Bilberries and rain and fulfilling dreams

As most Europeans are suffering extreme heat, we have had a cold week. Last night it was 8C, and during the day it's from 14C to 17C. I think this is way too cold. Hb is content, because he's suffering anytime temperatures rise above 18C - he works in a freezer (literally). I'm suffering now.

But we had our bout of warmth earlier this summer, and for most berries and fruits it was a perfect timing, no frost nights during the time they were blooming, a lot of pollinators buzzing around and dry weather fot those buzzers to fly. And once the blooming was over, there was rain - plants can't make fruits/berries if it's too dry.

I've baked two bilberry pies so far - we call bilberries blueberries (They are original blueberries). D don't eat them, because bilberries make her sick. As do oat, milk, pasta, chicken, too much eggs, most fruits (but not raspberries, which make me  sick), potatoes, rice (but not rice milk), bread, cheese if not cooked, meat in most forms... But anyway, os and ys LOVE bilberry pie.

I told them they will have just as many bilberry pies during the winter as there is berries in the freezer. So far os has been twice picking bilberries with me!!!

Because of the heat wave and this rain, our firewood project is behind our normal schedule. We started cutting and splitting last weekend, and if it's not raining today, we might get more done tonight. Yesterday it was rain on and off whole afternoon.

A bit boring.

Old man decided to build a log cabin/retirement house. He has dreamt of three things in his life: learning to fly (got his license in early twenties), owning a forest (bought first forest in his fifties) and building a log house. Now it's time for him to fulfill his last dream, groundwork is done, just waiting for last signatures for the permit. Yesterday they were digging an old well, it was filled with roots and concrete rings were a bit loose. So all is now nicely clean and sealed, and after a while that water is drinkable. My cousin's digger on the other hand is not ok, it stopped working several times. Oh well, just like it always is, something happens and you just have to fix it.

And as for my mother, she has had her dreams fulfilled: a house of their own in the countryside, work from home, a nice garden.

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.

Lovely rain

I'm already waiting for my days/weeks off from work. I had (skype)meeting with my two superiors (I apparently need two, one is not enough!) and they were actually more excited about my upcoming vacation than me! and that tells a lot about situation of the world at the moment.

But I have been working a lot lately, I have a project that needs to be finished this week (as day after tomorrow) and with my team we have done at least decent job (if not magnificient).

Therefore I have been spending my time inside in front of my laptop instead of weeding my veggie plot.

I noticed serious bug problem with my brassicas, I need to get that sorted out (I've tried to squeese all critters by hand, but it is so impractical). I have pine oil soap which might or might not work. I'll see.

I's been raining (there was thunder close by) so it's a bit cooler now, so I might get 'Suma to go out with me. She's been hiding inside, poor puppy. And cat's are all snoozing all day, they leave the house by 10pm or later and come back at 7am.

Old man has had some minor complications, he wanted to get up and going so overworked himself and got a minor infection and some internal bleeding. Maybe if he keeps quiet for a while it'll be easier...?

Before operation it was said it takes at least two weeks at the Uni hospital and then two more weeks at here nearby hospital, but he decided he'll be at home this week (a week after his operation). I told him it won't happen, did he listen to me 😂

In the meantime

I have had net troubles today. Couldn't get connection at all with laptop, and had to miss one meeting completely. Another was teams-meeting, and that I can use from my phone. I should be able to use skype from my phone, too, but it is just not working.

Well, co-worked had a chance to bragg about his catch (13,4kg salmon) and all other important but now seriously neglected information was finally shared. It's so good to gossip sometimes.

But because everything else was not working, I called it a day after 10am and used my time much more better way - gardening.

Than you Jo for your kind words.

Old man was awake in the mid morning when my mother called the ward, everything seems to be ok. Operation went smoothly, it was easier than surgeons had anticipated. So far so good. Now old man has to learn how to live as a type 1 diabetic, he has no pancreas to produce any insulin at all. Of course many other hormones and entzymes are also missing, and because part of his stomac was also removed, eating is so much more difficult and important from now on. He's lost too much weight already.

His operation was now, because there has been no new covid19-cases (in that university hospital area). The medical team thought it would be better to have the operation now, even if there migh have been some benefits with postponing it with medication old man was having. Later this year there might be new covid-cases again, so no better time than now.

