My sweet kitten

It's been more than 10 days since out kitten left home for the last time. She's nowhere, no-one has seen anything. 'Suma can't find a trace of her- and she's actually a good sniff dog.

There's foxes, lynxes, eagle owls and raccoon dogs. There has even been a wolverine. No wolves, though. And Smart Girl is only cat missing in years in this village. Choose your guilty one.

House is quiet.  Cats are usually out or sleeping, they don't make a lot of noise. Now Baby Brother is out trying to find his sister. He comes inside,   seeks all hiding places, all sleeping places, comes to me asking where's my sister? His fur looks dull and his eyes are empty.

He is heartbroken. He has lost his sister, his best friend, half of his heart,  his joy and happines. I can't help him, I can't mend his heart.

Os and sys are just as heartbroken. How to console teenager boys with broken heart?' Suma is quiet, she looks out of windows trying to see something. I think she doesn't know what she's looking for, but she knows she has to look for something.

We are all lost. 

Time is on the run and I can't catch it

This summer is about to end soon and I just can't get everything done. At least I have been able to forage mushrooms. 'shrooms are what os eats. I had a target to get 20 bags of mushrooms to freezer, and I think I have done it already. 20 bags means mushrooms once every other week, more bags means I can feed him once a week with mushrooms. They are healthy (they have some fibre), nutricious (vitamins, mineral, protein)  and delicious.

During mushroom season I usually keep long nails. I cut stems of mushrooms with my nails, if I have lost/misplaced/forgot to take with me my foraging knife (happens every day at some point).This of course discolours my nails yellow/orange, so if I have to go to meet people, I have to use nail polish. Oh the vanity!

Mushroom season = magnificient nails.

I've cut about a dozen masks, but not been able to sew them yet. It takes about 15 min to sew one mask. I have all materials here. I tried to fill up my stash with more elastic, but in the fabric/cratf store I realized I have more elastics in my storage than that biggest craft chain has! I don't know if I'm ashamed or delighted.

I let kids choose their own fabrics (100% cottons) and made two masks each. Sys tried his on and told me he's not going to use any masks until it is compulsory - he looks like a communist. Ooookei, I didn't see that coming. But yes, we do have a long and winded conversations about world economics, democratic situations of different countries/continents, and factors that makes this country safe and some other countries less safe - why it is much safer to be a teenager or OAP in here than .. In Mexico, or Burkina Faso or Indonesia or North Korea. And what happens in US if dt gets re-elected or not.

I thought I might not get beans at all, they were so slow to grow. Luckily I have 1kg already in freezer and another 750grams needs to be frozen (I've blanched them already). And - most exciting thing ever - I HAVE PICKLING CUCUMBERS! I've got around ten in fridge waiting to be processed, I think I'd like to have mildly hot relish done. And of course dill pickles, if I get more cucumbers. Well, dill pickles they are not, we don't like dill, but something pickled, anyway.

Have you ever counted how much vegetables (incl. fruits and berries) you need to have in order to feed your family five a day portions? That's 500grams per person per day. Seven days a week. So it's 3,5kg per person per week. Doesn't sound bad, does it?

Thats 21 kilos per week for the whole family!

21 kilos, every week. 52 weeks per annum, that's about a ton of veggies. So if I want to feed my family the recommended amount of veggies, I'd seriously need a bigger freezer space...

If I give everyone 150g carrots every day (which is most likely, because they like carrots and we have them year round), thats over 6 kilos per week, and over 300 kilos or carrots every year!

50g cucumber - 100kg cucumbers.

100g tomatoes - 200kg tomatoes.

100g apples - 200kg apples

100g banana - 200kg bananas

 

My head hurts.

On more lighter news we are waiting for covid19 test results for ys and d. D got sick on friday a week ago. Ys got sick on monday a week ago, and they had tests on thu and fri. They both have been at home. No-one else is sick, they don't have fever (not at all), just mild throat ache and clogged nose.

They will be back to schools once they get their results. There's no Covid in our area, they are not really sick and there's bunch of beginning-of-the-school-flu cases at schools. But they have already lost more than a week of school.

