The best way to travel

Inlandsbanan - the slow train that takes its time, stops to look at bear dens and waterfalls, lets you sit up front next to the driver, with guides that cheerfully solve problems and sing Jemtlands song as you cross the border, best train trip ever!

Friday evening by the lake

Miss T and Strawbs have gone off to camp for 10 days, leaving us to amuse ourselves.

Spring, Swedish style...

Which means we're still enjoying the snow!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday M.O.T.H.

Happy Easter!

Confectionary created by Strawbs and Miss T.

Sorry!

Intended to make several important calls this evening, but couldn't find my address book. Everyone helped look... In the washing machine, in a tin of chocolate powder, thanks girls! It was, of course, where I always keep it on the bookshelf next to the phone, it was just pushed in too far, behind a folder, and now it's too late to call. Sorry! Will try again tomorrow!

I've got Ginger Nuts!

SORRY!

Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year, sorry it's so late. Lots of excuses, but none of them very good, I'm afraid. The biggest one is that I have been teaching at seven different schools during this school year and just before Christmas I had to set around 400 grades, some on students that I hadn't even met!

My other problem at the moment is the camera on my phone, which up until now I've used to put photos on here. I thought it had stopped working completely, but have discovered that I can take very small pictures. See above, one of which is the moon coming up over town this afternoon at 4pm looking to the East, the other was taken at the same time on Friday on my way home from work looking West. I'll let you guess which one is which :)

I also managed to take some slightly larger pictures today skiing on the new slope next to the town. See below. The  views from the top are so amazing that I am seriously considering buying a new phone/camera just so I can share them with you... but I have a mean streak and as the phone still works as a phone I haven't completely decided yet. Nor am I sure what sort of phone I should get if I do decide to get a new one... I really like my old one and it has served me well for seven years.

Still Misty

A Cold Mist

Hiking in September

September :o

We spent September fixing cars. We awoke one Saturday morning to find the rear window smashed in on poor old Big Blue. We patched her up with an old picnic blanket and then went on the hunt for a "new" car, which was cheaper than replacing the window.

She's not as big, but she's a dream to drive and she's mine.

Another test...

Help! I'm trying to work out how to put up photos here using an iPad.

This is as far as I've got:

A link to last Sunday's sunset.
Here

sunday test

A rough roof

 We started work weeks ago on the roof at the back of the barn. The old shingles were no longer doing their job and the planks underneath had to be replaced. We started off by mixing up 250 kilos of concrete to make a foundation for a new supporting post. Then we took off the old roof and discovered that the beams underneath were a bit soft on top. So we chiseled away the spongey bits and sandwiched the beams together with some fresh planks, lashings of wood oil and glue and a few nuts and bolts, the MOTH's idea.

Then we had to wait for a couple of dry days to nail on the new planks and cover it all up with two layers of tar paper and asphalt. Last Monday and Tuesday were dry, which was perfect as I started work again on the Wednesday.

This weekend we finished off with bargeboards and a splash of paint. Fingers crossed it will last the winter.

And the only thing I fell off was my bike as I dashed home for a quick lunch with the family on Thursday, skidded in some gravel and took the skin off my left elbow.

Summer time

 Me, up a ladder preparing to fix the barn, with the MOTH down below ready to catch me, which won't be necessary, as I have no intention of falling.

I have to finish painting the barn and fixing the roof on the outside poop house and only a week left to do it in, must get on. Summer time's too short!

One of The Boy's Toys

We're supposed to be fixing the roof,

not tinkering with toys!

But then again where would we be without them:)

25 years and the Transit of Venus

On the 6th June 1987 we met for the first time. 25 years later we celebrated by getting up at 2am and heading out for the closest highest point with clear views to watch the rising of the sun and the Transit of Venus. Between 3am and 4am the cloud covering was too thick to see the sun clearly, but between 4am and 6am we watched Venus passing in front of the sun. Then it was home for a Champagne breakfast and a restful day together thanks to the Swedish government who turned the 6th June into a national holiday in 2005, Sveriges nationaldag.

Happy 26th Birthday Pa!

The Easter Bunny!

At 5pm on Maundy Thursday on the way home from school we found the Easter Bunny, resting in the the mouth of a football goal. One of us, no names, but we have had quite a few long, rough weeks, had just had a bit of a paddy fit in the middle of the road, right next to the bunny, but it didn't seem to bother him. We walked around him to check he wasn't caught in the net, but he appeared fine, and on Good Friday morning when I walked passed with the dog he'd hopped it, presumably he's getting ready to deliver all those Easter eggs. Some of you may doubt this, having looked at the photographic evidence and seen that this is in fact a hare with his winter coat on, but here in Sweden the Easter Bunny is an Easter Hare, so there!

Glad Pask till er alla, hoppas pask haren hoppar inte over er.

Happy Easter to you all, hope the Easter Bunny doesn't skip over you.