Weather has been very summery, 'Suma the poor girl doesn't understand why she's feeling so hot. Poor puppy. I planted all sun flowers (14), and chards. Yesterday I planted all broad beans which have been growing in the polytunnel, they were way too big already, but... Better now than never, I guess.

Little cucumbers are in cold frame, and most of tomatoes and aubergines in glass greenhouse.

I have never grown aubergines, di I need to support them somehow, with canes or strings?

Tomorrow I'll have to go to my office (because of the connection problems), but in the evening I'll plant other beans I have and hopefully most of brassicas, too.

Then there's zucchinis and pumpkins left and when they are gone I can use that free space in the polytunnel to plan rest of tomatoes, aubergines and peppers...

And then the weeding starts.

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.

Weeks 3, 4 and 5, i think

I've been busy. It's the beginning of gardening season, even if we have had three weeks of snow, sleet and frosts. It's April.
I put up my polytunnel two weeks ago, and I have sown first seeds there already, salads, radishes and swiss chard (if I remember right). I hope I can get some harvest before I can plant tomatoes and peppers (and chillies) there.
I bought plant light few weeks ago (it was just before this shut down started) and now my peppers, aubergines, chillies and some other seed have sprouted, so I rigged it with a plank and windowsills to hold it on place. 'Suma is no longer a menace, so I can keep my seedlings in a plastic box on floor.
Second lot of seeds are sown and put up on a tall freezer, I hope I remember to check on them occasionally!
Mental breakdowns are fewer and fewer. Ys has one every now and then, but so far I have managed to get him over them with ease. He thinks he has too much to do (at home school). I don't think so, but my kids always blame me for being too demanding. Last breakdown was because he had to make a totem pole (out of kitchen towel cardboard tube...), he wanted to draw and it was supposed to be made with different papers... Oh dear. Ice cream, tissue to blow one's nose and pep talk later all was well and he spent two hours crafting a pretty totem pole.
Oh, there was Easter. We had roasted lamb leg (it's rarity here, but kids love lamb/mutton so I try to get some for easter), chocolate eggs and other easter stuff to eat. We don't celebrate it as such, it's more like a spring time feast for us.
Work might not have been as busy as it could have been if I was working in office (and I have few days off anyway before easter). Meetings via skype and teams.
Ys's room has been under construction, I've plastered outer wall (with window) and that moster block of concrete that lies in that room (it's in extension which is a half floor below the old house, and because we have non-solid gorund here, we had to make some weird stuctural solutions in order to keep old house solidly in place). One wall is waiting for planks (I'm treating them atm, first treatment is strong black tea for tannines, and next treatment is mixture of vinegar and iron (rebar bars I had lying around). I will not produce even colour, and that's the point - it might end up with very dark brown, or just light greyish. I'm aiming for lighter greysish tones as ys has asked for that, but... You never know, when playing with natural material and not so accurate measurements. We cut the planks and now we only have to wait for that first tea treatment to dry so that I can put that vinegar concotion on, but it will probably have to wait until tomorrow.
(we have mostly spruce as buiding material here, and it has no tannin unlike oak, so in order to get some colour out of iron-vinegar mix I have to treat the planks first eith tannin, I could buy it, or use crushed acorns (didn't harvested then last autunm) or even use red wine, but I opted for strong tea).
I've managed with one weekly shopping, occasionally I've run out of milk or spread a day early, but then we have had just cope without for a day. I've been (my own opinion) successfull so far, even if I don't have a set meny for the week ahead. I have some ideas (like hot dog casserole hb asked for) and then I'm just playing along.
Freezers are not actually emptying, because every time I go shopping I buy stuff I put into freezer: bread, meat, chicken, fish, chips, veggies etc. But I have used some odd items now and then, I hope that in summer I have enough room for berries.
I've sewn four masks so far, I think the last one is very usable, it fits nicely (not too tight). I think I should be doing several now, I'm using them when I'm shopping. Yes, people look me weirdly, but I don't care, I don't want to be the one who spreads covid-19 around. Self-made mask will not protect me 100%, but it will protect others, if I happen to have infection!
I'm really missing number two, I so long for holding a baby. My sister sends daily messages, pictures and videos, but I can't hold her or smell the wonderfull smell of a baby.... My kids are so bid they are not good substitutes on that - teenager boys don't smell like babies...
People are telling in social media how they are spending their extra time now in isolation. I mean what extra time? I haven't had time to write to my blog in three weeks!
My alarm goes off at 6am, then after brushing my teeth I'm off to 'Suma walk, back at 7am, waking kids, eating own breakfast and it's 8am, then logging in to work, doing that until just before noon, making lunch for school kids, back to work, then by 3is pm getting out for another 'Suma walk (into the forest so only max 30mins) if kids haven't done that, laundy, dishes, another cooking time, more work (need to get not only my hours but also my work done), some building/gardening/crafting stuff and then I'm finally sitting in front of telly, and its half past eight in the evening!

