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. 

My baby is missing

 The brainy one, our sweet  girl, one of our cats, is missing. They all roam freely, mostly around out yard, and it is quite common for them to spent a night or two somewhere. But not three nights, not with heavy rains and first frosts.

I miss her and I'm seriously worried.

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 😂

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.

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!

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.

Waiting for the goodbye

On the other side of the field Frederic the cat is very very poorly. He has a large tumour in his abdomen, and those are always bad news. He is at home now having terminal care (that is medication for pain) because nothing else can be done. The vet said maybe a day, maybe a week.
He loaths 'Suma with all his might, so we haven't really been talking lately. I do not intend to go to say my farewells, because it will only upset Frederic - he thinks if I'm there, 'Suma will be there, too.
He has been the mightiest cat I have ever known, he is not a Norwegian nor ragdoll, but with his magnificient fur he has always remainded me of a huge beast. He even has wider nose than cats usually have.

Disgusting

I just pulled a tick off from kitten's a**e. Disgusting.

Two things.
A positive one: I saw it without my reading glasses.
And another one: Why was I looking at kitten's bum?

No photo.

Suddenly June

It's suddenly mid June. Oh dear.
What has happened...

I finally got my new specks, I bought two pairs because 'Suma might eat these, too. I'm not sure about frames, they might be too bulky, but I decided it's better that way, they might better chance to survive one more attack of 'Suma? But I can see clearly now.
Much hasn't happen on polytunnel, greenhouse or veg plot. I've been waiting 'til this mid June to plant tender plants (beans, corn, brassicas, pumpkins and zuccinis and cucumbers etc) outside, and until that they occupy polytunnel and prevent planting in there.
I was supposed to do some (most of it) planting today, but farmer decided today is fine day to do some spraying. So it's a no-go at the moment. But I do have plans, everything will be done.

Our another car got through MOT, it needed some serious welding, but it was rather cheap work, 300€. Kids got out of school and are enjoying summer holiday. D left high school and is accepted to nearest college, she needs a new laptop for school, but according to school they can be rented! She has a decent laptop at home, she needs it because she draws a lot (not only computer, mind you, she is excellent artist in paper, too), but it's too good (expensive) for school! If she has to drag that laptop to school every day, it must be something easily replaceable. She also realized that she might have some use for drivers license, which she didn't want last year. So I'll need to look that, too.
Money makes the world go round...

We went to a consert with hb, and in the end it was complete disaster. There was funfair and of course he went with his (younger) cousin. And got his back hurt, so we ended up on ER in the middle of the night ( and didn't see the band) and I was going to work trip the very next day. I know I'm not as young I used to be, it was really difficult to keep sharp after one hour sleep... But I made it and maybe hb understands now why I told him not to go to that sling or whatever it was. At least he didn't go bungee jumping...
And of course hb had that week off, he was supposed to cut wood for the winter. No such luck.
We took a short relaxation trip with my colleague, she is a mother to two teenagers and two toddlers and really can use some time to rest. So, we had dinner at nine o'clock and went to sleep at half past ten. We slept 'til 8 o'clock in the morning, we had a massive breakfast at hotel and took nice slow paced walk around town center. And then we came back home. It was wonderful.

And in the meantime 'Suma ate antoher pair of cheap crock imitations and a plate full of chicken wings. It's been several days and she seems to be ok, so I think no harm done. Wonder what happens when I go for a two day trip on July (working trip, no long summer holidays for me).

We have had some not so pleasant visitors at our yard/forest. We have racoon dogs, and not only they smell dreadfull, they make unpleasant noise (they scream like cats fighting). They are considered as invasive alien species and I could hunt (trap) them, but atm I'm not able to do that. I just can't hunt, not for food, not for fun and apparently not to protect my surroundings. Not yet.

I have tried to use up all rhubarb I have (from my plants and from our neighbours'). I have made (so far)  pie, mead, cordial, cake, jam, pudding. Then I have dehydrated some, and there's quite a lot in the freezer. If I can catch up my tasks in the garden/veg plot/polytunnel etc, I might be able to pick some more.
I have foraged nettles and spruce tips (made seasoning salt) and I have a bunch of oregano drying at kitchen.
I have picked huge bunches of lupins (they are also invasive species) and some lilacs (because my cousin felled some huge lilac bushes and I decided to rescue some flowers).

