Saturday, August 15, 2009

It was a slightly cold morning, but only a few thin clouds and no wind to talk about. Perfect for a long morning walk with my dogs.


We took our first long walk after Erna got snake bitten two weeks ago this morning. It was a rather cool morning and birds sang on our way to the creek. The boys ran around laike crazy sniffing on every spot where an animal had made a mark. Erna, old as she is took it a bit slower but still were way ahead of me. At the moment she doesn´t seeme to have any problems, but this is the time when things can start to happen.





The road to the creek and later "the forbidden forest". That´s the only part of the forest around here that I never enter because I can feel that I´m not welcome there.
To walk in high grass and in the forest in the mornings means that one is soaked when comming home. This time of year we have a lot of dew in the mornings, normally the sun dries it up during the day. But now when temperature slowly is dropping the suns heat isn´t enough. Like yesterday when I mowed my lawn. Even if the grass was rather short, it still was wet even in the afternoon. But that dew can normally help in periods when it doesn´t rain that much, the water slowly drops down the stems of the plants soaking the surface of the soil.
Euphrasia stricta ( I think, there are a couple similar species). We call it Eye comfort in swedish.

Lythrum salicaria, Purple-loosestrife.

There were water in the creek, but I don´t think I´ve ever seen it with so little water.
The magpies still gets into my kitchen steeling catfood :-) But now they are a bit more careful to watch after my cats before going in. Yesterday I heard them flying in to land on the table, but then suddenly start to scream loudly. Bertil had been hiding ouside behind the kitchen door and when a magpie flew in he took the chanse :-) Well he didn´t catch any magpie, but I think he at least scared them a bit. I never had magpies in my garden before because my old cat was a master catching them. So they felt it was easier to get their food elsewhere. Magpies are funny and intelligent birds, but they do make a mess when being in my kitchen and they take all food from smaller birds in winter, so I would prefere if they were elsewhere instead.

It was almost impossible to find the path in the beginning. They have left many smaller trees after the cutting of the forest so we had to go out from the path for quite a distance sometimes.




But a bit in to the path it was so much better and easier to walk. Next year I woun´t have any problems walking even on the beginning of the path because of my hip surgery :-)


The world cup in athletics has started in Berlin now. I don´t expect to much from our swedish athlets though. many have been injured for long times and others isn´t just up to it to be honest. But they are all better than I am anyway :-)
But I will expect a lot of them when the classical "Finn struggle" starts some weeks after the world cup. As I told You before that competition is something we do take very seriously :-) It doesn´t matter if the rest of the world is better in athletics than we are, as long as we beat our neighbours the Finns! :-) Cheating has been common from both our countries :-) There has also been disqualifications of all persons in one running race too :-) We truly love our neighbours, but during the Finn struggle we simply must win, the finns of course feels the same :-) :-) The competition between our two countries in athletics take place every second year in Sweden and every second year in Finland. This year the competition is held in Gothenburg. I must go and see it live before I die one day :-) I think You can read about this on Wikipedia too.



Lagurus ovatus, Hare´s tail grass or Bunny tail. Originally this grows in southern Europe but nowdays it can be found on lots of places. We have lots of it in my village. It´s an annuel and if You like decorating with dried flowers this one is perfect to use too.

Blue bells.

Calluna vulgaris, Heather. The grounds isn´t really good for heather around here, but we have a few of them anyway.
I started the pond pump and filter this morning too. There is just one more thing I have to buy though. I can´t find the english word for it though. But it works like this: If the cable gets broken somewhere on the way a kind of fuse makes sure that wet grass doesn´t get electric. That has happened and people has died because of that. So until I have such a thing I have to make sure no animal or I are walking around in the grass if it´s wet.
Now I only have to wait to see how long time it takes until the water gets clear. I think it´ll take some days before seeing any result though.
Clouds are now covering the sun and they have predicted rain this afternoon/evening. Well, I have a murder mystery book to read by Stephen Booth and Yesterday I bought a book by Stephen King, The Dark Tower4. I didn´t know about the three though. I hope it´s good reading anyway.
Have a great day now!


I´ve started the pond pump and filter now. As You can see the hoses are to long but since I can´t see where the pump is going to stand I have to adjust that later.

12 comments:

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

What a beautiful place to take walks. So much to see and for the dogs, to smell. What a life they lead!
I remember you mentioning that part of the forest you don't feel welcome in. I have had feelings like that about places..and follow my intuition. I guess that is why we have intuition...to keep us from harm. There could be a hole in there..but something is certainly wrong and you are right to steer clear of it.
Otherwise ..you have a most beautiful place to explore and enjoy.
I love the way you finished off the edges of the pond. It will take some time but your pond will be lovely one day.
I planted water lilies in my tiny barrel pond with an oldfashioned pump. The were beautiful but...they filled the barrel and had to keep pulling them out and pitching them. They were expensive to buy. When I moved I didn't bring them or replace them.

I won't ever have a real pond..but like I said...I'll visit yours..and listen to mine! :)

My husband had hip surgery. He was like a new person. No pain and NO limp even. I am excited you are doing this.

I know what you are talking about as far as the electrical device. I cannot think of the name either but it is a grounding device and VERY important to get installed.

