Svångemåla News

Winter but no snow in January 2012

2012-01-10T01:21:00.000-08:00

It was cold when I visited Svångemåla yesterday but no snow. The air is amazing, clean, dry and crisp. Only a few birds made any sounds. How different to spring.

This picture is from Björnasjö (Bear lake !) not far from Svångemåla.

This plant looks like it was surprised by the cold weather when it had just started to grow.

Stormy weather

2011-12-12T01:43:00.001-08:00

This fall we have had a number of low pressures coming in from the west bringing a lot of rain and strong winds. A couple of weeks ago many thousands of people had no electricity due to trees falling over the power lines and roads being blocked by trees. I was therefore not surprised when I recently visited Svångemåla and found a big birch tree resting on the path to the house. It took me the better part of one hour to clear the way and I will have to continue that work when weather and time permit.

It is a bit funny that I earlier worried about some dead trees standing next to this birch (http://svangemalanews.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-wish.html but they never caused any problems.

The road to the left of the stone wall is not in use any longer as you might remember from previous posts. http://svangemalanews.blogspot.com/2009/06/good-or-bad-news.html

Moose family

2011-11-07T04:01:00.000-08:00

In the middel of the hunting season I met this moose family of four. Impressive animals when you are only 30-40 meters away.

Still some life...

2011-11-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Even when the leaves are covering the ground it is not difficult to find small mushrooms and plants that grow and even thrive. As always, click on the picture to get a better view!

Daisy ?

Shapes

2011-11-07T01:54:00.000-08:00

Wet, very wet!

2011-11-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

I have lived in Burma (Myanmar) and experienced two monsoon seasons but I still have a feeling that it is wetter in Sweden in October and November. When you are out walking you can often hear big water drops splashing down and the grass and the ground in general are soaking wet. The smell of wet old leaves is very typical for this time of the year.

Verbascum thapsus (Great or Common Mullein)

Lupin

Oak leave

Frost...

2011-10-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

The last Fuchsia

2011-10-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

So elegant, so fragile but soon it is gone.

Autum in Svångemåla

2011-10-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is getting really cold in Sweden now. We have had no snow so far but it will not take long before we can see the first white flakes in the air. A few flowers are still managing but the first frost will take them away in no time so let us enjoy them as long as they last!

Cornflower, Bachelor's button, Bluebottle Cyanus segetum)

Parthenocissus creepers

Blackthorn or sloe (Prunus spinosa) You might have to click on the picture to see all the berries. The birds will have a real treat.

The last traces we have had of Bruno !

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

2011-08-24T01:59:00.000-07:00

This little Blackbird girl was not feeling well and could hardly move when I spotted her in the high grass. She limped around and I wonder what happened to her when I left her?

Bruno...again

2011-08-24T01:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that I have already showed you pictures of Bruno. Several times even but I just cannot refrain from showing you one more. What a cute little creature it is!

Mushrooms

2011-08-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of mushrooms in Svångemåla this year thanks to the rains we have received. Some look like cottages in fairytales while some are very cute.

Stonewall

2011-08-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

This stonewall is not in Svångemåla but our plot of land is also walled in by a small wall of stones and they are very typical for this part of Sweden, Småland. Many men died and many backs have been broken clearing the land from stones and it is no wonder more than a quarter of the population left for the promised land in the west where hardly a stone had to be removed.

Happy!

2011-08-09T11:32:00.001-07:00

I am happy to tell you that Bruno is still enjoying the green grass in Svångemåla! S-/he was away for some days but came back and is looking strong and happy even when the food is a bit wet in the morning. Click on the picture to see how wet it is!

Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera)

2011-08-09T10:25:00.001-07:00

I must admit that I do not know much about mushrooms and I am therefore very careful before I prepare and put them on my plate but this is one that I really like, both the taste of it and it's shape and form. It has, in Swedish, the word "proud" in it's name (Stolt Fjällskivling) and just looking at it,one can understand why!

Bruno

2011-07-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Bruno, my resident rabbit, grow very fast and has now left my plot to look for a girl / boy friend. It was fun as long as he/she stayed and maybe he/she comes back one day but this might be the last picture I got of him/her.

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

2011-07-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

This kind of bird is very common in Svångemåla and is often the reason why I wake up far too early in the mornings. It sits high up in tree tops, both early mornings and late evenings and lets us all know that has a wonderful "voice".

New visitor!

2011-07-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

It seems as if Fred the Fox has left Svångemåla and a new inhabitant has arrived, Robin the Rabbit! Welcome and please eat as much as you like of my lawn!

Butterfly

2011-07-11T02:29:00.000-07:00

Not the most colourful or spectacular but I still think this is a wonderful little animal!

2011 is the Year of the Harebell !