I have bought two pairs of glasses, a pair of fake crocks and two black tank tops. I bought shirts and jeans for ys and sys and a summer dress for d. I bought new blender but haven't used it yet, old one makes horrible sounds but mixes berries and bananas, and smells of electricity, so it's better to have replacement on hand when needed. I lost my kettle, it doesn't boil water any more, but I haven't found a new one I like yet. I don't want any plastic in it.
Gave our sand toys to my nephew, repaired a zipper for his dad (actually I changed it, old one was plastic, I found a new metallic one from my stash). I'm worming cats and dog, I think I have enough pills for all of them for three days (they need to be given three days in a row).

So after all, it's been a pretty good few weeks.

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.

A bit of this and a bit of that

Hb's new shift schedule is making our lives if not miserable, at least complicated. He works long weeks (6days work and 1day off) or really confusing weeks (2nights and two evenings and then some). There is no rhythm, and being nearly 50 he really can't adapt well. He can't sleep when he should and then sleeps during his day/s off and can't keep doing anything really. So annoying. And of course we had to turn the clocks which caused havoc to my inner clock.

And of course we all should be keeping silent when he tries to sleep...

I have tried to keep 'Suma occupied in the mornings, so we have had some amazing morning walks. We saw more swans moving to north, one couple stayed in our village for a while. Our cranes are back, they are wonderful big animals with very loud voices.
And geese! Neverending stream of geese flying back and forth - I just don't get it why some of them fly to north and some to south - and then there are simultaneously flocks flying to east AND west in the sky. Very confusing to my tired brains.

Mornings sound very summery already with skylarks, blackbirds and lapwings and of course (wood)pigeons. But fear not, there's still almost 30cm snow in our field and lower yard. Herb bed is almost free of snow and ice - i did give it some help with tossing ashes over polytunnel beds. Polytunnel itself is still folded in my greenhouse, I can't put it over the frame until snow has gone around the frame. Aaaaand my sister just made a video call to show they have got 25cm of snow so far and more is coming. Can't wait to have it here. Not.

Hb managed to fell down some trees which were growing on the back end of the field (alders, willows, few aspens) (some=30ish). They grow there because we don't actually farm that field, only small part of it is used as my veg path and polytunnel. The whole field hasn't been plought and harrowed for a very long time. Old man did most of it few years ago, but couldn't get to very edges, and therefore trees. Hb felled them and I lopped them with billhook and dragged trunks into a pile. Or as many of the trunks I managed, some of them overpowered me even after cut them in two. So there's some half a dozen trunks left in the end of the field and a pile of trunks next to my veg path. Saturday was easy, snow was hard and it was easy to walk on, because I didn't sink. By Sunday snow had thawed a little, so it was heavier to walk on. Yesterday (I had a day off) snow was soft and sinking; I felt I was walking on a quick sand.

And now I'm hurting. my back is stiff and my hands are swollen (that's what you get if you're a delicate office worker and keep hitting branches with billhook all day). My legs are so tired I didn't even have restless legs at night!
Now if someone just cuts and splits those to make us some firewood...

But yesterday was a nice day off. I managed to deal all trunks I could (now we have a nice pile of branches to have a bonfire or maybe to chip some of them), made pizzas (I made the dough myself; it's suprisingly hard to knead the dough if your hands are boiled spaghetti), made paneer (next time I will make just "cottage cheese" by adding salt); it was the second time ever I have made any kind of cheese, first time I made egg cheese (basically cottage cheese but with added eggs and then it's baked in the oven), wrote minutes of the last two village comittee meetings (had to send them to old man to print because my printer doesn't work). and attended another meeting. Late in the evening I decided I had had enough and sat in front of telly and watched some mindless reality tv and knitted sock for a while.

Today I'll make something out of the paneer I made ( I don't have spinach so no saag/palak paneer). Kids have some leftover pizza so I can use as much ginger I want.