I used to read Stephen Kings books all the time...and then I stopped.
The one I enjoyed the most was "Cujo." About the St. Bernard. Did you ever read it? I loveed it! I may buy it and read it again as it was years ago. I have other books of his that were gifts and I still have not read them. "IT" is another. I wonder what it is about.
Your pictures are always so beautiful!
I know very little about athletics..but I know..it is taken very seriously. You must go and experience it at least once! Don't wait too long! :)
Have a wonderful weekend, Christer. Sorry this is so long!
Mona

Lotta 8`) said...

Det går framåt med din damm, kommer bli jättefint när växterna vuxit till sig :) Annat än min paraboldamm :)
I dag försökte vi rädda en mus ifrån vår lilla kattfröken, men trots insatser så hittade hon den igen och ja - urk.... du vet.... Hon är en riktig jägare och tack å lov, så har hon bara tagit med sig bytet in en gång, en mus förstås som hon släppte lös i sovrummet men mina ilskna tjut, fick henne att ta med sig musen ut igen.
Ha en fortsatt trevlig helg, 8`)

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Mona!
I´ve been in there once and felt uncomfortable and had cold chills down my spine all the time, so I´ll never go in there again! Don´t know what it can be there, but I wount challange it in any way. I can go to so many other places instead.

Yes, water lilies are really expensive!I wonder why because they are really easy to cut cuttings from. I´m not sure if I´m going to have a water lily in the pond, I think it´ll be to much shadow there after a couple of years. But one shall never say never :-)

The electric jiggamathing was sold out yesterday, but I´ll buy one as soon as possible. It´s a cheap way to stay alive!

I to stopped to read Stephen Kings books some years ago, but this one was on sale so I thought I would give it a try again. I have Cujo and the thing scaring me in that book is the monster in the closet :-) I´m not bothered by the dog at all :-) :-)
If I don´t remember totally wrong the monster in the closet in Cujo plays the big roll in It. The book is really long and really scaru at times. I don´t think I´ll ever read that book again :-) :-)

I don´t know much about athletics either to be honest, the only important thing is that we beat the finns :-) :-) :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Tjänare Lotta!
Nu skall jag bara göra en rabattkant med torvblock och sedan fylla upp med jord så att jag kan plantera där också :-) Men med tiden hoppas jag verkligen att det blir fint!

Tack och lov tar ingen av mina katter in det de dödar :-) De äter upp det utanför grinden så att hundarna inte skall bli frestade att ta det från dem :-)
Ha det gott nu!
Christer.

Anonymous said...

All these photos made up for you missing a post on Wednesday, your blogger off day. It really is a special place where you live. So alive with nature. And the pond is really going to look fabulous when the filtration system is running. It already has that lagoon look to it. Make darn sure you get that pump grounded!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Z&M!
I think I found the right place to live on for me :-) Even if there are a little to meny flies that wants to drink my blood or drive me crazy :-) :-)

Ye I really must buy that thing as soon as they get them again. I really don´t want to get me or my animals electricuted :-) So I´ll shut it down when we are outside in the garden until I bought it. One never knows even if it´s brand new.

I think that the pond will get that feeling I´m looking for in the end. I already have some ferns in the garden that will grow there and some small bushes too. I´ll try to buy some more peat bloks already this week, if they still have any left.
Have a great day now!
Christer.

NinaH said...

You really live close to nature! And are such an expert to observe & recognize things in the woods! Great!
Tihi- world cup.... Hm.... Not for me!;-) (If something big happens I read it in the paper....the day after!;-)...)
Great your pond got ready this season! Well- except that electric thing.... I haven´t heard about that problem before. But sounds good to think of that & take care... before anything happens.... so to speak!;-)
Have a nice (rest of the...) week end!

Visiting Voyeur said...

Lovely pictures once again Christer. It makes me wish I had more near by to photogragh. thanks for sharing.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Tjänare Nina!
Vad i hela friden heter jordfelsbrytare på engelska? Kan inte hitta det någonstans :-) Jo det var för säkerligen tio år sedan eller mer som en kvinna skulle ut och klippa gräsmattan, som var lite blöt. De hade en elektrisk anordning av något slag, med en trasig sladd. Proppen hade inte utlöst och gjorde det heller inte när hon fick ström genom kroppen och dog. Har för mig att det inte var långt från Göteborg det hände. Det var då de började skriva om jordfelsbrytare i alla tidnigar ett tag. Hemskt sätt att dö på!

Ja visst är det kul att det gått så bra med dammen, men nu har jag ju allt omkringliggande kvar, som att fixa till en rabatt runt och fylla på jord och.... :-)
Ha en riktigt bra dag nu!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Chelle!
So nice to see You here again! I hope that You´ve had a great summer! It seemes there´s a heat wave in big parts of the US now, hope You´ll get some of it, one can never get too much summer :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Chelle!
I hope You haven´t been here to read my answer to You yet, but it´s impossible to comment on Yor blog! Something has gone wrong I´m afraid.
Christer.

Visiting Voyeur said...

Thank you Christer for letting me know that. I am not sure if it is because you do not see the comment link (in the smallest font possible of course, sorry) in the right hand side on top of the blog or if it had a problem. If it did have a problem, it seems that on my second try it worked fine. I hope that all makes sense.