A new normal?

I'll write longer post later. I hope. Have trouble with connections, my laptop won't work without wire and whole house is planned to work wireless.  So my ethernet cable is running through house and two floors and it has a very veird language settings. Three kids homeschool and I think English teatcher was having a mental breakdown. She sent a message at 8pm today....
We have enough food for a month or three. Yesterday I did shopping for three families, no missing items on shop - well, hand sanitiser was no show (but you can order it fron a local brewery) and you can buy only one pack of pain killers ( ibuprofein paracetamol etc).
And NOW we have snow!

It's not COVID-19, but miserable anyway

We've been sick for three weeks, first ys and d, then sys and d, and then hb and d and ys and now me. Not very nice disease, but at least this is not that corona-virus. I haven't see number Two for two weeks (and now she's tree weeks). My sister has sent me a lot of pictures, but it's not the same thing. Her children might be the closest I get to grandchildren, and right now I feel it of course it might be also this flu which is making me feeling blue - I hade +40C temp during the day today, but I think I'm on the mend now.
Maybe my body got the shock it needed when I was taking 'Suma for a pee and she found a raccoon dog and chased it throught the woods and I had to run(crawl) after them. Raccoon dogs do possum when they are threatened, they play dead. It's very convincing, at least 'Suma is buying it.
But now she's very pleased to herself and sleeps happily on the chair next to me. I can't sleep, I slept 5 hrs in the afternoon.
Third storm in three weeks, no damages to our property. Old man's cousin's forest got some wind damage, one bigger spruce fell during the night. We even had a power cut last night, but it didn't last long. Kids were very dissapointed, they wanted to use torches and light candles!
No flooding, ditches have a lot of water but it runs freely. I know near lakes there is floods, and near rivers even more. Fields in many places are lakes, and there's fish where's usually hares!

Endless November with flu and other stuff

There is a common understanding this is officially the longest ever November. It begun in the middle of October and so far there's no end in sight. It's easy to discuss these days with total strangers: oh, please be wary of  at my car, it's so muddy - oh, so is mine, it is this November, can't bother to wash it anymore or: I'm sorry, I didn't notice you - oh it's all right I haven't properly woken up today as this November really gets me or: It's so dark, I do miss snow - yes! Who'd ever thought you could miss slush and plowing snow?!

We have our own version of COVID-19. Three kids sick so far, I thought I was going to get sick on Sunday end eded up drinking big pots of ginger-sage-mint-meadowsweet tea with honey. No signs of serious flu, yet. But D is really suffering, she was off school last week (exam week no less) and missed two exams, but then she has been out of school this week, too (managed to get to school only on two days); high fever, sore throat and nasty cough (somehow I always hear Michelle Gomez as Missy saying nasty...), and apparently sys is also having as hard time. Youngest got off more easily, but his cough is persisting. My friend just messaged her family is sufferting this, too.

Some days it feels like April when I'm walking with 'Suma. It's not a good thing, because, there will be frosts all the way to late May or early June, so no gardening can't be done in several weeks. Everything is muddy and grey and miserable. I guess nature is much more resilient than I am, most animals benefit of lack of snow (no need to dig for food) and freezing temperatures. Most plants will do allright, their rythm is scheduled by light (lenght of day) and not temperatures.
I put some corn, peas and sunflower seeds to sprout, I'd like to get some shoots to eat. But I think it's too dark for them! There's no snow to reflect light so it is really dark most of times. But I have seen sun this week!

I got my sewing machine back, 91€ with parts and proper cleaning, it should be working like a dream now! Owner (and mechanic) of the sewing machine repair shop said to me I shouldn't buy a new one, because my Pfaff is such a good workhorse. I have so many plans I don't know where to start! but at least I finished my winter jumper because I couldn't sew...  (I usually cast on a new jumper on Christmas, and finish it in maybe two years, I have few still halfway done from years ago, shame on me! Wip's, I have some...) Numer Two needs a pretty dress, but I have not the right fabric (black polkadot!) but tiny dress doesn't take much fabric.