Once they get their results, I'm off to Ikea. Ys's room is nearly done, I got floor done during the weekend. he needs a desk, a chair, few bookcases and a wardrobe. Unfortunately some of the furniture I'd like to get are not sold in net store, so I have to go there myself. I've tried to look around but haven't found anything that fits his room (there are some difficult corners) like those will.

Also d needs a wardrobe. Her room is a mess (teenager - do I need to say more?).

I don't think Ikea has any small bottles left. Pity, 'cos I like them, they're perfect size for Christmas hamper gift liquers.

Storm is a brewing...

Or not. According to weather forecasts we might get some rain, but storms will pass by us through east. Everything needs water right now, so I'm on second day on the row waiting. Yesterday we didn't even have clouds, today it looks more promising, at least whole sky is now yellowish grey.

These hot days (officially +31C, unofficially from +32C to +34C have been really tiring. Old man was in dire need of hydration, but because he has had a weight loss surgery as a bonus, he can consume about 1dl of liquids/15min. So it's been really hard, and they don't have ac at home. And he's having handfull of pills three times a day, it's difficult for him to eat anything after popping those pills... In two weeks he should be off several of those pills, so it should get easier. And being a stubborn old man, he didn't take his painkillers (I don't eat those, I'll make it without) he was sick and tired. Now he takes painkillers nicely, thank you. (His older sister had cancer operation four years ago, and is no shy of giving orders to her little brother, thankfully).

Everything has been busy.

I think someone thinks too much of himself (herself, aren't all working ants female?)

It's been too hot to go for 'Suma walks in to the village, so we have been walking in the woods, no matter how many mosquitoes and other blood sucking critters.

Early in the evening last monday (about 10pm). We don't have darkness at all now. ('Suma is in the picture somewhere)

Ceps are coming along, Not yet edible (or it is, for maggots)

Number One had his 3rd birthday last weeks (oh how the time flies) and he wanted to have a ghost.

I couldn't find any ghost at the supermarket I do most of my shopping (or mega market, what ever) and didn't have time to online shopping. But did have time to sew.

I think this is all right, even thoug it looks like a barbapapa to me. Sorry about childhood traumas, Number One.

Because having a vacation means I have had more time. I've cooked even more, and managed to empty not one but both two laundry baskets!

We had an explosion in the kitchen. I was boiling eggs (like I do once a week for hb's lunches to take with him to work) and heard a loud bang. Because nothing had felled to the floor, I checked eggs. Yep! That's and inch wide hole in that egg! never had that happen before, I mean of course one or three eggs crack and leak almos every time, but this was a new one. Never a dull day in my life.

Week 11?

I don't know anymore which week this is - the "new normal". I still can't do certain things that are part of my work, but I'm still overworked most of the time - I know I'm doing something wrong because some of my co-workers have had basically a long spring vacation and my hours keep adding.

But I don't actually care, I know I'm doing my part and when this is over no-one can tell me I didn't do enough.

Children are out of school, D has still one language course to attend (4h a day + homework for two weeks) but she didn't return to school in the first place like boys did, they had 12 days - but mostly they were biking, hiking, picnicking and studying outside the classroom and outside the school building.

But I'm relived school is over for now.

I've been in the veg plot, in polytunnel and all around. I try to work on my veg plot or polytunnel at least an hour a day, but it's not so easy in this househould.

Weather has been nice, too nice, if you ask me. We need rain - yes, we had snow during mother's day weekend, but it's not enough. And it's been several weeks since.

I still haven't planted everything on my plot or cold frames, Most seedlings are still waiting in the polytunnel. We usually cet frost in mid June (it was 10th June, but lately it's been near 15th - we do get the worst from climate change, no snow in winter but more snow in summer).

I have weeded strawberry boxes, I got 10 runners to plant (2 of them will go to my co-worker, they are from plants I got from our nice cleaner lady and I promised to give her any I can find). In another box there's plenty of runners left, but NOW it's raining so I'm not doing it. With rain come mosquitoes, and we have plenty of them in sunny dry days. I have seen several flowers already!

