Has Spring Sprung?

At times the sun hid behind the clouds.

But the birds think spring is here. I noticed them viewing one of the bird boxes that we have.

The rocks are beginning to emerge from the snow.

And is that someone on a bike I see?

It must be spring!

Snap Happy

Such a lovely bright sunny morning I just had to capture it.

A cheeky Great Tit

A Crested Tit

Stripey snow

Trees in the sky

Who's that taking pictures again?!

Walk Anyone?

A sleety kinda day.

After the big thaw yesterday, we were surprised when we got up to find it was snowing! I guess the weather can be just as unpredictable here as in the UK. It didn't last long though and was followed by sleet and general greyness. However we went for our usual walk to collect the post. I took a photo of the lake which appears to be thawing.




Then the half mile walk back up our track

The Thaw continues

A misty drippy day today. The sound of water dripping is everywhere.

Minor roads and driveways are slushy making walking difficult at times. As your foot presses down it slips down further into the snow. If it froze it would make all the roads trecherous, but that is unlikely. The forecast is for above freezing, at least for the next few days, making it quite balmy in comparison to how it's been.

The snow still clings to the roof of the barn which has original tiles.

I noticed the other day that the snow was starting to melt in a line across the garden. That line has become more distinct now leaving banks of snow either side untouched. Because temperatures can get so low here, (we have experienced -20) the water pipes have an electric cable attached to them to stop the pipes from freezing. The ground can freeze up to 1.70 metres underground. I think I know where these pipes run!

The Big Thaw?

Well the first day of March brought a thaw. Slow at first. But it continues, and gradually the snow begins to fall off the roof of the house, the garage and the barn. Making some weird shapes! It's amazing how so much snow can just hang in one big sheet before eventually it falls.

Then of course there are the icicles.

A sign of spring perhaps?

Fast February

Although the shortest month, February seems to me to be one of the longest. After the excitement and anticipation of Christmas in December and then the getting back to normal that January brings, February is just too long! Okay one of my favourite flowers the snowdrop is out and about, but apart from that, it's still dark and cold and miserable.

But not this year! February 2007 has flown by. Where it's gone I don't know, but there's still snow and ice around and maybe that's why I haven't noticed February come and go so quickly!

Another Recipe Book?

No, two!

We have a collection of recipe books and have to try to look the other way whilst in a book shop so as not to add to the collection. But when we moved to Sweden we left most of them in the UK to be collected at a later date. In the meantime friends bought us Swedish recipe books written in English which are great. I've tried several of the recipes now including Moose! But when we saw these two for a good price and written by a Swedish cook we have watched on TV I thought I'd have them. Yes they are in Swedish and I've already started translating some of the recipes in order to try them out.

What better way to learn a language than through food?

A Busy Weekend continued

Sunday A friend invited us to watch a friend of his practising speedway on ice.

Wow!

What fun, will have to have a go, but not when all those blokes are stood watching.

Next he took us to a nearby downhill ski slope.

We didn't realise there was one so close to us.

It is manned by volunteers.

We were most impressed with this little chap.

He had a lovely calm confident manner about him.

He skied from top to bottom with his dad following behind keeping an eye on him.

A Busy Weekend

Saturday.

A skating race in our second village Yes we have two. This one is 3km. away.The race takes place on the frozen lake.

The snow is cleared to make a track on the lake of varying distances.

Men, women and children took part.
My fingers were sometimes too cold to press the shutter button!
I'm not sure who won, and yes it was very cold!
I thought this a nice picture, taken on my way home.

The water is not frozen here as it is a channel under the road from one lake to another.

There are 5 lakes in our area all inter connected to one another.

The largest of which is the one closest to us and is about 10 miles long.

A dull grey day with light sleet/snow.

But we took a walk down to the frozen lake.

Walked onto it

Took some photos and felt better for it.

Are we in the Med?

Well it may be minus 12 outside but we have just come back from a moonlit walk and it's magical. The snow is all sparkly in the moonlight.

We walked up the track to the top of the hill some 500 metres. Once at the top we were able to look out over the frozen lake below. It's surprising how big the village is. In the dark with the street and house lights on it's easy to see how big an area it covers. Looking down across the lake and the twinkling lights of the village, I could have been forgiven for thinking I was in the Med somewhere. Only the temperature told me otherwise. Sweden is full of surprises!

We felt a walk was needed. At sometime or other this afternoon/evening all three stoves have been lit and the house is now like an oven. The insulation in Swedish houses is far superior to any other houses I've been in, and no draughts! In the UK when the children were young I would always be saying'shut the door!'

Today the sun has shone which has thrown long shadows across the sparkly snow. The lawn at the front of the house, which is free from human footsteps, looks like a sea of snow. I tried to take some artistic photos of it all. But I'm not very good at getting the photos that I see in my minds eye, and instead of producing something artistic it turns out pretty ordinary. I'll have to practice more!

The photo I've decided to post doesn't show the lawn at all. It is the view from the side of the house looking towards and into the forest.

Winter Wonderland

Well the snow has been with us properly since 12th January. As Mike says 'it's what we signed up for!' It looks lovely especially when the sun shines on it.

So we bought the skis, cross country variety. The only ones worth having according to our long standing Swedish friend. However Mike's not so keen, not fast enough or exciting enough for him. Me, I made a track to ski down on the road outside our house, (it's really a track, a gravel road). I managed to get a bit of speed going as it was down hill and it felt good. But then the snow plough came, so that was the end of that! Just as well I had gone in by then, I haven't learned how to stop yet! I think we will be trying out our skis at the cross country skiing track a couple of miles down the road. I think I will ask our long standing Swedish friend's wife for some tips. She cross country skis regularly.

Well if I don't post now I won't know how it looks and if I'm doing it right.

Here goes..........