Ys's room is slowly progressing. It might be ready by summer... Which summer, I don't know. Now I have bought treatment for the plastered wall and found a piece of plywood for windowsill.

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.

Waiting game

I was so looking forwar for half term. Ha, I was planning to have most of the week off, doing all those previously listed things in veg plot and polytunnel and greenhouse. Time to relax and enjoy autunm.

No such luck. I got called (ordered) to a planning group at work. Two full days of meetings (and  train trips to capital). I got two days off, spent them driving to sister's and back (detour to Ikea).
And on Saturday I took part of emergency exercise organized by local Red Cross. There was also emergency services (fire dept., ambulance crew and police) some other voluntary organizations (I was representing our community committee). Spending six hours in the wind and rain I was exhausted and cold. Now I have headache, slight temperature and sore throat. So this Sunday was the day I was supposed to do all things I had in mind... Nope.

I got clocks switched and separated last garlic bulbs I had waiting. I've given up hope (long ago) to build any new frames this autunm, so I just pulled last golden beets from garlic+beet frame I had this summer and planted all gloves I had. So 20+18 gloves planted. There's also those mini garlics grown from scapes, they might be ready next summer!
Anyway, I got that done and took 'Sumawalk, and then it started to rain. Now rain has turned to snow.  Next week is going to be frosts all week, so I can't get polytunnel down even if I had time.

Sister asked for "tummy tubes" or knitted maternity belts. Number One is going to have a sibling! Sis has some difficulties to fit in her winter clothes, so I knitted her two tubes (brainless ribbing with stripes). It didn't take time away from veg plot, because I knitted during evenings, and we have darkness by half eight - by half seven today.
I wanted to pick some mushrooms today, but no, my fingers will not work in this weather (I don't have arthritis in my hands, yet, but my mother and my brother have, so it's in my genes and working in cold and wet environments is trigger to it).

Sis is also moving closer to us, and now I have to sew that cover for that chair I bought for her. Now they will have room for it. And Number One will have his own room, we shall see how much sewing that includes.

It's Sunday, and so far I haven't had time to relax. I should be writing presentation (or making PowerPoints) to next weeks seminar, because I will not have any time next week because I'm still working on that planning group. And all my other work is on hold at the moment, which means I have to squeeze it all into few weeks I'm able to work in December. And when I thought I will have nice calm summer next year without rushing through all berry picking farms, I will be working even more during the summer - at least for the next four years.

I have a terrible headache and I just wish this four years will rush forward very rapidly.

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.

Budjeting and harvesting

Summer is about to end, we will have warm days a week or two, but usually by the mid September autunm is here with full force.

Kids are back at school, so everything is normal. As normal as it ever is here at Ulv's lair.

Soon I need to check all winter clothing, because cold weather comes always fast, too fast. I bought a new jacket for me last winter, it will do at least another winter (it was around 12€, so I'm not counting on it to keep many years). I think kids have winter jackets ok, but they probably all need new shoes. Well, os won't, he has his winter boots he has been wearing through this summer, and they are ok. I don't need new shoes (I got new work boots last winter). With some rotation, I found wellies for all kids. I'm the only one without decent wellies, there is places where no waterproof shoes or boots will do, only wellies. I would have a pair, but someone ate them. Hrmpf.
Kids also need new winter gloves, they wear them out in less than a winter. I don't bother to buy the most expensive ones,  it only makes me mad/sad when they get them ripped on barbed wire or burn holes with fire while grilling sausages... something always happens.

Boys need skates, and I think I have to buy a pair of skis (+shoes +poles) for ys, he will use them at school. Sys likes to ski, so he might need also now ones. They have actually grown!

That would probably take us to the Christmas. by then d will need a new tab for drawing, and I think sys would also need a better one, he has been using d's old one, which was already worn out when he got it. D likes to have a polaroid camera, so that must be hinted to his uncle, who might or might not want to buy it for present.
I need to check kids' cell phones, ys's phone is quite ond and battered, and os doesn't even have a smart one at all. Hb needs a new phone, too, he has found CAT phone he likes.