2011-07-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

There are always a lot of Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) in Svångemåla but this year it is just amazing! Big ones, small ones and all sizes in between. The area that is supposed to be "the lawn" is now a sea of Harebells and who can move a lawn that looks like this? I cannot.

Midsummer 2

2011-06-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Jasmine

2011-06-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Midsummer!

Problem !

2011-06-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Sea Eagle ?

2011-05-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

Sea Eagle ?

I saw this bird high up in the sky and very far away so the picture is neither sharp nor large but it looks like it is a Sea Eagle and in that case, it is a bit of a sensation since it would be a first for me in Svångemåla.

Twiggy 2011

2011-05-16T01:43:00.001-07:00

As you might remember, I have taken a picture of a particular twig on my linden tree every spring to show how it develops. I am surprised how slowly it develops over the years but it is at the same time amazing how fast it changes after a long winter! If you would like to see what Twiggy looked like last year, use the search function to the right!

Twiggy 2 May

Twiggy 13 May

Yes, she is pregnant

2011-05-16T01:36:00.000-07:00

Many Swedes are concerned that a member of the royal family is showing no signs of being pregnant. I am not but I was very happy to see that Mrs Deer is! Her stomach is getting really huge and if we are lucky she might even give birth to twins!

Spring flowers

2011-04-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Not only the birds made me happy in Svångemåla. The spring flowers brought a smile to my face and colour to the otherwise colourless lawn.

Rheum rhabarbarum Maybe not a flower but one of my favourites as you know.

Primula veris

Scilla siberian (?)

Anemone hepatica

Daphne mezereum

Birds, birds and more birds !

2011-04-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

I have just been to Svångemåla and sensed the energy and excitement that the many birds feel right now. They sing like crazy, swirl through the air like daredevil pilots and do everything they can to look as attactive as possible in the eyes of the opposit sex. A truly faschinating circus. The Wagtails (Motacilla alba) met me when I arrived and not long after the Cranes (Gruidae) showed off. To my great surprise and joy a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos minor) came close to my entrance door and not far away a Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) hammered away on an old, dead tree. All in all it was a wonderful symphony and Iwill try to record it since the sounds are just as interesting as the pictures this time of the year.

Mr.Wagtail looks really proud and ready to make a good impression on the ladies!

The Crane couple seems to get along well and I hope it stays like that.

The larger of the two kinds of woodpeckers that can be seen in the area can make a lot of noise when they are building a new nest or just looking for food....

while the smaller one most often just pecks a little on the surface of the trees and is therefore more difficult to spot. It is also not so common and some even thought it had left our region for good.

Even some butterflies came out to enjoy the sun and the springflowers.

Winter

2011-04-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

I have been told that I am too negative when it comes to winters. Looking at my postings I feel that those who are telling me that are right so I started to look for something positive about winters and found this picture from my latest visit to Svångemåla. The snow is dirty since it is the last remains of this years thick layer of snow but it really cooled down our beer very fast!

Spring in Svångemåla!

2011-03-25T04:01:00.001-07:00

It has been a very hard and long winter but the snow is slowly melting away and I can see what kind of damages it has caused. Two very small, round bushes (Buxus sempervirens)were totally flattened and I wondered if they would ever recover but within a couple of days of sunshine, they started to look OK again. Amazing!

The wild pigs had not entered into my garden but their search for food made the forests look like a battle ground for a small army. I wonder how this will affect the plants and trees? It might air the ground a bit and actually be good for them or it might harm the roots so much that they die. Something to keep track of!

The hunters' efforts to reduce the moose population had left at least some alive. I saw the back of one and droppings were everywhere.

The March moon was wonderful and looked almost unreal when it slowly made it's way over and among the trees. Maybe it was because it was unusually close to earth, only 356.578 k away.

Still winter in Svångemåla!

2011-02-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

It is still very cold in Sweden and I have a feeling that it will take at least one more month before we can feel that "spring is in the air". The few signs I saw some time ago have once again been covered with snow.

Svångemåla January 2011

2011-01-20T02:14:00.000-08:00

A lonely bird (Great Tit) tried its best to give us a bit of spring feelings but without great success. The sun hardly managed to send some rays to the tree tops but still, it is getting a bit lighter and even some kids are getting a bit tired of the snow so spring cannot be far away.

Winter in Svångemåla

2010-12-21T03:14:00.000-08:00

This is a really hard and difficult winter although it is only December. Hate is a strong word but not far from what I felt yesterday when I had to walk forth and back several times from the car to the house, remove snow from the cellar door and in general fight hard to find out the status of the small cottage.

Overwhelmed

2010-12-07T00:43:00.001-08:00

I am a bit overwhelmed today. It is full winter in Sweden and I have not been to Svångemåla for a while but readers from all over the world continue to log on to this blog. The last week it has had readers from Russia, Serbia, Taiwan, Israel and Sweden. During the last year surfers from 56 countries have visited Svångemåla News which must make Svångemåla one of the most internationally known small villages in the world :) I got a very nice comment from Taiwan (?) written in Chinese but thanks to Google Translate I could read it without any problems.