Glass greenhouse has all planted. Six tomatoes, two cape gooseberries, two spinach wines (I don't remember the name of that plant) and four aubergines. Plants are still very tiny, but if I'm lucky I'll get at least some harvest. There was a critters nest in the greenhouse, mole or mouse, I have no idea, but it was VERY productive during winter. I scooped droppings and used as a fertilizer in growing bags (I didn't change the mulch this year). So, time will tell how powerful those droppings are 😁

My corn is my biggest worry - os likes fresh corn cobs so I sowed over 40 seeds. I have six plants! All other seeds sown using same soil are doing well. Yestarday I saw few small green dots in pots - they might grow now, ut it's so late! I think I have to harvest them as mini cobs (like ones used in fry ups). i don't know what's wrong with corn, seeds were bought this spring and they were of expensive/hight quality brand.

Old man is finaly having an operation next week. It's a major operation, at least six hour in the theatre, a couple of days in ICU, few weeks in the university hospital and after that he'll be moved to local hospital to recover -if he makes it through the operation. First he was told the tumour was inoperable. Timing is always poor, of course, but at least he has done all firewood, all field work (potatoes are planted) and fixed his tractor.

I'm considering if I should ask my sister to live with mom for the summer with her family. Even with her partner working benefits overpower risks, I think.

We'll have a family meeting this weekend.

This is a war I WILL win!

I have fought this war for a very long time. For years - it could be almost a decade, because first I was fighting it with my loyal Blackie on my side. Then they were kittens, too, I had to take care they wouldn't get caught in the middle of battle.

I have no evidence on the first battle. It was too hard for me to even think what I was against at. I couldn't see the end of it. But now! the end is nigh!
 
These ones are easy to spot:

There might have been only about 20 bigger plants, maybe even down to a dozen. Sounds much, but if you think there used to be hundreds of them!

But these - they do not look like they are the same plant at all.
 

Look how innocent they are! So hard to see among all other stuff.

But if you closely, you'll see them. And I don't mean ground elder (bishop's weed).

Giant hogweed. Something I don't want to ever again see in flower. Those little seedlings are from flowers over seven years ago. They have been dormant on the soil, and if something disturbes the soil (like few years ago digger when all electric went underground) they will sprout. The seed banks seems to be endless - but in reality, I have finally got upper hand. It may take me three-four more years until I have permanently killed ALL of them, but now it takes me maybe 15 minutes to go around my neighbour's yard and spray (or brush now) all individual plants. In the beginning I just sprayed everything green, because everything was giant hogweed. I use glyphosate, as instructed by local enviromental authorities. It is nasty stuff, but I use it as sparingly as possible. Maybe this is the last year I have to use it at all!

I.Will.Win.This.War!

But on the other side of our yard...

A lovely sight

No giant hogweed, no lupins. I don't walk this way very often this time a year, because all birds that are nesting there. With 'Suma it's too much trouble. There's enought trouble without us:

Pictured through blinds - I think she's a she and has a litter under neighbour's barn.

 And then nature decided it's not summer yet.

I'm NOT swimming

I've been wondering who's been digging small holes on the ground on the forest. Now I know! those tiny footprints are adorable!

Two youngest are back at school. Ys gets there by taxi, but sys's route to schools is a bit more complicated (first walk to taxi stop, then taxi leaves him at the bus stop, then it's 30min trip to school by bus, and then more walking) and I don't want him to sit in a bus along 30-50 other pupils. So I drive him to school every morning. It's a good thing this will only last few weeks, and then we will have a long summer vacation. Phew.
D is still studying at home, her school will be closed all spring term.

I watched Eurovision Europe Shine a Light-show - well, it wasn't much of a show, if Molitva was the funniest performance. I also watched every 41 songs for this year (? lost count and hope at some point, maybe after Bulgaria and Serbia). Well. No wonder I have a massive migraine/headache now Uactually it's been at least a week now).
Because I don't usually watch much tv commercials, it was funny to notice how much those commercials were made around this corona situation. Even WWF's add was about keeping social distance!

