “new” tele-photo lens. It’s an odd lens because I needed to have the aperture on 5,6 to be able to see through the camera, if I had it on for example 16 the seeker became really dark, that never happens on any other camera. I can’t zoom with it but it is sort of zoomed to maximum by itself, so everything seems to be really close even if I photograph something from a long distance π I’m not sure how to adjust the camera since it might be a “light eater”. But I’ve done as I have done on my Hasselblad and can only hope for the best now.
This is otherwise a “I have no energy” day or “I need a lot of coffee day” to be able to do anything π It looks like it is the same with both dogs and cats too, well I won’t give them any coffee π All are sleeping and not a sound can be heard in the cottage. I can understand that Nova and Sune is tried now since Nova has been walking without a leash most of the day which means those two have been chasing each other all the way πΒ
It’s time for another pot of coffee and perhaps a few hard bread sandwiches. Tonight is Grimm night on channel Six, the third season has been great so far and I guess it will continue that way. I’ll also start with the seeds I bought by putting them in water for a day ort two before I sow them and put them outside and forget about them π
Have a great day!
Sometimes I need stronger stuff.
I was a bit surprised this morning when I saw that we had gotten around 10cm (4 inches) of snow during the night. I start working an hour earlier on Fridays so I was sure now plow had been on the roads I was going to drive on. To my big surprise they had, at least on the two first thirds of the way, the last third was unplowed but since very few others had driven there it wasn’t especially slippery yet, my tires work fantastic on snow but not so fantastic on ice π
This is the time of year when we usually have little to do at work, there were a few things we could have done but since they weren’t supposed to be painted until next week we chose to do maintenance instead. I always wash the paintbox with distilled water every Friday morning but every now and again I need something stronger. The walls in the paintbox are made from some kind of plastic that will let the powder paint fall off easily, it doesn’t after a while and that’s when I need the stronger stuff.
I can’t use thinner when the factory is full of people, they sure would be angry if I did because those fumes would fill the entire factory π So I usedΒ methylated spirits instead. When I’ve done that the plastic walls are like sandpaper so I need to wash the entire box twice with distilled water again, otherwise the powder will stick to the walls as if I had glued it there. I’ve done that once and I’ll never do that mistake again π π π So it will hopefully be like cleaning an entirely new paintbox on Monday when we start painting again.
I drove to the super market on my way home to get some fire logs and dog food. Once again they were out of the brand I always buy but I didn’t buy any other brand this time because after the visit to the super market I was going to the post office/ grocery store in Gudhem to pick up a package and they sell the usual brand. I was lucky, I got the last sack π Normally I buy it in the grocery store in the village where I work but didn’t think I would have to go there today since I was on my way to the super market.
I bought the dog food and a few things I had forgotten at the super market π and picked up my package. I’ve bought a tele-photo lens to my Edixa camera. It was really cheap (I bought it on our Ebay called Tradera) and once again the shipping was almost more expensive than the thing I bought π I couldn’t use any of the other lenses I already have because this old camera has a today unusual mount called M 42. I was lucky no other saw this lens because it’s hard to find any with that mound now days.
The mail woman had already been here when I came home, very unusual, they are normally here late in the afternoon and I’ve gotten the first seeds I’ve ordered this year. These comes from Gothenburg Botanical Garden and it sounds professional, doesn’t it π Well these seeds are nothing out of the ordinary and can be found in many places to be honest but I like to support that garden this way, by buying their seeds. I’m waiting for more seeds though, from Gardens North in Canada and from a Swedish firm called Impecta. But no more seeds after that, I must take care of them too π This year I’m buying many annuals, something I haven’t done in many years.
It is time to put more firelogs in the stove, give all the animals their food and make a pot of tea and something to eat for myself too.
Have a great day!
I wonder where it went.
I have very little inspiration today, can’t think of anything to write about. It has snowed some and then it rained some and then the sun showed for a few seconds they say.
The temperature dropped some on my way home and the roads got a bit slippery but nothing I couldn’t handle. I thought I was driving in to fog but it turned out to be zillions of tiny snow flakes, it didn’t seem to hit the ground though so I wonder where it went?
The fire is burning in the stove, I have a pot of tea ready to be drunken but I think I’ll make some cocoa later on, I can feel that it is going to be colder from now on and will prepare by drinking hot cocoa π
Have a great day!
It felt like spring.
I worked in the neighbor factory today and it felt like spring when I walked back to my ordinary work place. It was warm and cloudy, no wind and the birds sang spring songs. The cold weather that they predicted for us seems to stay away around five days. Yesterday it was supposed to come in five days, the same the day before and exactly the same today π I wouldn’t mind some stable weather for a while, this snow one day and rain the other is getting a bit boring π
I’ve heard the snow storm on the American east coast didn’t become as bad as they had predicted. Instead of being the mother of all snow storm it seems it turned out to be the nephew of all snow storms π Lots of snow but still nothing to write home about if You know what I mean π Well I am glad it was less bad.
Well I really can’t find anything more to write about today. So I better make a pot of tea and something to eat. One thing more, I almost saw daylight after work today π