The last time I traveled to Svångemåla a rainbow arched over the road like a bridge. An amazing sight.

The red poles are put along the roads to guide the snow plows when the roads are completely covered by snow like they have been this early and unusually cold winter.

I wish...

2010-10-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

that the terrible looking tower the moose hunters have erected right in the opening I made to have a better view of The Field will be moved! As you know, The Field is very special to me and the area where I see the most animals but those having the hunting rights have also discovered this and erected a tower right in the middle of my line of sight. I have talked to one of them and he promised that they will move it but I do not know when.

This is what it looks like through a wide angle lens.

And this is what it looks like through a tele lens.

Secondly, I wish that these tall trees are cut down or I am afraid that they all come down on my shed a day when the winter storm is blowing from the north. They are all dead due to an attack by European spruce bark beetle (http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=888)

F R O S T !

2010-10-10T01:02:00.001-07:00

It has been minus 1.6 C tonight. It is not unusual that we have this kind of temperatures mid October but it is still nothing I look forward to. It means that the wonderful foliage we have had is soon over and will in a few months be replaced by naked trees covered in snow. Time to move on !

Autumn

2010-10-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

The wet weather has made our "garden" a heaven for mushrooms of all sorts. Some you can eat, some you cannot. I wish I know but I do not and stick to the very safe, yellow ones :)

I am a great fan of lichen and admire their ability to live on the hardest of surfaces with hardly anything to survive of.

As I have reported earlier, most of the apples were attacked by various insects and the few that have survived are now taken take care of by the birds.

Keeping warm

2010-09-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is getting cold in Sweden and Svångemåla. To be able to keep the little house warm I have installed two different kind of heaters. The first one is run purely by solar power. A panel generates electricity for a fan that forces hot air from the panel into the house. The panel manages to increase the temperature of the air to about 25 degrees C above the general air temperature when the sun is shining. Perfect to keep the house ventilated without using any energy from the grid but useless when it is cloudy or the sun is down. (www.solarventi.com)

Solarventi

The second heater is much more efficient but uses some electricity. It works, more or less, like a freezer but backwards, i.e. it takes warmth out of the surrounding air, increases it and transfers the heat to a heater inside the house. It is very efficient and one unit can easily keep the whole house warm and comfortable without too much noise.

So far, so good but the real test will be in the winter when the temperature is far below 0 C.

Air to air heat-pump

Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix)

2010-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

All big birds in the forest are not birds of prey. In a few, relatively remote and unpopulated forests like the one around Svångemåla, you can still be lucky and spot a Black grouse or a Capercaillie although they are not very common. I was therefore very happy when I today came across a young Blackcock and managed to get picture of him.

September

2010-09-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

It is the time of the year when drizzle is more common than sunshine, the temperature is falling by the week and we all start to prepare for the winter. Many birds have or are preparing to leave for warmer regions. The hunters are getting their weapons ready for one of the biggest events of the year in Sweden, the moose hunt and I wonder if these two will live to see next spring? The couple showed up some hundred meters away from my cottage and I wonder if it is the same couple I once met eye to eye?

http://svangemalanews.blogspot.com/2008/06/absolutely-amazing-meeting.html

Two is just perfect!

2010-09-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Two is just perfect. Lots of space but still someone to warm you!

Four is possible but it is getting a bit crowded.

Five is just one too many! Please find some other friends!

Mist

2010-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Although I do not really like or enjoy the cooler weather we are experiencing, I cannot deny that it looks amazing when the mist covers the field in thin layers. It is easy to understand that many can see the elves dancing around in white, long dresses. Mystical!

Cattle invasion

2010-08-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

The new road has now been tested by our neighbor's cattle. We heard a loud "muuuuu" and saw a small herd of cattle walking slowly pass our plot. It was headed by a big bull who looked a bit like my favorite "Ferdinand" but he did not stop to smell our flowers but showed some interest in a Mercedes parked not far from us. Maybe the owner will get a Smart some months from now?

August 2010

2010-08-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

August 2010 is almost history. Nothing much has happened in Svångemåla. Surprisingly few animals have showed up around my house and no other major events have taken place. It is slowly getting colder and darker. The dew makes the grass glitter in the morning and the well known August moon is as bright as it always is.

As you know, my apples were early destroyed by insects but a few were spared and made into a delicious apple pie.

There are berries in the forest and we made a couple of blueberry pies and have seen, but not picked any lingonberries.

The most typical Swedish tradition this time of the year is the eating of crayfish and fermented herring (smells like it is rotten!) called "surströmming".

Despite all the rain we have had, there are not as much mushrooms as usual but it is still not too late for them so we just have to be patient.