- 3 pair of winter boots (60-75€/ pair)
- 3 pair of winter cloves (20€/ pair)
-  hb's phone about 300€
- 2 phones for os and ys (100€/phone)
- 2 pair of skates, one helmet (about 50€/pair + 45€/helmet)
- 2 set of skis + accessories (about 150€ per set if I'm lucky, more likely 250€)

One thing I don't have to buy is tea. I have enought loose leaf black tea and dried herbs (raspberry, meadow sweet, rowan, blackcurrant, strawberry) for at least a year (it is packed airtight) and have some mint, too. My mint isn't enjoying dry weather, and I haven't been able to water it enough. Next year I might to need a new spot for it to grow. I should pick lemon balm and lemon thyme to dry, they should be nice as tea, too. At work I'm drinking tea I got as a present from my co-worker (but I did buy her a gift, too).

Garden is producing nicely. Zucchinis/courgettes are coming strong, as well runner beans and green beans. I have managed to freeze some, I think after a week or two I'll have enough to cover whole winter consumption of green beans/runners. Also broad beans are producing, I had a massive black fly infestation this summer (because of drought) but I sow a lot in spring, which in hindsight has proven a very good idea. And brassicas are suffering very badly because of some species of phyllotretas. They are everywhere, even in beans and corn this year. I guess drought is the reason.
Corns are making cobs, so I might even have something to serve to os, he likes homegrown corn, but usually I end up few mini cobs if I get anything. This year things look more promising.
Nzs with only six or so plants is producing massive amounts. It started out really slowly, but now I can harvest every day.
But potatoes. Oh my poor potatoes! Those in bags have grown ok, but on veg plot they died. I get about 3 spuds per plant, so it is very good thing we can have food from shops instead on relying on my vegetable plot. Two years ago potatoes suffered because they don't know how to swim, well, this year...

I'll be off to check my damsons, they might be 30-40 fruits if no-one has eaten them (wasps most likely) I'd like to have 10l bucket of damsons to freeze, but it will never happen - this is the best year ever in 20 yrs I have had that bush/tree, and last "big" crop was about a dozen fruits😂

Can't get apples anywhere, might need to buy some. We eat them just like that, of course, but my mother makes apple sauce I use in everything (mainly in tomato based sauses). Maybe I'll need to put up a note on office's entrance.

It's still not raining much, so we might be in trouble in winter. Well is still dryish, so much that we have been going to local spa once a week for a thorough wash! Kids enjoy standing under a warm shower - at home we never allow them to take long showers, because our water heater is old and too small for our use. We run out of hot water quite often. (But it is not as bad as it sounds, we have a sauna and we warm/heat it at least once a week in summer and twice a week in winter, so even if kids can't spend their evenings under a shower, they can get properly clean in very warm environment ). And of course we have our pool, which is used daily now. But you just can't wash with snow... So we might need to come up with new ideas by then.

Two rainy days have made a difference in the forest, though. Mushrooms (chanterelles) and ceps are growing fast, i have found porchinos  daily. This morning I picked two and brought them to my aunt, she was happy, she had an eye operation few weeks ago and isn'n allowed to go foraging.

Back to nine to five (or eight to four)

So, back to work. Co-worker called he'd been admitted to half-retirement because of his poor health. His knees can't keep up the work we do. He's only, what? ten years older than I am. But I haven't never been an athlete or even a fitnes fanatic, so it wouldn't probably be my knees that give up, I'd bet on brains.

Now I remembered what I was telling about in that post I deleted. Our water is running out. Last time we had decent rainfall was 2017! Last winter's snow didn't thaw, it evaporated. We had a little rain in spring, but it didn't filled ground water reserves much. We have a rather shallow well, and sometimes in very dry summers water level drops too low to comfort. A good thing was, that in spring '18 we had really heavy flooding with all that thawing snow, so last year reserves were filled to the brim.
I have been waiting for rain since June. At the moment there is nice dark grey cloud hanging in the sky - but it comes from wrong direction, so it will not rain here (there's a lake and a big hill which divert rain from that direction). If cloud comes from east it usually rains, and we haven't had eastern clouds forever. Last autunm's jet stream/tornado? We had few drops, when half a kilometer away there were loads of hail.

Ground water filters from rainwater really slowly, it could take more than a year for rain to become groundwater, so this drough is result of last summers drought plus this summer. If the snow wouldn't evaporated, it would have stopped ground water levels going low.

