Eva's Territory of Little Wonders

Life around the wet element

2010-08-18T16:49:00.005+03:00

In the wet parttime

Always in the wet

Mostly on the wet

Wet faith

Near the wet

Swollowed by the wet

Wetscapes

Wet collecting above

There's been a lot of drought this summer and the temperatures have been soring around the 30 degree celcius mark for periods at a time without any wind so this wet theme is close to my heart at the moment.

Luckily a bit cooler now and some showers are also happening lately. Also mega thunderstorms reaking havoc in their way. Luckily not in the area I live. We have been spared these trombs (like small hurricanes) that have taken lives, caused tremendous damages to the forests as well as buildings and rendered people stranded with roads no longer visible under the fallen trees and without electricity for weeks on end. Without electricity no phone lines nor running water. Also cell phones are functioning very badly as the signal keeps dissapearing.

I beleive parts of Sweden were effected by similar storms last summer.

Still the worst conditions have been in Russia with extreme heat and those mega forest fires causing enormous black smog in Moscow.

Global warming is surely already here.

Fairies - are for real

2010-08-02T23:03:00.002+03:00

Or what would you say about these creatures?

Wild life edition

2010-07-22T15:13:00.003+03:00

Apart from enjoying things just around the garden there is of course other things to be seen, either by the board walk or from the car passing to and fro the cottage.

Some kind of watery plant mysteriously swinging in the current

Little fish that gather up by the shallows each summer

Oops! It was gone

A geese parade

Then they took to flight

Funny how they don't crash into one another

Then there were only four swimming past the power plant

They just kept on swimming

The following day they flew past training hard to strengthen their wings for the autumn emigration

Closer by a group of ducks

Young fly catchers also were in training flying around for short distances and perching again quickly on tree branches

or the fence

Driving to town I saw a group of elks (amer. moose). Here is a young bull.

The farmer is perhaps less happy with these guests enjoying his crop

Here my more domestic wild life are having a bit of a tussle during a cooler evening hour

This is how they look in the daytime. Here included is little Vilma from the neighbours, who's staying with us for the week.

Flowers and Flies

2010-07-22T12:01:00.003+03:00

It's in the heat of summer and HEAT is the right word this year. That and drought. I'm yerning for some rain but it just keeps passing over the middle of Finland. Luckily at the cottage we have a 65 metre deep drill well into the granit rock so it has never yet dried up. In fact we were told that we are drinking ice age water. Well it is cold. Colder than refridgerated water anyway.

But due to frequent efforts in watering hundreds of litres every night we have managed to keep most of our flower borders ship shape. The lawn has had to be sacrificed.

Anyway it is a time for being lazy during the hot daylight hours. Sitting in the shade of our veranda mostly glaring into our garden pond and all that's going on around it. I could have called this post life around the garden pond too but of course we have lovely blooms all around the place. Not only at the back of the house.

As always I do not only enjoy the flowers but also all the insects buzzing around these blooms of joy. Photography is about as strenious as I can get during this continuing heat wave and that means loads of photos. Even then me and the dogs have to go and get frequent dips in between allthough waters that are 24-25 degrees don't much chill down.

But let's not make this into a novel. After all it is a picture blog.

Lilies

African Marigolds

Pansies

Excuse my dress code. This is all what one can wear these days.

Roses

Chrysantemums

Dahlias

Sedum

Mixed borders and rockery

Bone chewing dogs in the evening

Posing for mom

A bit of my little town garden too

A family gathering celebrating 50 years of cottage life

My nephew - the barbeque master

Burning love

Butterflies

Dragonflies

Practically impossible to get a picture of a dragonfly in flight. Hence this one is not sharp either.

This one nearly became a victim of the pond skaters

It had strength to climbe onto the edge though and the wing looks damaged but it managed to fly away after a while.

This one kept chasing butterflies but always landed down by the pond after a small flight

Such beautiful creatures up close

Perhaps a little frightening too

Other insects

This time of year wasps are fascinated by all sorts of small holes. This one is investigating between the cobbles by the pond.

Bumble Bees are just interested in the flowers all summer long

A grass hopper had landed on the curtain

A little green thing

Another green thing had met its fate in the pond

The pond skaters are the keep clean agents, ie. the vultures of the insect world

Here a fly is about to become food but it actually managed to crawl out of the water.

An exhausted bumble bee was not so lucky

It caused a regular feeding frenzy

I found it quite fascinating (in a morbid way) to view these dramatic events

Lets end this long parade of photos with a few more of our garden beauties that I don't know the english names of

To wrap it all up just a picture of what the drought is doing to the trees

Luckily not all trees and shrubs are shedding their leaves. Thus some little shade are provided for the dogs too.

Heat struck?