Mid August

2010-08-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

Many birds, including the swallows are getting ready for their long journey south. Right now, we can see them gathering and practicing their flying skills.

This is also the time of the year when we can start harvesting all kinds of fruits and berries. Not so many of us harvest any juniper berries but they can be used for spicing up all kinds of meat and also to make lemonade.

Even the birds that are not going as far as the swallows are also gathering in huge flocks.When they land to pick food they look like a huge mass of feathers and it is almost difficult to separate one from the other.

Wasp / hornet trap

2010-08-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how effective this trap is but I have already caught a few wasps so it is worth a try if you feel that the wasps are getting a bit too many. Take a 1.5 liter PET bottle, cut off the top, turn it around and put it back like a funnel into the bottom part of the bottle. Use some cello tape to keep the construction together and add a bit of sugary water or lemonade to it and the trap is ready. I am been told not to use honey since it attracts the valuable bees that we must do everything to protect.

Hornets

2010-08-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

Life in the forest is not easy. One day badgers are digging up your lawn, the other wild pigs attack and right now hornets are chewing on the timber my house is built of. They are amazingly large and able to kill and eat ordinary wasps and bees. Last night their attacks on my bedroom window made me anxious that they might even break the glass. I have made a trap of a cut off PET bottle with some sugar and lemonade but they are not that easily fooled and more drastic measures will be needed soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet

Note how small the very large fly to the left of the hornets looks!
As always, click on the picture to enlarge it.

Argyresthia conjugella

2010-07-26T10:19:00.001-07:00

It has got a fancy name but it makes me both sad and mad. The few apples I usually can harvest are in danger of being food for a small insect that digs a small hole in the apples before they are ripe and leave me with nothing. Not fair.

Butterflies

2010-07-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am not the only one who is attracted to Mrs Bear. Today, when painting windows, a butterfly landed on her arm, rolled out its trunk and started to "nibble" on her arm. It seemed very secure and comfortable and did not move until I had fetched my camera and taken some pictures. If you click on the picture, you will get an enlargement and can see that it has a small droplet on its trunk. Is it sweating?

Half an hour later, a second butterfly landed on her hat and spent some time just sitting there, enjoying the nice weather we have. The trunk was now rolled up or is it a ring in his/her nose?

Holes

2010-07-18T01:23:00.000-07:00

The badger has not done any damage to the lawn for a while but I strongly suspect that he has started to dig big holes in, at least, two places. I am not sure why but guess that his search for food has made him go much deeper than he used to. They are big enough to be dangerous if you happen to stumble into one of them so I have had to fill them to prevent people from breaking their legs.

Hops

2010-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

My hops pole is a constant source of joy and reflections. First it is amazing how fast the plants grow and the intricate way they wrap themselves around the pole. Secondly, when the top is reached (4.4 m !) they continue out in thin air until gravity brings them down or at least sideways. Just like we all do when we have climbed fast thanks to solid support and suddenly are on our own.

Drying the foot?

2010-07-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Why do swans put one foot on the back when they rest? I noticed this when looking at the swans but have not managed to find out why? Anyone who knows? It was not just this one but almost half of them did the same thing. Cold water?

Örarevet

2010-06-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

When the air is not moving at all in Svångemåla and the forest feels a bit too dense, it is only a 35 k trip to the sea and a nature reserve called Örarevet. It is only a tiny piece of land with a few places to bbq and a lot of bushes to hid behind if you just would like to rest in the sun. There are plenty of birds in the area, mainly sea birds and a few rabbits and some cows keeping the small bushes at bay. Peaceful is probably the best word to describe Örarevet and that is why we like it so much and have done so for more than 30 years.

Happy Midsummer !

2010-06-25T00:26:00.000-07:00

Today is Midsummer Eve in Sweden. It is very special day since it celebrates the longest day of the year. The sun never settles in the northern parts of our country and even as far down as Svångemåla you have almost daylight until 23.30. The celebrations are a bit strange to most non Swedes and include the decoration and raising of a maypole, eating herring (no it is not really raw fish but almost) and drinking too much alcohol. The latter is of course not compulsory but when you read the reports from Öland and Dalarna, you might think so. All un-married females can this particular night find out who they will marry by picking seven different kinds of flowers and put them under her pillow. Her husband to be will the come to her in her dreams. I think she might just as well get dried flowers in her hair but that is me, an old grumpy Bear!

Rhododendron

2010-06-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

As I wrote earlier, our Rhododendron is now in full bloom. When I looked in Wikipedia, I learned that the name comes from "the Greek: ροδον, rodon, meaning "rose", and δενδρον, dendron, meaning "tree". It is a large genus with over 1000 species and most have showy flower displays. It includes the plants known to gardeners as azaleas. It is the national flower of Nepal, the State flower of Sikkim, India and the State Flower of both West Virginia and Washington in the USA."