But snow is gone, again. I made rhubarb crumble (from stalks from neighbours yard - I have permission for this) AND vanilla custard! I picked some fire weed shoots for a stir fry, and right now there's nettles soaking (to get bugs off), I'll put them in to the dehydrator to dry. I've already run out of last summers nettles.

We have a bank holiday coming, so I hope hb will get our tiller running. It's ancient (from 70's). but I really don't want to spend money to buy a new one. But my vegetable plot is heavy clay, and it needs to be tilled every spring. It was field for 50 years, and I've been growinf vegetables only for few years. If he will not get it running, I'll just have to make with shovel and fork.

Week 7, Prawn casserole

Week 7 went by as fast as the wind that was blowing whole week. I have no idea how this is possible; days had just as many hours as ever.

We managed to put planks on the wall of ys's room. I also treated plastered walls with dust binding substance. There's 2 drywall walls, and ys wants them to be metallic. Fiiiiine.

Thin lines are strings we put to line up screws

Wood (spruce) was treated first with strong tea, and then with iron soaked vinegar (I put rebar bars into vinegar and let them soak for few days - the longer they stay, the darker the shade). If wood has tannin itself (like oak), tea treatment is not needed.

 Many people has been telling how they have been eating rhubarb for weeks now.

My rhubarb is finally growing

 At least I got something from my veggie patch (actually from one of the cold frames):
 

These are the very last parsnips!

 Because we can't (or want not) go to fast food places, I'm trying to get fun food for kids. Last week I made home made hamburgers (I found few bags of hamburger buns from freezer) and kids thought they were great, not like McDonalds but good.

I also made doughnuts (os can't eat store bought because they have cardamon)

I'm still trying to make meals from pantry and freezer. I found handful or frozen prawns and after toying with several ideas I settled on prawn casserole - kids don't like it but I do. I didn't have any tinned tomatoes (turns out i do have, but couldn't find at that moment), but had passata. I had some aubergine left, and instead of garlic I used garlic scapes from freezer. Last bag of spinach from the freezer was aslo used - and I have to say concotion was delicious!  A mighty great achievement considering I had no idea what to make when I took the bag of prawns from freezer.

Nature is aiming towards summer no matter what. We don't have here bluebells or wild garlic, instead we have all kind of poisonous plants:

Mezereon

False morel (Gyromitra esculenta)

Liverwort (anemone hepatica) trying to be a wood anemone.

 Of course there's other signs of warmer season. Somehow we still have a pair of swans, they usually leave after two weeks, now they have been here for five-six weeks? I don't think they are building a nest, maybe next year?
And then we have a pack of leverets of european hare. We have both mountain hares and european ones here, but I think mountain hare leverets stay more in the woods, and those european hare leverets stay on fields. I think mountain heres are pretty, european hares are a bit... I don't know, bony? This monday I counted 8 leverets in one group! They are not fully grown yet, maybe they find big numbers more safe? Because..
We have a fox visiting our yard - not very nice because our three cats. But hopefully it has enough food without trying to hunt out pets.  She will no doubt eat some of the leverets.

In two weeks kids will be back at school (or two youngest will be), but my orders to work from home might continue all throught the summer.

Today I might try to feed kids carrot and parsnip soup with toast. We shall see.

The not-winter of 2019-2020 so far

This endless November is depressing.  We get snow, it stays for three days max and then comes rain and all white and light is gone again. At least now we had few bright nights with full moon, so no need for torch while on 'Sumawalk.

 Lack of snow means lack of light. I take torch to 'Sumawalks, if I go to forest or if it really is too dark to see. If there's some clouds, but not too much, I get my "streetlights" from neaby town:

Town center is about 5km ahead (little lights are our house). Talking about light pollution! This picture is taken 4.50pm on 4th Dec.

This one was taken 1st dec 10.45am. We have had some sun! And snow!

This was taken on Friday morning, when we walked to taxi stop with sys and 'Suma.

Friday morning, 1,5h later with ys and 'Suma on our way to taxi stop. Same moon, although you have to imagine to see anything. That light spot. And no snow.

A year ago. So much snow and frost.

