Saturday, April 4, 2009

Shortly after I published my blog yesterday the sun broke through the fog and it became really warm outside. It was to warm to have a jacket on when I and my dogs walked our walks. More and more birds are singing in the trees and in the air. But the one I heard most was the Blackbird. It has a very beautiful, but slightly sad song and that is whay I think sweeds love them so much that we even chosed the Blackbird to our national bird.


We call this Hepatica for "Blåsippa" (roughly Blue anemone). This one isn´t blue as You can see and it´s also completely filled with petals.



I didn´t cut the grass in my garden for a long time last autumn because my lawnmower is a sort that hasn´t an engine. It looks like the ones that You push and then it makes a cutting noice. But this one is a modern sort, so it´s absolutely quiet, low friction I think it´s called. When the grass is dry it´s a perfect lawnmower, but when it´s wet it´s useless. It only slides over the wet grass. Autumns is really rainy here, so I couldn´t cut the grass at all.




This is how my lawn looked before cutting it.

This is after. Now it´s going to be so much easier to cut it when it becomes green.




But Yesterday everything was perfect, the grass was dry, the sun shined and I was in the mood for cutting grass :-) Well the grass isn´t green yet, but it will be so much easier to cut the new grass if the old brown is gone. Have to admit though that it was much harder work yhan I remembered it was from last year :-) I can already feel that my muscels are protesting :-)

Another crocus is flowering now. I love this bright yellow colour.


The red berried elderberry is one of the first bushes/trees to let out their leafs.




The stack ant has also started for the year. Click on the picture to get a better look at them.

Can You see that brown thing in the centre of the picture? That is a hare that really wants to hide from me and my dogs. I couldn´t see what it was until it flipped its ears :-) We were only a couple of meters from it :-)





Since I had my weekend yesterday and the day before that, my working week started today. It wasn´t that bad to be honest. The only thing I was concerned about was the burgeler alarm. If doing wrong while turning it of all hell brakes loose :-) I remember when I worked in a super market and forgot to turn of the alarm when I started working. The alarm bell made such a big noice that it was impossible to think. I then had to phone the security companie, give them my name ande give them a code, so they could give me a code to shut down the alarm. The problem was that the phone was just under the alarm bell :-) So I had to shout to them and with a bit of luck I could here what they said to me :-) :-) and when the alarm was quiet again, the neighbours came. I think that was worse that the alarm, especially if it was Saturday morning :-) :-)

Here Hector is comming up from a very unvolontering dip in the pond :-) He wouldn´t take a bath if so his whole life depended on it :-)





But everything went okey today. It´s kind of nice to be in the factory all by my self. It´s so quiet and calm. Today I painted beams in steel. They were about seven to ten meters ( 23-33 feet) long and weighs more than I can imagine. Painting them doesn´t take that long time, but mowing them around does. Ninety percent of the time I´m working is mowing them around. Should really be two ersons there I think. One painting and one mowing things. It would go so much faster to work then. But as times are right now I´m happy to have a job at all.


The Ring neck dove has built a nest on the ventilation pipes at work. Even if it´s a noysy place they come every year. Soon the swallows will nest here too.






Today is also the warmest day of the year so far, 17,4C (63F) in the shade. I know it´s going to be colder again, it always does in April. One day almost summer, the next day winter again. But I´m going to enjoy it for now anyway.
Be good!

Here I am, ready for work :-)










16 comments:

woody said...

Looks like a space man when you are ready for work:>)at 63 degrees it must have been quite warm in that outfit.Your photos all show signs of spring and I wonder is that the easter bunny in the tall grass?

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Woody!
Yeah, just like a spaceman or perhaps one of those working with dangerous germs :-) That outfit doesn´t breath at all, so it´s like walking around in a sauna :-)

Think it´s just an ordinary hare. The easterbunny isn´t that well known here, we have the easter witches instead.
have a nice weekend now!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

... BOO! Where were you on Halloween? Galaxy or lab work?
Good that you are well-protected from ityoxic inhalation and skin irritation.
Your sprouting flowersand plants are very healthy and so handsome! Why not? I think you are 'Adam's' gardener.

No sunshine here today - A still and pewter-gray Saturday. Earlier, a variety of birds were busy at our feeders in such numbers as to appear like wind-tossed autumn leaves at the feeders.

Last few days, I've been digging into genealogy thusly, my 'desk', a fold-up six-foot table is covered w/pages of notes and referrences - well, all the open areas that are not occupied.

Take care, my friend ... Woody just cooked us his special hamburgers that we have maybe every two weeks ... Oh, so delicious! And, no, no french fries on the side just sliced tomatoes and onion w/horse-radish sauce.

W/fondnesss, GeeGee

Anonymous said...

