Old tree down :(

An old damson tree ( Prunus domestica ) has for many many years grown on our plot's border. Like an old person it started to change shape a bit and became more and more bent and when it started to tilt more and more dangerously towards our well I tried to support it but it was all in vane. When the storm Simone came it went down and will now have to rest like this until I can chop it up next year. Its wood is reddish and might be useful as material for some sort of wood work. It is still sad and I will miss it dearly.

One bright spot in an otherwise rather dull garden was this little flower but if you look carefully you can actually see something looking like a tear drop ! 

Good news! Svångemåla receives special protection.

This is really good news! Large parts of the forest that surrounds my plot is from now on protected from all forms of activities that can harm the flora and fauna. That means that not only I have realized that Svångemåla is a special place that needs to be protected and saved for future generations. My neighbor deserves a lot of credit for this and I can only congratulate all of us who live in the area for this development.

The area is now marked in various ways, including these signs of which a rough translation is below.

Protected Habitat /Biotope

Protected habitats /biotopes have high conservation values and the purpose of the protection is to preserve and develop these values. It is not permitted to take any actions or start any activities that may harm the natural environment. The area is protected in perpetuity and the land owner has received financial compensation for refraining from forestry. The Forestry Board has made the decision to protect this area under the Environmental Code and is responsible for the supervision of it.

The wild pigs are attacking again!

The pigs are back. After a few months of absence, the pigs are back in full force. All around our plot are fresh signs that they are very active and one night the scream of a pig that go 7000 V (!) jolt from the electric fence woke us up. Our neighbors garden is partly damaged and the small road leading up to our plot is now impassable for vehicles with normal ground clearance. It is amazing that this kind of destruction can go on without the "authorities" taking it more seriously than they do. Farmers are losing millions of Swedish crones due to damaged harvests as well as machinery. In the nearest village, Alsjöholm, several gardens have now been more or less destroyed by the pigs.

The height and seriousness of the damaged is difficult to catch in a photo but I can assure you that you now need a 4WD or larger vehicle to use this road!

Fall

No need to go to Vermont !

Spiderwebs

The dew makes the spiderwebs very visible this time of the year and one can wonder first of all how many spiders are there and secondly, do the catch anything in their webs? I am glad, however, that I am a bear and not a fly :)

Badger attack!

The badger (Meles Meles) has replaced the wild pigs as the prime hooligan in Svångemåla. It has managed to crawl under the electric fence and made a bit of a mess of my lawn. Not too bad but still a bit annoying. The pigs have again increased in numbers but have, so far, not managed to force their way through my fence. Some of my neighbors are less lucky.

Time to leave Sweden??

According to old wisdom a lot of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) berries is a sign that the coming winter will be very long, cold and snowy. I have never seen the rowan trees as red as they are this year. Brrr...

Rhinoceros caterpillar ??

What on earth is this??  It looks like a combination of a normal caterpillar, a rhino and a space creature with several yellow eyes. If you know what it is, please let me know!!

Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)

Several Cardinal beetles have invaded parts of Svångemåla. Good looking and hungry creatures. Not my favourites.

What is Mr. Bullfinch brewing??

He is getting less afraid of me and looks down on me with a very daring stare so the question is if he is brewing something "a bit stronger" in his house made up of hops???