Snails

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

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

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?

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

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…

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

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

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

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 ????

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!