Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Finally! My nectarine is in bloom! Let us now hope the frost will stay away in the future!



It has been cloudy almost all day today, but still it has been really warm. Inside in the factory it felt like I worked in hell :-) There was some wrong with the ventilation system in my departement so all the heat from the owen and washing mashine stayed in the big room. We really suffered in there, but the rest of the factory were cool and nice but who had the time to go in there :-)



I have an old plum tree in my garden. It´s dying slowly and I think it would be better if I took it down. Just beside it grows what I think is a shoot, but it might be a seed plant too. Now that one has started to bloom. A sign that it´s time for the old one to be taken away? But it does give delicious plums :-)

We never got any thunderstorm yesterday. Suddenly the sun came back and the evening became really nice. But soon cooler weather will come and then the thunder probably will come like a lettre in the mail. So now I´m going to unplug everything when I drive to work in the morning.


This is a Blackthorn, a plum relative. It gives small blue berries in autumn and they taste utterly bitter. But if one pick them after two nights of frost one can make the most delicious lemonade or liqueur. This is thought to be one of the parents to european plums. The american plums has other parents though.



This is the flower of the Blackthorn.



For a couple of years now people have looked on birds as the ones that will give us a deadly influenza. But then suddenly it´s the pigs that gives us that instead. Wonder why scientist never thought of that? Pigs are actully so close to us that we might use their inner organs when our own fails. So now when this influenza comes it shouldn´t be a surprise really, we can get other diseases from them. But that is ofcourse very easy to say now when this is happening.

This tulip, Tulipa tarda, is a tulip You should have if You want a tulip that spreads by it self. It´s rather low, under twenty centimeters, and gives several flowers on every bulb.




And now for something really surprising news! There is actully a bank in Sweden that made a profit this first quarter of the year!! It´s not surprising that it´s that bank, it has always had a good reputation. It´s about time I change to that bank now I think. Why stay at a bank that is lead by nutt heads? Next time I get into town I´ll talk with them.

This is how it looks fully open.






Well, now it´s time for a cup of tea I think and then prepare mentally to work in hell tomorrow too. I don´t think that they´ll have fixed the ventilation problems by then. As usual there wount be a blog from me tomorrow, so see You Thursday!
take care!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Blackthorn you describe Christer, sounds like a raspberry which is full of antioxidants, actually very good for you. I wonder. Here they are bitter but we sprinkle sugar on them with whipped cream or put in our iced tea. Delicious. Love the photos today! See you Thursday.

Katarina said...

Christer, vilken lycka det måste vara att ha ett eget nektarinträd! Söta blommor - hoppas verkligen det milda vädret håller i sig!
Katarina

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Z&M!
These berries are truly bitter, You can´t eat them no matter how much sugar You poor on :-) :-) But with a touch of frost they´re edible. But as lemonade HMMMMM!(haven´t tested the liqueur though, but they say it´s really good!)
Take care!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hej Katarina!
Ja tänk att den överlever här i min zon! Dessutom har den hittils inte fått krusbladsjukan!! Fem år gammal (har kollat upp det nu) och inga krusiga blad än!
Visst är blomman vacker! Har läst att man har persikor som prydnandsträd i asien, de bildar då ingen frukt eller dålig frukt.
Ha det riktigt gott nu!
Christer.

NinaH said...

Beautiful Nectarine!
Tarda is cute to. Ande fruit trees & bushes. Our plum tree is full with flowers.
Also thought about changing bank when I heard today about the bank that had made profit!;-)

NinaVästerplana said...

Så kul att den blommar.... hoppas den kommer bära frukt också, bin o humlor är ju vakna nu så du får ju hjälp med pollineringen ;-)
Håller tummarna för att kung Bore somnat in för i år.
Ha en himla sval dag
Nina

Barb said...

Hi Christer,
Beautiful flower pictures. I hope they have the ventalation problem fixed soon!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi NinaH!
Think it´s a good idea to change bank, mine has once again shown that the leadreship is incompetent. Yes, the Tarda is cute and selvsows much here :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hej Nina!
Vi har nästan inga honungsbin här längre, närmaste kupa är nog en halvmil härifrån tror jag. Men mängder med humlor och snart en hel del solitärbin också :-)
Inte skam blev det svalare idag inte, ingen vet heller hur man får igång ventilationen!
Ha det gott nu!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Barb!
Thanks!
It seemes no one knows how the ventilation system works, so it was even hotter today. I´m so happy that my weekend starts now :-)
Sent the first lettre to Eli and Lizzie today :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Watching Sweden go from snow and storms to Springtime and then burst into flowers, is an amazing thing. Without you we could never know what Swedens flora and fauna look like!
The plum tree. Christer..why cut it down when it is still bearing fruit? As long as it is doing what it is supposed to do...why would you want to get rid of it? You will miss those delicious plums you know.. :) And look at all the work it is going to be...when you could be out walking the dogs..um..AND cats.
Anyway...that's my take. Wish I had a plum tree that gave delicious plums! I sure wouldn't cut it down! Nope! Not! :)
How good it must feel to leave work and get out into the fresh cool air at the end of your shift.
...nice!
Have a nice Thursday, Christer. (WHERE did the week go??)
Mona

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

p.s. I forgot to comment on the beautiful blooms. Everytime I look at my sidebar I see that lovely nectarine bloom. After such a long cold winer, you must be overjoyed to watch everything come to life again!
Also...I shouldn't be telling you what to do with your plum tree. I mean it's yours! :)
Mona

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Mona!
Usually I would never cut down a tree, but this one is slowly dying. One year it had so many plums that a branch over 30cm (12 inches) broke. Plum trees always get sic if something like that happens. Fungus attacks directly. So the tree has perhaps only a few years left. But as You say, it gives delicious yellow plums :-) The new one that blooms now would take its place rather fast, but who knows what kind of plums that gives? If I´m lucky I´ll know this atutumn if the new plums are any good and then I can deside what to do with the old one.

Of course You should say what You think! I appreciate that!

Yesterday was even warmer so You could imagine how nice it was going out in the fresh air after work :-) The wind was strong and it cooled me down a bit :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.