Lack of frosts and deep freeze is beneficial to our wood stores. I have used only one pile of wood, storage behind garage is stayed untouched since October (I used some of it when everything else was too wet or hard to get, but then we had a brief spur of frosts and I managed to shelter dry-but-left-under-open-sky-pile and when rainwater was dried off it's now usable wood for our woodburners. It's been seasoning it's time already.)
There's been winters I have had to lit fire to three woodburnes every day (stove or sauna and fireplace in the old side of the house and woodburner on the extension), now I don't need to lit a fire every day at all!

If this endless November continues, I might not need to chop any excess of wood this spring, it would be enough just to cut damaged forest trees and fell those trees around the field left untouched last spring. Which would be a good thing because old man can't help this spring.
I need to buy a decent battery chainsaw and learn how to use it. We have electric chainsaw but it's basically a toy, can't use it to cut wood thicker than 15cm.

I have been using my woodburning stove, I roasted two hams (for Christmas and for New Year) and at least twice a week I have been cooking dinner with it (it has an oven and a stove).

Frying potatoes and pasta and boiling broccoli

 I knitted only three pairs of socks for Christmas presents:

My three boys got socks. Sys asked for sig-sag stripes.

These are crocheted:

Jolly rogers reflectors - can be used as tree decorations, too.

Our Christmas tree was beautiful:

From our back yard! But no skull decorations.

These were gift to myself:

New kitchen clothes in colours I like. White cotton was bought over 25 years ago, I was living in a big town.

But I wanted to knit socks, so I did:

Actually, there's three more pairs, but can't find pictures... These are children sized and female sized.

Found this one, but two more are missing. These are men size pair.

Os had 20th birthday, I baked him a cake like I have done every year.

I accidentally dropped some whipped cream on top. Who cares. Cake was eaten, two pieces for os and others had one. No leftovers.

Brrrrr!

It's snowing. Not hoped for this, but oh well, it's October. I still haven't made a teacosy for my teapot, and I still haven't build another cold frame for my garlics. So thick scarf will keep my tea hot and old garlig frame will do another year.
Of course this snow will not stay. It's been snowing for three hours now, and ground is not covered. Ys is sick and stays at home, and he wanted to get dressed to see snow falling down.
'Suma spent some time chasing flakes, but realised they just melt into water ans she really really doesn't like water. Cats came in as soon as I was able to open a door to them.

There was some slush on lense. Couldn't wipe it dry because more of it was raining.Now it's actually a flurry!

Still snowing

There's still light in mornings, but evenings are getting shorter quicker than I'd like. If I go 'Sumawalk after eight o'clock, I need to take some light with me, I can't see my feet in forest. I'd stumble on branches even if I know where I am. I know paths and tracks by heart but new branches will fall daily.

There are also areas I will not go if it's dark or near twilight. Not because I'm afraid of monsters or something, but because it's actually dangerous there:

Also so creepy.

This is an old spring, it's lined with logs to keep it clear. Water was used in the fish ponds, it's about 2-3m deep, and if you fall, you will not be able to climb up alone. At least one moose has fallen to it's death to this pit/spring, it couldn't climb up and died of exhaustion and panic.
One thing I have no answer - why is the edges clear of any vegetation? This is in the middle of woods, no-one takes care of this (it's built around 1910) . Usually there's plenty of water, but ground water is so low now (at least 1m lower than norm), that you can see the bottom.

I've been knitting, socks. Someone's not impressed.

I have started fire in above seen stove. Hb bought me a fan to put on it, so heat can be distributed around downstairs. I don't know if it's working that way, but at least it's spinning allright. At least this corner where I work is warm and cosy.  Os complaned 'Suma has eaten all is socks, so I had to make him another pair.

I did get all tomatoes, pumpkins, melons and others from greenhouse and polytunnel. I harvested corn and beans, and since then there's been heavy frosts so no more harvest.

 

 

My pumpkins, and a zucchini.

Green harvest

I have some beet and potatoes left on veggie plot, and parsnips and carrots in one of cold frames. I pulled some parsnips few days ago - they were tiny and few were very wooden, But after all, it's been a successful experiment and I'll sow more next year. I just have to start early enough!
There's some kale left in polytunnel, and herbs.
But that's all.