Insects

2010-06-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege to live many years in Africa and one of the most common questions from my friends and relatives in Sweden was about all insects they were sure we had to fight. I thought about it today when swarms of flies and mosquitoes took turn attacking me depending on where I was. In the shade, the mosquitoes were the most active while the flies came in full force as soon as I got out in the sun.

All is not bad. The Rhododendrons are now in full bloom and we have had no rain today!

Air crash in Svångemåla!

2010-06-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

A loud bang almost made me drop my coffee mug in the middle of Denmark v. Holland. I rushed to the window to see what was going on and saw a very groggy looking Woody the woodpecker sitting on the ground. It is the first time I have seen a woodpecker sitting like that and realized immediately that he must be in very bad shape but since he was still sitting, I let him recover and to my relief, he managed to fly away after 15 anxious minutes. Sometimes it is good to have a brain that is well protected and can manage a head on collision with a window without major injuries.

Has Twiggy got acne?

2010-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Suddenly my teenager Twiggy the Linden tree has got something looking like acne. Or is it too much sun? Not possible this summer but its leaves are getting reddish and has got small bumps that makes it look at bit unhealthy. After a bit of research the conclusion is that she is suffering from Phytoptus tiliae. It is not going to harm her too much but I am still a bit concerned and wonder what needs to be done to remove the small, very small animals.

Mrs Wagtail

2010-05-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

As always, Mrs Wagtail is busy in the garden. Click on the picture to get a closer look of her latest catch!

The Twig 2010

2010-05-27T10:03:00.001-07:00

Do you remember "the twig"? Well, this is a recent picture of it. No big changes and it is obvious that the soil is not very fertile and that it will take a looooong time before I can use it for a swing :)

Baby moose has grown up!

2010-05-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

One of the calves I saw 2008 (I think) has now grown up and was peacefully grazing on the Field when I woke up this morning. A wonderful sight early in the morning.

Back in the wild forests of Svångemåla!

2010-05-25T10:26:00.001-07:00

I am once again listening to the birds, watching the fox, the moose and the rest of "my" animals in Svångemåla. Nothing has really changed since I left last year although the winter was unusually long and hard with lots of snow and very low temperatures. It was really nice to see Fred the Fox sneaking around when we arrived and it did not take long before the cranes flow over our house. It is still cold with only 10 C during the day and even less during the night. Despite the cold weather the mosquitoes are big and plentiful. Mrs Wagtail only has to fly around a bit with her mouth open to have a full dinner.

In the next days I will try to take some pictures of the flowers that are making spring such a special time of the year.

Extra, extra... update directly from Svångemåla!

2010-01-18T05:30:00.001-08:00

A quick trip to Sweden made it possible for me to make a short visit to Svångemåla. The snow covered ground was full of spoor from deers, foxes, rabbits, moose, a cat, dogs, birds, and many, many more of my more or less wild neighbors.

In addition, you could, if you just squinted a bit, see thousands of diamonds ! Unfortunatly they all melted when I picked them up.

Vienna Neews !

2009-10-13T07:16:00.001-07:00

Svångemåla News has got a sister blogg in Vienna. It is called Vienna Neews (yes, it had to be two "ee" or blogspot would not accept the name) and its url is

viennaneews.blogspot.com

Welcome!

Time to say goodbye for now

2009-09-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

As I wrote some days ago, it was getting a bit cold in Svångemåla and I decided to go south. The differences are enormous but, as we all know, one can find beauty in all environments. And the moon and the sky are the same where ever we are on our dear mother earth and I feel that these two pictures, therefore, are well suited to say farewell for now.

I would also like to thank you all for visiting my blog and for all the direct and in-direct (mails and phone calls) I have received. All together, you have logged in from 32 different countries which must make Svångemåla one of the most well known villages in Sweden! Sometimes I wonder how people in places like Benin, Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Senegal have found their way to my blog but it is probably just one more proof of the power of the web. Take care and bye, bye for now!

Time to move south!

2009-08-27T01:55:00.001-07:00

Many birds have started their long journeys south and it is time for me to do the same. It has been an unusual summer with the new road as the most dramatic change. My eyes are still not used to it and I have not completely accepted it but a few new bushes, a bit of grass around it and it will, probably, look OK next spring.

The wild fire that ravaged part of the deep forest not far away from Svångemåla was so expensive for the local community that the administration has decided to cancel its annual Christmas party.

From a wild life point of view, it has not been as exciting as last year when I met the two moose calves but I am happy that the rare wood pecker has found a home on my plot. The fox has not shown up but I have seen its droppings in many places so it is still around. The wild pigs are becoming a real nuisance and my neighbor has had to put up a small electric fence around his house. As always this time of the year, I have noted that there are a few mice who have moved into my cellar to get away from the cold in the nights and my answer is a new electronic device that sends out some sort of pulses through the electric wires / cables as well as ultra sonic sounds. Both are supposedly painful for the rodents and will make them go somewhere else. I am not so optimistic but it is still better than to feed them with poison and make the house a mice mausoleum.