I finally made through ST Discovery first season (knitted rainbow socks for d, she is finally over that all-black teenage phase) and now I've catched up this new season. So I binge watched Night Flyer and once that was over I started on Firefly (I saw it in 2002/2003 but as with everything else in 2002 and 2003 I can't remember a single thing, even 2004 is a bit hazy). Soon that's done, Serenity (the film) is left and then I might have to return to Star Trek. Seen the original series, the animated series and Enterprise, and all the films. Now I "only" have Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager (which I have seen before)...

Signs of Spring and last weeks list...

Even though temperature was -5 this morning, we have had "warm" weather lately. Snow is melting (not only thawing), there's actually spots of ground to be seen. Catkins are here, and today is equinox. Days a really longer now, there's so much light already. But at 8pm it was pitch dark yesterday when I took 'Suma to walk. I had to use torch because snow at the forest is so dirty (full of pine and spruce needles and branches etc) so it doesn't reflect any light at the moment.

On Saturday i heard first sounds of trumepts - swans are back! On Sunday I saw several swans fying above our village, and this morning there were three swans circling around the village fields - they were most likely trying to figure out what's happened - after last autunm storm it's a bit different now.

And last weeks list, all done!
-finish a present for sister's partner (he reached the big 30 last week) tomorrow I'll work at home, so I can use washing machine during the day and see what happens; Made it! Knitted him a pair of mittens and felted them in washing machine, perfect for ice-fishing, because they'll be warm even if they are wet. Had to felt them twice to get the right size.
-try to get sister a present (I have ordered it, but have no idea whether it's going to make it before Saturday; her bd is this week) Arrived on Tuesday and I was able to pick it from parchel machine on Tue while shopping shoes for ys. She wanted the book and I got it for her.
-fix sister's skirt before saturday (she's lost a few pounds since she was 15; I made that skirt for her 15 years ago!) should be done today evening, because I have to get out of the house with two youngest so hb can get some sleep because he works few night shifts this week. Done, took 5 mins including changing the tread on sewing machine - I still had the original thread I used for sewing that skirt!
-try to figure out what to wear in their birthday party on Saturday decided on Sat morning to wear the same jeans I wore when she was 15. Still fits!
-take ys to town to get indoors sport shoes and a small present for bdparty he's been invited to - party will be in ys's birthday, but he said it's ok he wants to go to his friend's party (March is awful, last thursday my cousind had her second child, and this child is about tenth in my expanded family who's bd is in March! and among kids friends there is more than a half a dozen who have bds in March, too) maybe tomorrow, because hb still needs to sleep, so I'll take kids to town; yep, done in Tue, actually got four pairs of shoes, two for ys and two for d, paid 75€ 'cause every pair they needed was on sale.
-prepare paperwork for Sundays village committee meeting done,  but now I need to buy new printer, this one quitted for good
-attend to sister's and her partner's joint bd party on Saturday Oh holy cripping maggots I did it, I'm way too old for this  s... There was a punk band and a rock band, and I still don't get punk. Just don't.
-attend to Sundays village committee meeting done

And for this week? Bdparty for d and ys: grandparents, relatives but no shcool friends. So:
-bake a cake or two (maybe even mudcake)
-bake a quiche or two (broccoli and feta; maybe ham and tomatoes)
-clean the house (not going to happen...)
So much easier! 

Coldest so far

Last night and this morning were coldest so far, our temp meter said -23C. But I know its much colder in open fields (we are in the middle of trees so this is much warmer place, as well as cooler place in summer heat). Yesterday morning when our meter said -21C, my aunt's meter said -27C. So, it might be, that this morning it was -30C.
No matter what, it was way too cold!
I'm happy to tell now it's much warmer (haha), temp meter said -12C.

I didn't do my normal 'Sumawalk in the morning, no way. And 'Suma was allright with it, she happily got inside after we had escorted kids to taxi (with a little detour by the fields so if 'Suma had to go, she had the chance). 30mins outside and I was freezing.
I'm not build to live this cold.
So, I have been adding wood to fireplaces and drinking hot tea. My fingers are warm and only my ankles ache a little (sometimes if it's really really cold I have to take painkillers to ease the pain in my legs and joints).