This is the last of them all, now You’ll have to wait a while before I develop any more, it costed me a small fortune last time when I had six film rolls developed π
Have a great day!
Now we have two, at least.
I was a bit lucky today, I drove to work before the rain started to fall and they had fixed the roads when I was driving home. I drove behind the plow lorry the last part on the way home and for once I could see more cars than mine because we were plenty that drove behind it π It was so big that even if anyone of us had wanted to pass it, it wasn’t possible. Cars from the opposite direction had huge problems when they met it π
I’m waiting for news on the huge snow storm in the north-eastern USA. I’ve read it will be the biggest one in over Β years but so far I can’t find anything online. I hope they are mistaken because it’s one thing getting that much snow on the countryside, we usually have fire places so we can stay warm if the power breaks, not so many have that in big cities and I’m pretty sure the will be power breaks if the predictions are right.Β

I only took photos when I was alone on the road and the camera was placed on the dashboard so I couldn’t aim especially well π
The dogs started to behave rather annoying when we were out walking yesterday afternoon, it would be to put it mildly to say that they were very interested in something. They were all over the place and at first I couldn’t understand what it was. They followed what I first thought was one track and that animal had dug some in the ground, perhaps just minutes before we arrived. Then I saw it, that giant paw print in the snow. Then I saw another just as big following alongside the first prints I saw. We now have at least two wolves here and I guess that means this now is wolf territory.
One of my work friends said he had found wolf tracks where he lives and that is around 50 km (31 mile) away from here and they also say that they have found tracks south of here. My guess is that they now have the bog as base and then walks around in their new big territory. I’m really annoyed about missing them since they must have been at least almost visible when we came walking π Some people are afraid but I’ve told them that the risk for humans is minimal but they should have their dogs close if out walking. Personally I like this but I can understand why people with sheep, cattle or horses aren’t happy about this.
I was thinking about getting a paintball gun. Not that I’m a fan of paintball π But since we now have wolves here it would be good to have some kind of defence if they would get a bit too curious or come a bit too close to my dogs. I don’t want to kill any wolf, just scare them. They say it hurts like h… when being hit by one of those bullets π Perhaps getting one of those things they often have on soccer games, horns driven by an aerosol can. We would most likely all become deaf π but if it scares too curious wolves it’s worth it π

These were so dark that I had to brighten them up quite a bit, so they look a bit sort of dusty π
It’s time for a pot of tea and something to eat. The dogs have already eaten and so have the cats. I think I’ll make some cocoa, the weather sort of demands that π
Have a great day!
Soon the forest and bog will belong to us again.

The roads weer rather good when I started driving yesterday morning. I had the canera on fully automatic mode so I just had to push down the shutter button every now and again π
I drove to friends I haven’t seen in years yesterday and it’s strange how one doesn’t realize how much one miss friends until one meet them again after a long time π It was a bit cold in te morning when I drove away but the roads were actually quite ok, at least in the beginning. But the wins grew in strength and by the time I was driving home again the snow was falling and the roads rather messy. It didn’t take as long as I thought to drive there, Β hours. I thought it might take more than three. It did take longer home though because of the winds and snow.