It has been a good year for pears but not so great for apples although I have enough of them to bring back home for some pies. A unique and very old fruit is damson (krikon) (Prunus domestica ssp. insititia). It looks like a prune but is not as sweet and needs a serious frost bite before you can eat it. The core if its wood is red and very nice for carvings and other forms of wood work.

The Road III

2009-08-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

This is what it used to look like when you approached my house. The road made a gentle turn to the left after which it went around my house and garden / plot.

The new road turns right and then comes a long curve to the left before it joins the old road. The turns are not at sharp as they used to be and it is farther away from my house but it runs between my house and "The field" and it will take some time before it melts into the environment as well as the old does. The traffic will not increase from the five to ten cars that pass every day so the big question is if it was really necessary to make this "improvement" ?

Signs...

2009-08-20T07:23:00.001-07:00

European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

2009-08-19T03:07:00.000-07:00

I have hardly ever seen Rowan as red as this year. The trees are full of the red berries and one might wonder what the winter will be like since the old saying is that a lot of Rowan berries forebode a severe winter.

The Road II

2009-08-18T10:53:00.001-07:00

The road is almost finished and it looks better than expected BUT it is still like a scar in what used to be my untouched backyard. All involved have been very accommodating and shown sincere concerns regarding all concerns I have had but still ... it is not what it used to be and it will take a while before I feel totally comfortable. On top of everything, the hunters have realized that “the field” is a prime area for moose, deer and other wildlife and have erected a small tower from which they can scan the area for possible game. I do understand that the moose population has grown far too fast and needs to be reduced and the wild pigs is of equally growing concern, BUT was it really necessary to build the tower just 98 meters away from my plot? The recommendation is 200 meters but on the other hand, their firing will now be away from my house which is much better than the other way around!

All in all, I have very mixed feelings about the developments and that is the main reason why I have not added anything to the blog recently. Next time I will add some pictures to give you a better understanding of what is going on in Svångemåla.

Progress?

2009-08-10T01:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks!

2009-08-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all of you how have shared my concern regarding the new road and what I have to go through while it is being built. This flower is just for you!

Noise

2009-08-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

The usual silence in Svångemåla has temporarily been broken by the roars from big machines cutting down trees and moving earth and stones. The new road is taking shape and my main wish now is that it is all over soon!

Before and after....I think

2009-08-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Before...

(As always,click on the picture to enlarge!)

After..I think but which one? If you know, please let me know!

Tree killing machine

2009-08-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

The tree killing machine or "harvester" did not come last Thursday but it is now parked a few hundred meters away from my house and is ready to attack. It is amazing how similar it is to a Dinosaurus Rex. I am very glad I am not an innocent tree waiting to be slaughtered.

Grass on my stone wall

2009-07-30T06:30:00.001-07:00

Purple

2009-07-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

The color of the day in Svångemåla is purple. The meadow I, a bit pretentious, call The Field, is purple in many parts and so is my garden. Butterflies are everywhere and the bumble bees have to work hard to get their share of the available food. In many ways it is a wonderful time of the year but tomorrow a so called harvester is coming to cut down the trees that are now growing where the new road will be. Wonder if they know what is coming? The trees I mean...

On their way to the table!

Harmonious co-existence

Rhubarb part II

2009-07-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

The 25th of May last year I wrote about my admiration for rhubarb flowers. This time I would like you all to take a minute to admire a rhubarb leave. Is it not wonderful?

Big birds do not fly in dense forests

2009-07-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was out driving on a narrow gravel road in the middle of a very dense forest. The speed was hardly much faster than I would have done on a bike and I really enjoyed the fragrances that came through my open windows when suddenly a big, very big bird appeared just in front of me. It was some sort of eagle but I must admit that I have no clue what kind it was. It continued to fly just in front of me for at least a couple of hundred meters, just like a rabbit that is caught in the headlights of a car. I was wondering why when I realized that it was just not possible for the big bird to veer off into the dense forest since it was too big. The space was not enough. I thought about it later and came to the conclusion that it is the same when you have a big idea. If the environment is full of narrow-minded people, where the norms are standing as close as the trees in a dense forest, the big ideas cannot come in but must follow the open road until they eventually are hit by a car or just fall down due to exhaustion. The Svångemåla proverb is:

"Big birds do not fly in dense forests."

Pigs, lots of pigs!