I found few small boxes of raisins and almond flakes that had exceeded their use by date too much even to my liking (actually, almod is so fatty it becomes rancid at some point if not kept in freezer). Added them to bird food, jays really like raisins.
Kids are going to have semolina pudding after school, I had cabbage pasty as lunch. Haven't figured out what we will dinner be, but I think I'll get ideas when I take 'Suma to forest for her walk. Good time to think.

Weekend and stuff

It's finally weekend. Actually the week itself wasn't too bad, for working at home two days has benefits! But still, weekend is a weekend.

It's a pity I can't take photos in the dark. When light in our yard are lit, big spruces behind our house make this view look somehow like from Game of Thrones.

Ski tracks. One villager made them after Thursday's snowstorm (it was -20C yesterday while I took this picture). So much easier to walk along that ready made path, it's so wide I don't step on skitracks. Two empty areas ahead are because of the tornado, that used to be dense forest all the way!

Skitracks continue. -10C.

 

 

One of the Rocky Road batches I made during Christmas. It was delicious and it's been eaten a long ago.

Hb and ys set up a bird feeder just before Christmas (ys had made it in school), and it took almous four weeks for the birds to find it! But now they are enjoying their daily buffet of seeds and fat. Jays, all kind of tits and yellowhammers. i can see them from my place at dinner table where I use my laptop while I'm working. Sometimes it's good just to watch birds.

Right now I'm waiting to fire die out in my wood oven, I'll make a roasted boar with root veggies, it should be good. Also I made dough for buns, I used my dried white clovers grinded to flour and grated left over cheeses from fridge. Should be good, too.
I might make an another batch of Rocky Road, I have still lots of chocolates, marshmallows and apparently ready popped popcorn. That will be good!
I should also try to bake a batch of shortbread cookies with meadowsweet sugar, don't know how they will end up.

And now I'm starving!

Winter wonderland, again

I know I'm living in a wonderland. For now it's winter wonderland, it's been snowing for a week now.
We've had some cold days/nights (-15 has been lowest, so not so cold after all).
We still don't have much sun, yesterday we had an hour or so, before clouds came back.

The sun is somewhere left in this picture. 11am.

'Suma wondering why I have stopped. She's ususally off the leash when we are on the fields or in forest. she doesn't wander far. All tracks are deers', hares' and foxes', only those tyre tracks are made by humans.

Car tracks we used as our walking path were made by local farmer who had shot a deer a day before (his field), shooting cabin on the left. Our house is next, half hidden behind trees, that big building in the middle of the picture is our neighbours derelict barn, his house (no-one lives there) right next to it.

Another bad picture of a black dog. We were hunting for a Christmas tree just before Christmas.

It's snowing atm, and by thursday we'll be having a snowstorm. I guess I'll work at home at thursday then. Chimney sweeper will be coming on thursday, too, so it's better I'm at home to let him in and make sure he doesn't spread soot all over the house.

Snowing

I'm enjoying my first week of working two days a week at home, opened computer at six o'clock and read all emails and notifications. Yesterday I was at the office, we had a two-hour training of our new systems (I almost got to turning a heel on my new sock) and then I had a couple of meetings with collegues - mostly just updating how was Christmas.
Now at home, I'm waiting at least some light to appear outside so I can take 'Sumawalk. It's snowing quite heavily at tho moment, and I suppose it will continue during the day. It's almost half past eight and still dark! Oh well, days have become longer for three weeks - ha! Shortest day was just 5hrs32min, and now we have 6hrs1min day. Sun should be up by 9.30. I quess I won't be seeing sun today, because now I can hardly make the shape of my greenhouse 20m away.

Cats are hibernating, I throw them out in the morning and after 45 mins they are queueing  by the front door to get in. They eat, sleep and in the evening I'll do the same, they are out about 30 mins and then Pretty Boy is howling behing our back door. In the mornings it's the front door, in the evenings it's the back door.

Snow mutes sounds outside, all I can hear is tanks growling in (not so far) distance, the low noice travels through the ground, not through the air.