So for a few weeks we can't take a shower all six people at the same day (we have a pool to use, which is helping), if I need to wash laundry and fill barrels to water veg plot. I can use dishwasher (it uses very little water, if I do dishes by hand, I use more water), so we don't have to use imagination how to make food without making dirty dishes... I'm not going to use paper plates.
If we really were in trouble, we have our outhouse, so we could skip using wc completely. Now it's only recommendation to boys to go outside to pee...

But we can take this, nature will cope with this, it will be all right. This is not like drought in India or Australia or California or Africa. This is a mild inconvenience.

It s raining now, only slight mist but water nonetheless. I went to pick gooseberries on the other side of the field and yes! my clothes got soaked with rain. What a joy! 'Suma didn't think it as a joy, but she is content sleeping on couch under ys's duvet.

This is going to be an expensive autunm/winter. D started her first year at local college, and even if the shcool itself is free (they get free lunch and free health care)  books and other materials costs dearly. We have so far bought four books, some new, some used. 135€. Today we'll go and spend some more euros for other books! A positive side of this is that the only book shop hereby sells used books, so we don't have to buy from internet - now we can choose and even be picky to get books that have all pages etc... And she needs a new laptop for school.

I'm trying to find a ways to spend less money on everything. Not an easy task, but maybe achieveable.

Being self suffiecient completely is not realistic aim at the moment, probably never. But we can be self sufficient on firewood:
 

This is my first ever attempt on creative woodtsacking. Sorry about blur - I found out I had a fingerprint on the lense. Blurry brown structure behinf the tsack is our outhouse (lighter on the left is garage).

So I cheated... No, this outside structure makes this stack sturdier, like cross laminated timber. Inside will be filled.

Btw, i have myself split all wood this summer. With that lethal screw splitter, which should be banned... Old man installed an emergency stop wire, I have tested every day it works just to be sure.

We are not only busy bees (notice no smudge on the lense).

My watermelon!

Field of trees.Not the kind of forest I like - there is no undergrowth, it's dark and suffocating place. And trees are not growing well at all.

Luckily that is only a small area (1-1,5 acres) behind our forest, it belongs to old man's cousin. This kind of forestry in no longer wanted, it doesn't produce much (much less than if you just let forest to grow how it grows naturally). They thought in '50's and 60's that if you get rid of everything else than trees, trees will grow faster because there is no competition. Wrong, so wrong. Trees need their neighbours, they need mushrooms, undergrowth, biodiversity. This field of trees is silently waiting spruce bark beetles to attack.

Did I say I was expecting frost?

And frost indeed we had. When I was taking off fleeces in veg plot after morning's 'Sumawalk, they were still stiff with frost! Ok, it was 6.30 am, but sun had risen two hours earlier. I'm so glad I tackled fleeces over runner beans and corn, too, as they would have been doomed. I hope I didn't take covers off too early, but I had to leave to work. D will open greenhouse and polytunnel doors.

Back to business, I thought I would be alone in the office today, but colleague is here too. Well, he might leave early today (after he has checked all his mail), they had a new baby in late June and he might be needed at home - his wife might be a bit in a hurry with four small children. I know I was.

We did go berrypicking with my sister yesterday, I was back home 8.30pm. We got quite nice amount, but I must say picking wild raspberries is not one of my favourite hobbies. All nettles (ouch!) thorns (ouch), mosquitos, few wasps... 'Suma was so nice, she didn't run off, se only tried eat her waterbottle twice (there's no water in forest at the moment) and she tired eat raspberries all by herself! It was lovely and funny, she loves raspberries, but this is the first time she actually tried to eat them by herself. It was much easier with 'Suma than with kids! There are so much unripened berries left, we might need to go there later. Sister is on four week vacation, so we have time.

Progress so far

So I made a list or to dos I wanted to do duiring my vacation. So far:

I have two weeks off again, I have a list of tasks in my mind I'd like to complete:
-plant cherries (bought in early June?) nope, way too hot
-weed veggie path nope, too hot and as 'Suma wants to be with me, can't go to vp, she'll boil
-feed kids carrots from cold frames that's an easy one, though not every day
-start using beets from frames this is also an easy target; I also use beet tops as char, because I couldn't sow chard until straight to the veg plot, is't coming but slowly
-harvest Belgian garlic from both frames still going on, maybe half harvested (as I pick only what we eat)
-eat potatoes from bags (I still have 13 growing bags of potatoes) had some potatoe meals
-forage mushrooms this will goi on all to way to the winter
-find some more strawberries to make more jam (to say it was a succes is a bit understatement) Yes! Persuated one market stall seller to sell me one more 5kg box even they are now selling only hal kilo punnets; made 9 jars of jam

-take sys and ys to adventure park d wanted to come along, too
-move cut and split wood from field to forest (there's pallets waiting them to be stacked) will not do this now, there's a family of viviparous lizard babies living in the stack, they cute and really need the shelter
-have a little day trip with my sister. done yesterday, d came along, too, again. Nice and funny and we are all still tired.

