Thursday, May 13, 2010




The forest was filled with thousand different scents after the last day and nights rainfall. It would be a lie to say that it drizzles but it´s a bit to much to only call it haze too. It´s that kind of weather that perhaps isn´t unpleasant, but it´s really nice to get inside when comming home again.








Lots of birds has come back now when the forest machines has left and today I heard the first Cuckoo. There are a lot of folklore about Cuckoos and it´s very important from wich direction the first one is heard. It rimes in swedish so it´s easy to remember. If the first one is heard from the north it will be a dry summer, from east it means You will have to be comforted soon, from the west (cause that´s the best) it will be a great summer but from the south someone will die. I heard it from the north this morning and I do hope that means we will get lots of sun too :-)









One of the tasties berries I know is the berry from the Arctic brambel, Rubus arcticus (I´ve also heard that it´s called Arctic raspberry) but it doesn´t live this south in nature (and do remember Sweden is as north as Alaska :-) ). But a couple of years ago they managed to make a garden variety that works here too, it´s a cross between the arctic bramble and the alaskan raspberry( It´s called Rubus x stellarcticus). Well I have heard that it works best in places winters gets real cold and I think that it´s cold enough here. Normally I don´t like buying plants since there´s a risk of getting the Spanish forestsnail her. But I fell for an add yesterday evening and I think these plants will come without soil.




Yellow leafed Common Ninebark.


It works best if one have two different varieties so I ordered two ‘Anna’ and two ‘Beata’. They must grow in mostly peat and if they like it they spread like weeds :-) I hope so because they taste soooo good :-) If You ever gets the chance to taste one of those berries You´ll understand me completely :-)










Well it´s time for a cup of tea but no fire in the stove today. I´m out of firelogs or anything else that burns, so today the radiators are on again. It´ll be a cold and rainy day so I think I´ll read a book or look at some films, perhaps there will be a nap too :-)

Have a great day now!


Clematis 'Propertius'.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

These images today are like a walk in the park. Love the cuckoo story, happy you will now have a dry Summer, not too hot I hope. The first photo is "scary" but nice. I potted my upside down hanging tomatoe plants last night. This year they are called "Lemon Boys" and I hope they survive. I plan to take them out each day for sunlight. No Bugs! Enjoy your tea.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Z&M!
It´s something with fog that makes it both a bit scary, but also beautiful. There are no sharp edges when fog´s around.

It´s going to rain until Sunday over here, so I think I´ll like if it gest a bit dry later on but as You say, not to hot.

I find that yeallow tomatoes are a bit sweeter than the red ones, so I always tries to have at least on of those each year. I´m looking forward to reports on their progress!
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Perovskia said...

I can't wait to hear how Z&M's upside down tomatoes come along...

Great pics, as usual, Christer. I love the snail! I thought the tulip was pretty, too :) The first pic does seem kind of 'dull' but we need quiet days like those.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Perovskia!
We have lots of those snails here and usually they are harmless. But if there are food shortage (they only eat dead vegetation) they can start eating on my perennials too.

I like this kind of weather if it doesn´t come to often. The whole world becomes soft and calm.
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Terria said...

Beautiful photos from the forest walk today. Sitting by the fire drinking hot tea and reading sounds nice too.

Caryn said...

Hi Christer,

Beautiful, wet-looking photos today. :-) The first one reminds me a little of the high fields on the cliffs of northern coastal Maine. The fog comes in and makes everything misty and damp. If there were a deer or two high-stepping across the wet grass, the resemblance would be even better.
I love tree leaves when they first break. They look so small and dainty, like mouse ears.
Enjoy your tea and nap.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Caryn!
What a shame I didn´t see a deer until a later walk today :-) It was just outside my garage (well a few yards anyway)

The first leafs always makes me happy and I love the color on my ninebark. Later on the sun burns them but it is now to big for me to move :-)
I enjoyed them both :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Terria Flemming!
Thank You!
It´s really nice sitting indoors to days like these, only it doesn´t happen to often :-) :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

hi christer....great pics again! we don't have snails with shells. we have slugs...HUGE slugs! they leave shiny trails behind them and they sure can eat things i don't want eaten. when i find them i throw them out in the open for the birds. we lost at hockey so we are done until next season! i am waiting for the rain to start!

Valerie said...

Hi Christer.

Hope all is going well. I didn't realize that Sweden is at the same latitude (is it latitude or longitude...good grief I should know this since I taught 3rd grade!!!) as Alaska. BUT, that makes a lot of sense! Can't wait to see pictures of the arctic bramble/Alaskan raspberry...it sounds delicious!

Thanks also for dropping by my last two posts and leaving your kind comments! You have a sweet and gentle heart! As for the name suggestion...I might have to do a combo Polish/Danish name if I go there! LOL Might offend a grandparent or two on both sides! HA!!!

Take care,
Val

Henrik said...

Lovely photos. Unfortunately my camera cant take lovely pictures like yours but I try at least!
Feel free to vist my blog: http://cornerhenrik.blogspot.com/

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Joyce!
Our domestic big slugs are totally harmless, but we´ve gotten the Spanish forestsnail (or perhaps I should call it forestslug, because it has no shell) It has no natural enemies here so they can reproduce in millions. They produce a thick layer of slime that is almost impossible to get rid of. I had to use brillo pads to remove it from my hands!! Only the starlings knows how to do. They pick up the slug in the air and drops it so it burst and then they eat it. Unfortunally our other birds doesn´t learn that. I know of people that pick ove a thousand every night all summer long!! We haven´t gotten it in my village yet thankfully.


I´m sorry that Your team is out of the tournament already, but You still have lots of good players playing in the finals at home. What scares me is that countries like Norway and Denmark plays so well!! There´s something weong in the world I´m afraid :-) :-) :-)

I hope You will get more rain!
Have a great day!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Valerie!
I got really surprised the first time I realized that we were on the same latitude (or is it longitude? :-) ) as Alaska. It was when I was told that Rome in Europe was at the same as New York. Had to check it and then saw that the most southern part of sweden and Alaska almost were the same too. We have a better climate though because of the Gulf stream that passes by not far from Norway.

I got to know those berries when I did my short time in the military (before I became a conscientious objector) We were marching (well strolling is a better word but militaries don´t stroll :-) :-) ) I saw my friends eating them and wondered what they were. Most of them were from the most northern parts of Sweden and got surprised that I´ve never seen or eaten them before. They taste soooo good! Photo´s will come:-)

Yes why not a Polish/Danish combo. I can very well understand feelings from grandparents :-) :-) :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Henrik and welcom to my blog!
Thank You, I do my best with my Sony Cyber-shot.

It is ok to comment in swedish if You rather like that, many does and I know my american friends will translate them on Google if they want to know what You´ve written!
Have a great day now!
Christer.