Outside world had gotten blue by now, so I will take my sleepy puppy to walk in the woods, clean the car of snow (and ice, of course) and pack it with recycling stuff (plastic, metals, cardboard) - can't get it's doors open without brushing the snow away. When I'm back indoors, 'Suma will happily sleep until noon and I'm starving. Lunch, short walk outside and back to work, and then kids are back home and I'll start making dinner before I force one of the kids with me to take a longer walk with 'Suma. Dinner (and a show, cats ot 'Suma will take care of it) and then off the bed. That's how my days go by.

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?

Fly tipping gone wrong

Some time ago I noticed rubbish thrown to the side of the road I walk with 'Suma twice a day.

Someone had a field day tidying their garden

There was a large cupoard, planks, trellis, some dug up roots of unidentified plants etc. Pity for the guy who dropped them, because he drowe through our village and my relatives live right next to road and they are very curious about cars with hooded trailers. They got his licence plate number and old man even went to take pictures of that guy fly tipping!
Owner of that piece of land was away abroad, so it take some time before anything happened.

All gone

 Poor chap, he might have taken away more than he brought... But there is a lesson here: Never fly tip on a bright daylight to a land which is own by a policeman. Someone must feel like an idiot now.

This looks a bit different, too

We walk this road every morning and every evening, about 99% of days. This morning 'Suma refused to go for a walk. Sometimes she is very pig-headed for not going.

Like the other evening. She wouldn't budge until she saw a car. That's old man's sister's garage and some glimpse of her neighbour's yard. We had to wait only ten minutes.

We got in to the woods finally.

It's bone dry in nature atm. Even this dry forest is drier than usually - there's usually a lot of blueberries, now the bushes are empty.

This is the sight we see in the mornings. Still some mist lingering.

And I did manage to capture the lunar eclipse. Never claimed to know how to take photos...

it is so hot

I guess everyone has noticed this is a hot summer. We have had hotwave since May 5th, only occational days cooler with very little rain.

Car's thermometer said 32℃ in the sun and 29℃ in the shadows of deep forest. Not very funny.

I get up at 6 or 6.30 in the morning, brush my teeth an off we go with 'Suma. It was 20℃ at 6.20 and when we got back around eight it was already 24℃. She sleeps inside most of the day (as do cats), and in the evening we'll go for a walk after nine o'clock. Sun sets officially around ten, but it gets down behind trees, so it is somewhat cooler already by nine.
So I'm back around ten or half past ten, and get to bed around midnight. And up in the morning at six again...
I need a holiday after this holiday to recover.

I picked first courgettes last sunday, ys wanted to barbeque some hot dogs so I thought I would be wise to use those courgettes before they get too big - halved, grilled on the hot plate, and then some olive oil and salt. I just picked two moderate sized ones to make fritters (never done before...) F calls them zucchinis and thats what we call them nowadays too. Olive oil is from F's parents, they have olive tree forest! No olive trees here. It must be weird for her how different everything is.

I have never actually had a glut on my veg plot. Now I think I might get to see one this year! I should be looking for beans, they hiding behind thick foliage. I have never had thick foliage in my bean bushes before. I have harvested mange tout, freezer has been filling nicely. I also froze currants, blacks, reds and whites, blacks from my own garden/veg plot and reds and whites from neighbourgs garden. My mother has been boiling cordial, on Monday I got 4,5l to freeze. There's also 6,5 kg strawberries. (and a lot of ice cream, but it is disappearing fast).

For once we have use for the pool. Ys and sys have been swimming 2-5 times a day, and most times I'm with them. They find midnight swims especially funny.

On friday we managed to see the lunar eclipse, not the whole thing but when moon was completely in the shadow, clouds dissappeared and we could enjoy the show. And then to the pool, so it was almost four o'clock when we finally got to bed (you get really hungry when you swim... according to 10 years and 12 years old...) We saw Mars and then we saw someones drone (and satellites and planes and one meteorite).

I was back to work for eight days, drove about 1000km to meet clients and had our director general
 (yeas, really) with me one day... No pressure to drive carefully! Also had to use several languages during my visits, so I had fun.

'Suma is melting - she has some extrea skin and when she sleeps, it pools around her. It's really amusing, never seen a dog like that before.