Thunderstorms and beginnings/ Oh bugger, not again

I was trying to find my glasses. Yep, 'Suma got them, one lens was popped out and now there's some scratches in lenses, but they are usable (I bended them back to their shape... somewhat, they now keep sliding down my nose). It's been a year since she ate my other pair.
I had to make an appointment at Specsavers, hopefully I'll get new pairs in few weeks, I need new prescription anyway, I have kept postponing it whole spring.

 Hot weather is now gone, it ended with a bang. We had a massive thunderstorm, some places flooded heavily, but we only got some puddles. Such a boring life here.

Sunshine after a storm, another one coming (all rain and storms have arrived from south)

Mu uncle got engaged and we popped in for a coffee (or tea in my case). It was very exciting - power went off so no guarantee to actually get a cuppa...

But it's been raining ever since. I got my broad beans sowed, as well as calendulas, swedes and chards.  Now I just can't go to the veg plot, my soil is clay so I really should keep off until it stops raining.
I need to get peas and magne touts sowed, if for nothing else, they'll bring nitrogen to soil. And I really need to sow beans, I can't put them outside yet, but in polytunnel or greenhouse they'll do fine. If only I would do it...

At least something is flourishing

But this rain is a good thing, no more warning for forest fires or bush fires, and I have managed to sew! Two pairs of trousers (I needed something to wear at home apart from jeans) and now I'm working on undies (I need find another pattern, these will not do, they're huge and I used smaller size pattern that I usually use).

My sewing is a process. I don't just grab a pattern and fabric, oh no. This specific session has started last autunm, when I was looking ideas for christmas presents. I didn't find a pattern for a wide brimmed sunbonnet, we have a summer picnic every summer (my family) and last summer many of my aunts and cousins were whining because one of my aunts had a nice wide brimmed hat and they didn't. I knew I had a pattern for one somewhere, but no luck. But I did find pattern for undies.

Now I was looking through those patterns again (in need of trousers) and found that bonnet. So, so far I have made those beforementioned trousers, cut most of pieces for a sunbonnet and made a test version for undies. But it did take three hours of browsing through my sewing magazines, two and a half hour of rummaging my fabrics (my colleague has seen my stash room and she thinks I'm utterly mad. So do I)... I have another fabric for trousers, but I'm not sure if I want floral ones.
But now I need to stop making my stuff and shorten jeans for hb (they has been waiting maybe six months?) and patching another pair for him. There's another pair that need patching, too, but I need to wash them first.
While digging into my fabrics I found a pretty floral cotton. Perfect for dresses for little girls! Luckily my cousin has two girls, so I had to find a dress pattern as well.

But it's not all doom and gloom. My potatoes in tyres have been sprouting...

Violet Queen, purple potatoes

I planted spuds in much bags like I have done few years now, but I'm not quite sure about the variety now...

Ms/Mr Toad wasn't happy when I watered that bag. Uuups, sorry.

Mixed feelings

I bought a bottle of maybe one of the most hated liquids used in gardening and farming.

RoundUp.

It's not that I don't know it's dangerous (carsinogenic and propably genotoxic; also toxic to aquatic life). It's not that I don't know how Monsanto has abused poor farmers in poor countries (well, around the globe). I also know it kills bees and stays on cold ground far too long (it actually halt it's breaking down during winter months).

After all that I bought a bottle, and I'm going to use it. Neighbourgh's yard has still some giant hogweed growing, and because plants grow all over property, it is impossible cover all ground to prevent giant hogweed to grow. And because it grows in abandoned yard, I can't burn it down because that might cause a bush fire. Some plants grow between rocks (most of them) so cutting roots is not easy and not very efficient, because I can't cut deep enought to kill plants. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.
I was initially told that giant hogweed is biennial, but in poor conditions it might take three years to produce flowers and die. Bah, now I know that if it can't produce flower head, a single plant will stay alive up to 12 years! And seeds stay viable ten years years.
Great.
Ignorance is a bliss.

Anyway, I have managed to kill 90% of plants, there is a major seedbank in soil, but maybe after five more years I should be a winner! I have been cutting them, covering them, weeding them and finally spraying them.