My friends live in a small town or should I call it big village? I took some photos when we were taking my dogs for a walk.
They have a red point Siamese cat who wasn’t too frilled to meet four rather happy and big dogs π He was placed high up on a bookshelf and stayed there in the beginning but like a true Siamese he naturally had to come to the kitchen where we were sitting and complaining about our presenceΒ π and very loudly too π π I do like Siamese cats, they are great personalities π I need to go down to them again when it’s Β warmer again, we really only had time to catch up on what’s happening since last time we met this time.
Today I woke up to a grey and slightly foggy morning. We walked down to the creek over the fields and all dogs were unleashed all the time. I could smell the wild hogs and I don’t think they like dogs too much since they’ve been chased by hunting dogs Β the last couple of weekends. So I thought it was best to give the dogs a chance to flee just in case the hogs would try to scare us away or attack. Nothing happened though and even Nova behaved the entire time π Well we couldn’t see any hares and she really doesn’t care much about any other wild life.
I was hoping to get out on the bog this afternoon but hunting dogs from a neighbor area ran around here instead, I hope this is the last weekend they are allowed to hunt so we others can get back our forest and bog again π I just checked and it seems most of what’s running around here has an end for being hunted on January 31. Fallow deer however is allowed until February 28 and yearlings of wild hog all year round. So lets hope they all are tired of hunting wild hogs by now π
I’ve done the laundry, paid my bills and cleaned out the kitchen stove from ashes, the cold I got before Christmas is still hanging around like a friend that doesn’t know when to go home and make me tired all the time. So I think I’ll have a tiny nap after this. Not too long though because I want the fire to burn in the stove all day long.
I think I’ll make myself some hot cocoa too before I nap, it does make me sleep so nicely π
Have a great day!
Finally Friday.
The fire is burning in the stove and the heat is slowly spreading in my little cottage. The work weak is finally over and I don’t complain π I’ve had worse weeks but I have had much better ones too π I really don’t like it when people place a box of paint in the wrong space, especially when they are very similar, at least until one starts painting with it and it looks really strange when it comes out of the big oven π π π
This is the time of year when it starts to calm down some in the painting department so we did have time to re-paint it again. I wouldn’t have said much if it only had happened one time but it happened two times and it was two different people who placed the boxes in wrong places. For once I’m innocent π Well I should have read on the box what color number it was printed on the box but when there should be just one kind of paint in those places I tend to not check that π
But everything worked unusually well when I went to the neighbor factory to paint today so I guess it evens it up a bit. nothing much else has happened this week and I guess that’s a good sign. I won 3 $ on the lottery this week π I had hoped for more to be honest π The sun never showed up as they had predicted but I did see a ray of it on our walk after work.Β
We went out on the bog but we all walked through the ice when we were out there. I would have continued if I had had rubber boots that didn’t leak, it isn’t much but enough to make my feet a bit wet and cold. The snow isolates the water below so I doubt that two cold nights will make the ice thick enough to walk on on Sunday when I had planned to walk out there again. Well I won’t know if I don’t try on Sunday again π
It is time to feed all the animals and myself too. I bought a few what I thought was ciabatta’s but they had a strange name, Balder I think it stood on the note in front of them. I can tell You that they taste just like a ciabatta though π I think I’ll have some of those with blue cheese, spotted sausages, paprika and perhaps a slice or two with more “normal” cheese like Port Salut and I’ll make some cocoa too, it is after all winter π
Have a great day!
Sowing season starts now.
The world is covered in a light fluffy layer of snow now. It’s a bit strange because normally when it’s just around 0C (32F) it doesn’t get this fluffy. Even though we have gotten perhaps 10cm (4 inches it is still easy to just sweep away instead of shoveling it. I’ve done neither because I am a bit lazy to be honest π
The roads are surprisingly well kept and it’s easy to drive on them with no risk of sliding around as it usually is. I guess we’re lucky for once since I read about accidents all the time in the news online. I think it’s better when there is some snow on the roads because then there are no doubts about the road being slippery and there’s no risk of being surprised by black ice either. By saying that I still won’t say I like snow π

It did take me a lot of time before I knew what was wrong with this photo (and I know it was my fault too). It looks like I have photographed an icy lake but it is actually the sky from the next photo that shows in the bottom π
I bought a packet of hazel nuts the other day, I wonder if they are treated with sprout inhibitors because I thought I should try and sow some of them. When sowing any kind of seed with a very thick shell one should place them in a container with water. At first they float like a bobber but those that will have a chance of germinating will start to sink after a few days or so. But that’s not a good sign if they are treated, then it’s just a sign that they would have germinated otherwise π

I could hear the swans from a great distance and pointed the lens upwards and hoped for the best π The Hasselblad camera isn’t a good camera to photograph moving animals with.
This is the time of year when I start to sow, especially perennials and bushes/ trees that need a cold period to be able to germinate. Some plants, like the Californian tree poppy can actually benefit from being almost burned and then placed chilly. Or one can put a lot of ashes on top of the soil and pour almost boiling water over it and then place cold. Tricky business trying to get seeds to germinate π
It is time to make some cocoa and a few cheese sandwiches I think. Tool bad it’s soo dark because I’ve just loaded the Edixa camera with a new film π Well, I have this weekend to try it again and I hope we’ll be able to take a walk on the bog on Sunday. I’m not sure there will be anything written on Saturday, I have some things to do.
Have a great day!
It’s snowing again.
Sorry about yesterday but sometimes there’s just not time enough. I went to the post office on my way home after work to get two packages and naturally I had to pass my village to get there π It had snowed all day but to my big surprise the roads were quite good, that is until I reached the mountain. Suddenly snow-covered the roads and it just kept on falling, no one dared drive especially fast and it’s one thing going up hill, another to drive down again π
The road was quite ok again as soon as I had come down the mountain. It has continued to snow almost the entire time but there isn’t that much on the ground to be honest, the temperature is 0C (32F) or just above most of the time so I guess some melts away fairly quickly. It will get colder later on in the week though, at least at nights.

Even though these photos are a few weeks old they actually show how it looks here now since it’s snowing again π
I can notice that the days are getting longer now, not that I actually can see any daylight but I can see the last glimpse of it. With other words, it wasn’t totally black outside when I drove home the first miles π The sun will rise at 8:32 tomorrow morning and it will go down at 4:02 in the afternoon tomorrow. The sun has the chance of showing itself four more minutes every day now if it so wishes, too bad it doesn’t wish to do so π
It is time for a pot of tea and something to eat. All the animals have already gotten their food and are now sleeping all over the cottage, well not Bertil because he wanted to patrol his domains π
Have a great day!
I’m late!

The same view as the one I showed yesterday but taken when the snow started to fall instead. I like this one a lot.
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