2009-07-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

There are approximately 100,000 wild pigs in Sweden today and the experts predict that the number will grow to 500,000 within five years. It feels like Svångemåla is one of the hardest hit areas since you cannot walk very far in any direction without seeing where they have been digging for food. So far, they have only once ventured into my plot but they are coming closer and closer and my neighbor have had large parts of his garden re-shaped by the vandals. You might remember my fight with a badger but I must admit that compared to the pigs, it was nothing.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to take photos of the pigs since they are extremely shy, mostly move around in the night and have very good ears and noses. The best way to spot one, as is often the case when you are looking for animals, is to drive around and I will do that to be able to maybe spot one without hitting it. Collision between cars and pigs is, however, a growing problem and, considering the size of a full grown pig, I do not look forward to that sort of meeting.

Mushrooms

2009-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

The rain has made the mushrooms pop up like...well, mushrooms. My absolute favorite is the chanterelle. It is easy to recognize and tastes fantastic. It is also no disadvantage that it is very easy to prepare. Just take some butter, salt and pepper and let them slowly stir for a few minutes before you put them on a piece of brown bread and enjoy them with a glass of beer. Food cannot taste much better!

Albino

2009-07-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

It is not always easy to be different. I have experienced this many times, both in Africa and in Asia. One example is when my wife and I arrived in Beijing’s railways station 1987 together with a couple of thousand Chinese travelers. (3.5 million Chinese travel by train every day today!) My blond hair and light skin as well as the fact that I was probably half a meter taller than the rest, made me stand out like a ...European in China. This has also happened many times in Africa when I have been to slums and other places where white / pink skinned people are as common as black people are in Svångemåla. It has never been a real or serious problem but you cannot hide from curious eyes and it is impossible not to be noticed. I thought about this today, when I saw that my albino horseradish plant has once again dared to come up. I do not know how it manages the photosynthesis that I have been told needs chlorophyll but maybe someone can explain that to me? It is,as you can see, much smaller than its green siblings but beside its color, it looks exactly the same. It also made me think about the atrocities albinos in some parts of Africa experience but that is another story.

Amelanchier spicata (Häggmispel)

2009-07-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

As I expected, the clouds brought rain, a lot of rain! It is good for most of the plants and trees and in particular the Amelanchier spicata I have planted to hide my garden from the planned new road. Its leaves have a surface that is similar to a newly waxed car and makes the water form wonderful pearls.

Clouds over Svångemåla

2009-07-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a fairly rainy summer so far. I do not mind too much since I have very little that I absolutely must do outside but I do mind when we have lightning too close since it means that all sensitive electrical appliances as well as the phone must be un-plugged immediately or they will, more or less, melt and must be replaced. Cordless phones are particularly vulnerable and I have had to replace three sets as well as two modems. The above cloud is a typical sign that you must be able to read to live in a remote place like this. But on the other hand, it is also beautiful in the same way a poisonous snake or spider can be.

Bluebells or harebells ?

2009-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Just imagine if all those bells started to ring! It is the big bluebell season in Svångemåla and it would be absolutely impossible to neither sleep nor hear anything else since there are hundreds or maybe thousands of them around my house. But they don't and I just love them.

African proverb

2009-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you climb up a tree, you must climb down the same tree.

Snails

2009-07-12T10:01:00.005-07:00

It has been raining a lot recently and the snails are coming out in full force. I am not too concerned since it is mainly ordinary "forest snails" and not the so called "killer snails" that eat everything that comes in their way. They are still not my favorite animals since they are extremely slippery if you happen to step on one and they also leave long strokes of slime when they slowly move around in the garden, on the terrace and so on. On the other hand, I am sure they are nutritious food for various birds and other animals that I admire and am happy to have around me.

Wild strawberries on a straw

2009-07-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

To many, the midnight sun is the what they think of when (and if) they think of summer in Sweden but to almost as many, wild strawberries on a straw is just as typical! Astrid Lindgren, and many other authors, have written about children picking wild strawberries (smultron) and put them on a straw and almost all Swedes have done it. It is a special feeling to do that and when you put them in your mouth and slide them off in one single sweep it is like an explosion of tastes!

It is a VERY good year for both wild strawberries and blueberries and I hope I will be able to pick enough to make at least one pie.

Hops II

2009-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Exactly a week ago I wrote about my hops and also showed you a picture of it. It is amazing what can happen in just a week! The lone sprout trying to make it without the support of neither the pole nor any other sprouts, has now been joined by several new sprouts and is continuing "up,up and away". It is a doomed endeavor but still something to admire. At the same time, the plant has started to branch out in a serious way and it is looking more and more like a tree. It must be all the rain and the fertilize that I gave it that is pushing it. You can draw a lot of conclusions from this and the most important one is probably that the top benefits if the ground is watered and given plenty of fertilizers!

Is this necessary?

2009-07-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this picture from 2007? It is one of my favorites and I use it on my desktop. I thought of it today when I saw what modern forestry management does to our wonderful forests. In a few hours time a so called "harvester" can make the most peaceful and untouched old forest into something resembling a battle field that has been bombarded with heavy artillery.

