Killer kitten

This cute little bundle of fluff
caught, killed and ate a mouse today
in front of Miss T,
before falling asleep in her hands.
And no, you still can't take him home.

June 6th, 20 years on

Today is a special day.
It is The Swedish Flag Day, which means we all get the day off school,
but it is also exactly 20 years since the M.O.T.H. and I met.
How and where will have to wait for another time as I have over 120 final grades to set in Art by tomorrow,
plus another 30 or so in English. I am nearly there, but I still have a bit more pondering to do.
Not easy, with the temperature pushing 30 C (somewhere between 80 and 90 F, I think) even at 8.30 p.m., sunshine and clear blue skies.
It's been like this for the last five days.

Summer's here

Just two weeks left before our summer holidays start
and we already have the weather for it.
This is Sweden's northern most ruin stone.
The inscription is about 1000 years old.
It reads:
Ostman Gudfast's son
had this stone raised,
the bridge built
and allowed Jemtland to become Christian.

Happy Birthday Sis

Wanted to say it, even if you can't read it yet.

Many Happy Returns
Love and hugs from all of us here.

I took this picture just over a year ago.
Somebody had disfigured the zebra crossing signs here in town.
All the "male" walking figures turned into "female" walking figures overnight.
There was a terrible fuss about it.
It's a against the law to deface public property.
To do it to road signs was particularly irresponsible as it could distract drivers.
The signs were restored to thier original "male" form as fast as possible.
I hadn't even seen the original sign as "masculine". To me it was just a human form.
All this in Sweden where equality between the sexes is seen almost as a part of the national heritage.
Sometimes it seems to me that things are as equally unequal here as in many other places.

Even this one has been defaced/beautified.
She doesn't usually carry flowers.
Long live diversity.

Through Hell and back

A tough day at work today.
We had to take a train to foreign parts.
Shop.
Eat lunch.
And take the train home again.
Here are a few different angles and views from the day:

Crossing the border

In Hell

The other side of Hell

Foreign parts

Waiting for the bus, Thursday

I usually make them walk or bike, but on Thursdays we don't have time.
Waiting for the bus is always entertaining.
Teddy takes flight and Strawberry does her Ola Salo impression:

Miss T's Play

The scene is set.
On Wednesday evening Miss T and her drama group gave a well prepared performance of a play that they had written themselves based on different playground jokes, most of them very silly, as all good playground jokes should be.

Here she is on the right giving an excellent performance as Maiken, Mountain-Biken.
She also played the part of a parrot so well we didn't recognise her and her line:
"The old lady's leaking, the old lady's leaking"
kept the kids on the row next to me giggling for the rest of the performance.

and the knife and dolly

Sorry about the poor light.

Happy Birthday Crowbard

Here's a big Jussi present for you:

I well up every time I hear it. Enjoy.

Friday fishing

Her first fish ever and it's a
75cm long pike.
It fed us all for three days.
Another 50cm and she'll beat my record.
For those of you who can view youtube here is the conversation that followed the catch...
and they're both right.

It is brain-dead, but its heart was still beating long after it was gutted and decapitated. I've got the film to prove it, but it's a bit too gruesome, even for me.

Spade handle

We have 4 days off, Ascension Day , Friday the day after and then the weekend. So we will be out in the countryside trying to sort the "garden" out. I did manage to de-moss my strawberry patch last weekend and dig over the herb garden using my favourite spade. The handle's cracked and worn but it still feels right.

And as an alternative to last weekend's European song contest,
which I try and avoid,
here is a little treat from
the Ukulele Orchestra of GB

Spring madness

Hail and rain forces the sprogs out in their slippers to test the elements.
Off topic, the housemartins arrived back today.

Sunday in April

Ant and Be

No picture today, just wanted to let you all know that my eldest ate an ant for lunch today. She ate some other stuff too, but the ant was an official part of her school day. She's learning about how to survive in the forest. The boys won't last long though, because only the girls dared to join the Ant-eaters club. Apparently it was yummy and tasted of lemons. She also pointed out that she squished it, before scoffing it.

Protecting us heads

With the snow all gone it's time to get the bikes out and the helmets on.
Helmets are compulsory for anyone under the age
of 15 here, so I wear one too.
It doesn't seem to be working though,
nobody has mistaken me for being under 15 yet,
and the last time I fell off I failed to land on my helmeted head,
landed on my shoulder instead and bust my humerus in 2 places.

Monster octopus on the attack...

We do this about twice a year to entertain our sprogs.
Click on the play button, but turn the volume down;
it's a bit scary,
but very carthartic.

The sprogs love it really inspite of the screams. It also means that I can change from winter to summer tyres without getting too filthy.

Declaration Day

Everyone's tax declarations have to be in today by midnight.

On my way to the tax office.

On my way home from the tax office.

Odd, the Swedish word for tax is the same as treasure, skatt.

Valborg, April 30th

Valborg is the Swedes version of Bonfire Night, minus that guy, Fawkes.
Up and down the country bonfires are lit to welcome the spring.
The grass is really dry after the winter, so we had our fire next to a full pond.

Walking home, Friday

Hanging about

Sunny day

Going home.

Snow on the slopes...

... and flowers in the gardens.

Hit in the face...

...by a flying saucer?
N.B. We still have some snow.

Snow again

Tuesdays = climbing club

Some people go up the walls backwards and with no hands.

Spring is sprung

The grass is riz

Well three blades are and the tussilagor are out.

Break down

Friday 13th = Free hugs for all

Just click on the play button

Free Hugs Campaign. (music by Sick Puppies album out April3)

It's Friday 13th

Rear view from Fiffiga Fia

The M.O.T.H. remembered he had forgotten his medicine after we had driven for forty minutes, so we turned back. Almost home to recover medication and a funny light starts to flash on the dashboard. Now Big Blue won't start. Probably just needs a new battery, but Fiffiga Fia's battery was flat too. Did finally make it after M.O.T.H. had tinkered a bit with Fia using Big Blue's battery.

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Miss T. lost a boot in the mud.

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And some of our roof has blown away too,
including the upturned saucepan we use to cover the chimney.

Breaking up

It's been a bit windy here today. The roof of the new university library has reared itself skyward. It's supposed to be flat.

Cracking up

Happy Easter

Swedish blasippor.

English primroses.

Pask karring - Easter witch

Maundy Thursday here is very like Halloween. Dressing up as Easter witches with rosie red cheeks, freckles, headscarves, long skirts, aprons and a basket to collect goodies in the children go gathering.

The Big Blue

We three girls take the train to save the environment leaving the man all alone.
So he goes and spends his (our) money on a new car while we're gone.
A large American seven seater and we are four.
He has been forgiven.
We like the colour and it runs on diesel, which is slightly cheaper.