Might still add something else on that list: take three youngest to nearby natural history museum , we'll take a train and have sushi buffet lunch.

Miles of strawberries

So far I have managed to freeze about 10kg of strawberries, 2 kg went into jam. Os asked me to make some strawberry jam to taste (he doesn't eat shop bought jam anymore).

Boiling jars and lids.

And strawberries - I use jam sugar with some pectin. It'll keep at least a year, but I think this one will not see next summer...

I was away for three days driving along smallest of small country roads trying to find berry farms, and two days again this week. I have seen ostriches, lambs, the most huge orpington cockerel, bunnies and miles after miles of rows of strawberries (and Ukrainian berry pickers). Blueberries are not in season yet, and raspberries are ripe only in tunnels. lasti week I drove 500 miles, and in the end of day three I thought I wouldn't walk five hundred miles more... This week only 300miles.

And this wasn't the narrowest road I drove...

Next summer I really hope I don't have to do those tours, they are exhausting. (I do this as part of my work, not to get berries)

Kids have been eating handful of our own strawberries almost daily, they say they are far more better than bought ones.

Most of firewood is cut and split and stacked in storage for the winter. There is s small(ish) pile of cut and split wood in the field, it's still wet and have to be stacked somewhere to dry. There is also 8 stacks of dry and split wood which is still 1m long, so it needs to be cut. Kids hate me, because they have been stacking wood for three weeks now...

These 5 piles need to be cut, and we have three more piles like these to be cut as well. 'Suma found a new playground.

Veg path and polytunnel as well as greenhouse survived my being away. D had watered them just fine, not too much and not too little. Of course because we had very cold weather so there was no need to water anything much. There was even frosts at night a bit north from us, luckily we have had +5C or +6C nights. If I had basil, it would have suffered.
Well, now we have Saharan heat wave coming. Talk about u-turn.

I found first flowers in tomatoes -  I know, most people are already eating their tomatoes. I also have nice flowers in my melons, watermelon is a bit behind now. Cucamelon is also flowering.

This is  melon, do I really need to pollinate them by myself?

 We ate first potatoes a week ago, with pickled herring, chanterelles (from pur own forest), fried eggs and roasted vegetables. Kids were not impressed with violet potatoes, to me they were ok. We do have normal white/yellow potatoes, so kids will not be starving this summer. But those potatoes are really dark, deep purple.

Violet Queens and some unidentified white potatoes.

They are spuds even if they look like black beets. They even bleed blue.

Today I'm going to pick some more chanterelles, as well other mushrooms I'll find. Os will eat them happily, and I noticed last weekend all children eating them (fried in butter). Even ys, who has been refusing 'shrooms lately.

I weeded under my black currant bushes, they are not quite ripe yet, but soon. Noighbours white currants are ripe, asn well as reds. I might pick some tomorrow, I have room in freezer. Pity there's no lingon berries coming this year, I saw no flowers in spring and therefore no berries... Kids like them in smoothies.

Is this a hazelnut?

Carrots my ow (I have purple too, but they are tiny), saskatoon (serviceberry) I bought from a berry farm to taste. Ok.

I have two weeks off again, I have a list of tasks in my mind I'd like to complete:
-plant cherries (bought in early June?)
-weed veggie path
-feed kids carrots from cold frames
-start using beets from frames
-harvest Belgian garlic from both frames
-eat potatoes from bags (I still have 13 growing bags of potatoes)
-forage mushrooms
-find some more strawberries to make more jam (to say it was a succes is a bit understatement)
-take sys and ys to adventure park
-move cut and split wood from field to forest (there's pallets waiting them to be stacked)
-have a little day trip with my sister.

I had to come inside, because there's too hot for black dog like 'Suma. Now she's been sleeping an hour so we can go back outside, this time to pick mushrooms I found yesterday while at 'Sumawalk.