I understand that the old days of strong men in boots and helmets, cutting down carefully selected trees have been replaced with huge machines that cut down and off everything that comes in their way in a matter of minutes. But still, is it necessary to rampage and destroy as much as they do now? Hundreds and thousands of square meters are left like enormous wounds for months and sometimes years before they are replanted or wild, green bushes and flowers have covered the ground.

These are not “before” and “after” pictures from exactly the same place but they give you a good illustration of what I mean.

Jasmine

2009-07-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I know, you have seen my jasmine before but it is such an amazing bush and its fragrance is so lovely that I cannot stop myself from posting it once again. And no, the house in the background is not my cottage but a shed where I keep my fire wood and some garden tools.

Hops and making it to the top…

2009-07-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

My hops have thrived, so far, this summer. The cold weather held the plants back a bit in the beginning of June but they have grown at an amazing speed the last couple of weeks. I have two varieties, one Swedish and one Austrian and the Austrian needs a bit higher temperatures before it “takes off” but both have now reached the top of the pole, which made me reflect on the similarities between hops and what it is like to make it “to the top” as a careerist.

On the way to the top, you get support from both the organisation / company (= the pole) and other staff members (= hops’ branches) but when you are up there, you are suddenly on your own and it is a lot more difficult to stay at the top.

Small is beautiful

2009-07-01T02:41:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how many wonderful and amazing flowers we can see if we only bend down a bit and carefully study what is just in front of us! At least if you are in Svångemåla!

As always, click on the picture if you would like to look closer.

The Road

2009-06-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is the road that will be changed. This particular section is bit from where the change will take place but it gives a good idea about its size and condition.

Bumbelbee

2009-06-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Regardless of raging wildfires, new roads, nosy photographers and the size of available flowers, if you are a bumblebee you have to collect as much food as you can.

Good or bad news ????

2009-06-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Svångemåla is in the middle of the deep forests of Småland and Sweden. Very little traffic passes my small cottage on the gravel road that even my GPS feels it is necessary to warn me about by stating that “ The destination is not at an tarmac road”. The only regular traffic is a few commuters living in the nearby small villages Grötsjö and Skärvsjö and the milk and garbage trucks. A few times really big timber lorries have to maneuverer through the tight corners around my house and this has caused some concern among the farmers whose timber the lorries are carrying. The suggestion is, therefore, that the road next to my house must be straightened and re-directed as the straight line indicated on the map. In reality, it will not be that straight but you get the idea behind the change. The advantage, from my point of view, is that my view of “The Field” will be better since a lot of smaller trees and bushes will be cleared but on the same time, the road will now take away a part of “The Field” and it will also pass my house on “the wrong” side. All involved have been very cooperative and understanding of my concerns and since the new road will not in any way encroach on my small plot, I cannot really object. But still, it will be a large change in what is “my space” on earth and I am not entirely happy about it.

If all administrative and financial issues have been solved, the work will start in early August and I promise to keep you informed since this is one of the major events in Svångemåla during the last 20 years!

Mother Moose

2009-06-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

Late yesterday evening, around ten o'clock, when I went outside to see if the wildfire had come any closer, I saw Mother Moose slowly moving around "The Field". She looked completely undisturbed by the helicopters and the sound of the fire brigades' water pumps. The low light made it difficult to get a really sharp picture but the big animal in the midst of all the flowers is still a wonderful sight!

Hectic

2009-06-26T00:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a hectic time in Svångemåla the last couple of days. Helicopters have been hovering around, trying to put out a forest-fire that is still ravaging a 3,000 m2 large area only 2.5 k away from my house. One of the roads had to be closed down for a while to allow fire trucks free access and in the next couple of hours people from the army will join the rescue workers. The situation has been made more difficult due to strong winds and we all hope that it will calm down soon although the fire will be smoldering for many, many more days and even weeks.

Pictures from the local newspaper.

Snake in paradise?

2009-06-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a real snake but a lizard called "Copper worm" or Blind worm. It is totally harmless and is mostly known for its ability to grow a new tail if the old one is cut off for some reason. Unfortunately it is commonly mistaken for a dangerous snake and killed but not so in Svångemåla where we take good care of them and admire their wonderful skin.

New Neighbour

2009-06-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

When I was throwing away some garbage today I heard a very loud bird “singing” or actually shouting "gi-gi-gi-gi". I could not see it but after a while I saw a small woodpecker and followed its flight until I discovered that he had built a new nest only a few meters away from where I burn my garden garbage. It is an old tree that has been halved in a storm some time ago and it looks like it now has two different nests. The proper name of the bird is Dendropcopos minor or Lesser spotted woodpecker and, as far as I know, it is the first time I have one on my plot.
Click on the picture to see how much food he is taking home to his "babies"!