So, when there is no wind and no rain, I'll wear my protective clothing, gloves and all (not only because glyphosate, but because of furanocoumarin, it causes photosensitivity) and start my war against poor plant that can't run. I'm doing my best to work along The giant hogweed best practice manual    and guidance from my local environmental authority.

Long time no see

So it's past Mother's Day and I'm hardly advanced my veggie plot at all.
Well, I have done several things.


Nature has slowly crawled and boldly leaped towards summer. First there was yellow sea of coltsfoot, and then one of my favourites, liverworts:

Along our walks we saw some almost white ones, normal blue ones, pink ones and dark purple ones. These are very pale blue.

I found again some whole milk reduced, and made cottage cheese. Still some milk left, so I wanted to try making yoghurt. After some googling I made a batch in crock pot, I was very suprised I actually got edible product!

I used turkish yoghurt as starter, final yoghurt wasn't as thick as original, but edible. Maybe it tasted a bit boiled because I had trouble timing everything, but nevertheless I'll make some more when I find whole milk reduced again.

I found strawberry plants that were grown in a big plant nursery I visited earlier, and I know they are excellent quality. I bought 20 plants, 10 early variety and 10 late variety. They have been planted now, I built a new frame for them. I have now 29/30 strawberry plants, maybe we can eat some berries all summer?

Ys helped watering. I ran out of ground cover so I used newspapers.

I bought small plastic greenhouse for the polytunnel, there are my brassica seedlings, some spinach and beets.

Still like chaos, but it's working.

Radish and lettuce in polytunnel

Ugly as hell but working.

 My suprice garlic. After all this work I found yet another one sprouting in one of the cold frames, but I'll plant it in the middle of this monstrosity when I have extra 5 min. Cold frame on foreground has more garlic - they were all supposed to be there, but stuff happens. And that cold frame was frozen when I moved those ones that ended in that brick thing, so I really had no options.

Since last time I wrote post on the blog, my rhubarb and lovage have proven to be alive (as well as horse radish). These, however, are not from my plants, they are from our neighbours garden.

Short but tasty!

 I had two options, soup or pie.

Well, if you ask children, it's pie every time! Rhubarb pie and rhubarbless pie for os who doesn't eat cooked fruits. or maybe this is bake, but whatever, it was yummy!

Spring took some serious setback for two weeks, we had snow and frost and freezing days. Now it
seems cold is finally gone and we can start eating from our garden/yard/field/forest...

First we had nettle pancakes, kids love them. Just ordinary pancake batter, some blanched nettles and stick blender. Can be eaten as savory dish (like ys with ketshup) or as sweet (like os with sugar or like sys with whipped cream).

But maybe even more important to me is fireweed, which I use as asparagus or as any other green veg.

This lot ended up lunch as omelette.

 And while I was cooking another lunch for me, it occured to me that I'm turning in to Ilona!
 

Stuff I found from fridge (leftover rice and corn, some old pepper, some ground elder, grated cheese and and an  egg. And spices.

 If I lived alone I might be able to live on food I forage and grow (well, I would need a root cellar and few freezers). Now it's time for first mushrooms!

Which are deadly poisonous, btw.  Gyromitra esculenta, sometimes known as false morel. Lethal if eaten without proper preparation. A bit like fugu. Nice if done the right way (boil 3x5min at time with plenty of water in place you have good ventilation, rinse between every boil). There might still be some poisonous gyromitrin left, so it is not recommended to eat several false morel meals in a row.

Gyromitra perlata, nor as poisnous as it's cousin, but I wouldn't eat it without the same preparation as false morels. Pictured this morning at 'Sumawalk. Worms are actually birch catkins.

But. Veggie plot is tilled last weekend, if it's dry enough this week I'll start planting and sowing soon. We have been sick, and I did a night sift last week - not my piece of cake and hb is doing them all the time (ok, I had to work first the normal day sift and then back at work at ten and then again working on the next day). Usually I'n doing night sifts at weekends so I have time to recover.
Cukcoos are back, so it really is nearly  summer. Even if it snows occasionally.