A sudden storm (and awful photos)

We had a sudden thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. Well we - our village did. We here at Ulvens reis hardly heard some roar after lightnings, no rain, no wind.

But some neighbours weren't so lucky. There was a freak downburst and some tornadoes streched over 30km distance - and about 30m width.

Results were horrible. Fascinating and horrible. Somehow amusing also, because of the freakness  of all.
Really really bad picture, because it was twilight at 8am. And also I don't have my glasses on while I'm walking with 'Suma. And I have always been a really really bad photographer.

There is a playhouse somewhere.

 Worst hit was at my parents yard and garace as well as their neighbours yard and garage - we keep finding pieces of their garace roof everywhere, all the way 1km in to the woods! or rather what's left of the woods, there is several hectares destroyed forest. Some of my fathers, some of our neighbours.

All of above excuses, and also I was freezing at that point (-3 degrees). This sight continued more than ten miles!

 

 

I spent two hours with 'Suma checking around the village - no people hurt, but sereral roofs damaged, several yards damaged (in our village people have a lot of trees in their yards - some people have no more), some minor buildings damaged lightly and two major buildings (beforementioned garages) damaged heavily. But houses were left mostly intact, tv-antennas were bend etc. Four cars damaged (so far). One outhouse had toppled over, another had lost it's door (we have a lot of outhouses at our village, and in their original use). Greenhouses were damaged.

I continued then to my work, three more hours in the forest at the other end of that disaster (what a coincidense; I had arranged that visit two weeks ago!).

Funny/odd things: All lights my parents have at their yard are unharmed. Lonely post box at the middle of fallen shelters and pinetrees was unharmed. One neighbour lost his wheelbarrow - he saw it flying off iside the tornado. Destruction zone was only 5-30m wide almost all the way 30km stretch this continued, like someone had made lines with ruler, straight and narrow. Several rubbish bins were moved around, people who didn't have one on their yard had suddenly several. I had to learn to use whatsapp (after I had downloaded it to my phone). Disaster tourists were driving all day long along our village road. Local bus route had to be diverted for few hours to our village, because there were much worse situation with fallen trees along the main road - our road was free to drive after an hour because apparently most people here have a chainsaw at the trunk of their cars.

There has NEVER been a downburst  at our village, nor tornado! Well, there has not been a thunder storm at later half of October. We have autunm storms with heavy winds and destroyed forests, but they are different from this. My aunt is very shaken, and my parents have only just started to realize what has happened.
I know what to do on my freetime for the next five years.

A week of plenty

This week has been plentiful.

On Saturday my colleague visited us (late) in the evening, her daughters were at consert at town and she needed a place to stay for tree hours... I made plenty of quiche (feta and broccoli; our family's all time favourite) and 1,5xmudcake. All eaten...
On Sunday I got msg from my (another) colleague, she was about to go get some carrots, did I wanted some? Yes please, even if I had to go and get them from office - at my week off!
She lives in a rural village (a bit bigger than my home village) and her neighbour is a root veggie farmer. He had harvested his carrot fields with heavy machinery and all the rest is free for villagers to gather.
On Tuesday morning I managed to sneak in to the town (on Monday 'Suma had her operation). I was expecting maybe a one plastic bag full to the brim with carrots. Nope. Three big plastig bags full of carrots! I gave some to my other (third) colleague (who wasn't at the office on Monday) and took the rest home. I tried to weigh them, but my kitchen scales showed just error. My human scales is a bit generous with its readings, but I estimate I got 25kg of nice carrots.
Oh boy. My kids will be all orange by mid November!

I harvested one of my red cabbages. I have still quite a many beets and golden beets on cold frame, they do ok even on heavy frosts we have had (below -7). I have 10 plants of kale going strong.

I have been keeping my last three pumpkins on our veranda - it's relatively cool place but no threat of frost. One of them already got frostbite some time ago and it looked like it was totally rotten (not only soft and dark but also moldy). I wanted to chop it before tossing it to compost heap. It wasn't rotten inside, it was firm and fine after I peeled rotten skin off. I got 2kg of pumpkin flesh, seeds, and some stringy bites( to dehydrate for 'Suma). Pretty well considering it was a slimy 3kg lump I was going throw away!

So I have been cooking this week plenty of vegetarian (or even vegan) dishes. My first ever curry! Havin firm roots in Russia curry has never been a stable in our kitchen. Potato-carrot-pumpkin curry, and even hb ate it! It was a bit bland for my taste but then I'm known to have poor sense of smell and that is of course linked also to sense of taste... So I usually add more chilli and ground pepper to my plate.
Second time ever falafels, this time I managed fry them as balls - they were yummy and I have few in freezer to take as my lunches at work. I used broad beans and added some cooked kale I had in fridge. I have never eaten ready made falafels, because they have onions. So this is also new to me.
At the same time i made meatballs in tomato sauce (or veggie sauce - there was a carton of chopped tomatoes, a beetroot, couple of carrots and piece of courgette).

Few minutes ago I took pumpkin muffins out of oven, ys has been asking them whole week. They smell lovely!

Our neighbour has got his first elk of the hunting season, we saw the hunt going on in the morning. I'm always sad about hunting, but I still eat meat we get with gratitude. If the animal has been killed, it has to be eaten whole and not wasted.
That's why I can't keep chickens - I can't bear to think kill any of them (if they are sick/hurt and suffering).

Last big expenditure this year?

I just called the vets and made an appointment for 'Suma. 700€.
That's the price I'm willing to pay for not to have puppies in this house - it would be much cheaper with male dog.
I might have had the procedure done cheaper some other place, but I trust this place. We have been using them since 90's when we had Ace, the first Giant Shnautzer. Then it was important that the vet wasn't afraid of him (one vet was so nervous around him he vaccinated me by accident!), we did visit several vets.

But this money has been reserved since January - when we got 'Suma. We knew this coming so no suprices.
The IPCC report on climate change has made me thinking about having pets. I might not be able to justify keeping big dogs just because I like big dogs. I should get smaller dog after 'Suma (well, she is smaller than Blackie was) but I don't actually like small dogs. First world problems at its worst...
Cats I can justify because they eat mice and voles, and in Pretty Boy's case he just decided to live here.
(nobody is questioning about my choices but me)

Need to change winter tyres soon, should be ok with ones we have already, no need to buy new. Or maybe two tyres to hb's car, because it's heavy and eats tyres more than I eat doghnuts.
Polytunnel is nearly empty, only herbs staying. need to take down the poly-part (covering) so last years disaster could be avoided. Need to build frame for garlics (have few days off next week). Need to empty compost bin. No need to buy anything fot the veg plot or polytunnel or greenhouse.

Found wintercoat, paid only 11€. It doesn't have a hood, so i have to knit one myself, if my old scarves won't do. Haven't found wellies yet. Bikers calfs don't fit narrow boots (I had this problem when I was a underweight kid, 10km a day minimum with old bike did it, never had weak legs).

No idea of dinner once again. SYS will bake buns today, a school task. Omelette?