Christer,

I live near Cape Canaveral and we have Astronauts that dress up like you do. Come here to Florida and we'll put you up on the next Shuttle.

I couldn't make out the Hare, more like a blurr, was looking to see if I could spot its' ears. It must be a large Hare. Looks big when you double size the picture.

Good one. Have a nice work day.

NinaH said...

"Don´t be happy today (for the sun). It will be worse tomorrow! (cold again)"= Hey you big swedish Lutherian!!;-) Well... I guess you´re right anyway!;-)
I am so glad to hear that you also got some flowers coming now!;-)
Hm... I guess you nust be the first one cutting the lawn this year?!;-)
We have a new alarm system since they rebuilt our Culture House (the house where we work). I´m scared every time I have to handle it for not doing it right! Alarm is good to have but creepy to handle!;-)

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Hi Christer...I am glad you are well protected. My son lost both his kidneys from using paint in his cabinet makers job. The fumes..but he is alive and for that I am greatful. So..I like that you are protected.
It was warm and lovely here today. About 70 degrees. We had a wonderful breakfast out..lots of coffee and then did our garage sales. I bought SO many books. All hard copies and all just $1.00 each. I also found a lovely old deep red bible and it came home with me too! Then ...we went flower shopping. I would much prefer flowers the way you get yours...many in the wild..but not so here. Still..I bought a lovely hanging garden and two big flower bowls..filled to the brim with Spring flowers. Tomatoe plants also...so I am a happy lady today!
My family is well..struggling in this economy but healthy and that is a blessing.
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend. :)
Mona

~~~Lydias Gröna Fingrar~~~ said...

Hejsan Christer!
Så kul att hitta din blogg, det var länge sedan! :o)
Visst är det härligt när sipporna sticker fram ur fjolårslöven, men blir så glad då.
Ha det riktigt bra,
Lydia

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi GeeGee!
Hmmm, Halloween? Must have been tha Galaxy then I think :-)

I think tha thing with having healthy plants is not to care to much :-) People have a way of spraying every little bug they see on plants, not caring if it´s a helper or not. Most little bugs out there actully helps us a lot in the garden.

Those hamburgers sounds grate!
Have a nice sunday now!
Olof.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi ZaM!
I would have liked to be an astronaut I think. Have always wanted to go out there in space and see what I could find :-)

A hare is a bit bigger than a cat. Thr grass is perhaps ten centimeters (about four inches) and still it can pree it self down almost not to be seen. Rather intelligent too, they often trick the hunters dogs so they can´t find them.
Have a nice sunday now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Nina!
It´s certanly not as nice today as it was yesterday, but it was kind of nice anyway to be outside because I heard the first seagulls today :-) :-)

Yeah! I was probably the first this year :-) And this morning I actully saw some green grass :-)
Have a nice sunday now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Mona!
Yes those fumes from paint and glue are absolutely dangerous. They go straight from the lungs out in the body.

Many people wash their hands with thinning and terpentine after painting and that is really dumb and dangerous. It goes straight through the hands in to the blood and then up to the brain and inner organs. I learned that at Volvo when I started to paint cars there, so I never paint without protection gere.

Wish we had more garage sails here. Sounds great to buy all those books. It´s a bit early to buy a lot of flowers here though. Winter can come still here. But in May :-) :-) I have sown tomatoes but they are growing a bit slow unfortunally. But I can always buy a plant later.

I hope that Ypur family will get through this time well!
Have a nice sunday now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hej Lydia!
Ja visst är det toppen när sipporna tittar fram :-) Blev så glad när min tittade fram igår :-) Nu väntar jag bara på vit- och gulsipporna också :-)
Ha en trevlig söndag nu!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

So tell me Christer, what do you recommend for planting Tomatoes? We have sandy soil here and it's no good for growing vegetables. I will try this year to put the Tomato plants in buckets. I would have to find a good mixture of soil at the store and give it full sunlight which we have plenty all year round.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi ZaM!
Some people grow their tomatoes in pure sand, but puts a thick layer of fresh grass over the sand two times a year. The grass will then slowly decay and furtulise the sand. But if You want soil it should be a rich one, not to fine in strukture. I think that You, like us, can buy a soil for pots that will stand outside what ever weather. Usually it´s full with long time furtulizer in it, that is a good soil.
Here we can buy cowdung in plastic bags, but it is mixed with a lot of soil so it´s not to strong for the tomatoes. It´s more lika a very well furtulised soil. If You have something similar that would be great.

The bucket should at least have room for ten litres (2,6 US gallons) of soil, preferable more if possible.
Good luck with Your tomatoes!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard of using cow manure before. Will give it a try. I have 5 gallon buckets so should be OK. Thanks so much for the advice.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Just make sure it´s mixed with enough soil. If it´s to strong the roots will be burned.
Christer.