2010-07-11T16:27:00.005+03:00

Are you feeling hot and bothered? Would you just like to sit under a cold shower all day long? I would!

My friend Judy of Lilac Gate has come up with a brilliant remedy and I decided to follow suite. It allmost works :)

Do you feel cooler now?

Winter is a time for showing off! These doggy clothes are a hobby of mine.

Posing on the sea ice

This phenomena is what is called 'snow blindness'

Golden glow

Winter sunset

Snow dogs

A late afternoon in February

Snow lace

The sailing club hibernating in winter

Well, I hope you found some releaf from the heat at the moment through these wintery shots

Wings

2010-07-09T01:10:00.004+03:00

When the summer sun turns the sky nearly white it is nice to just sit and look up into it ...

... and dream of how it would feel like to float around high high up there

The blue of the sky where the sun is just in the opposite corner (if the sky can be divided into corners) is a gorgeous colour that one simply cannot get enough of ...

... and it is just fun to sit and do some plane spotting

even later on in the evening, when the colour has darkened substantially

Sometimes the sky clouds over but nevetheless ...

... it is nice to observe the wings up there

After a while the clouds might very well start to break up ...

... or take on a wonderful pink glow from the setting sun

Summer nights

2010-07-06T20:39:00.004+03:00

It has been a smashing summer so far. Today we had thunder but it never amounted to much. Only some very welcome and refreshing rain and a few small rumbles.
A good summer in these latitudes is by no means any guarantee and the past three summers have been somewhat dissapointing. Not so this year. Sunshine and heat have been pampering us in an abundance but there has been just enough rain to keep most things fresh and green. Not the grass mind you. Still grass recovers quite quickly.

The winter was cold and very heavily snowy so I'm happy that the summer has lived up to its name this year.

Particularly the summer nights are enjoyable as the daytime heat is just a bit too much to bear in the middle of the day. But the velvety soft nights are just lovely.

Mom in the cottage garden - early evening

The seaside meadow and orchide field during the golden hour

A single orchide. I whish you could smell it. The scent is intoxicating in the evening.

Sunset over the Fagervik bay

A summer night at the cottage

Tree tops painted by the evening sun

Smell the roses

The shade is preferable in the daytime

My little lettuce tray

Me and my 'gang' in my town patio

Lots of watering required

Darling, darling Ljuba - best dog ever

Always the clown - Rufino

Our little wild flower meadow at the cottage

I live here

The evening of mom's 80th birthday celebration at the cottage. I arranged a smallish surprise party and she was so very taken by it. Here most guests have departed and we had a small Bar-B-Q to wrap up the evening.

The dogs also rather stay indoors in the daytime. Lucia sitting, has had some trouble as I had to have re-sterilized (the original operation was done haphazardly), and she started to have rejection symptoms to the stitches. It has been a long and troublesome healing process but now it looks like it finally has started to dry up and perhaps we can finally spend some more time at the cottage.

What would one not do for these little furry friends.

Luckily I at least have some plants to tend in town too.

Here's whishing my few, but very loyal readers a great summer week.

Two steps back

2010-06-24T14:36:00.004+03:00

I decided to return for a moment to the wonderful spring. Summer is of course the best season in many ways but spring ... that tantalizing time of promises of what's to come. The joy of the first little green shoots, of the firts vibrant bird song, of everything springing to life all around every single moment, of the rapidly increasing day light hours. Then suddenly - swish - it is all so tenderly green and lushious, perfect without the flaws appearing later on in the summer, insects are humming in the air, flowers are bursting into bloom all around. It surely is in that respect the very season to behold.

Therefore I'm publicising a collection of photos from the spring time in this post.

End of April. There is spring in the air but the sea ice has not yet broken.

As of yet the warmth from the sun is best enjoyed inside in a nice sunspot

Outdoors is still a bit chilly but in the sun and sheltered from wind the chill is not so apparent

Beginning of May. The ice has broken and snow melted away but as of yet the green things are dormant, but only for a few days

Yet splashes of colour are provided by these cute little fungii ...

and the first little spring flowers

On closer inspection the little 'mouse ears' on the tree branches are already there

Birds everywhere have a very busy time

Our 'city' fox is not so handsome when the thick winter coat starts to fall off

Within a week the picture is already quite different

The pond lily leaves have just surfaced but not yet aquired there summer green colour

Fish are playing in the shallows and seeking for places to lay their spawn ...

and gulls keep a close eye on the menu of fish

The farmers fields are plowed and ready to start bringing up a new crop

The days are long and light. The upper photo was taken half past three in the morning.

The wonderfully scented Lily of the Valley litter the woodland floor

The garden looks so delicious that one could eat it

Oh the joy of the glorious spring flowers

Like sunshine on the ground

God's own creation looks no worse

It is just as wonderful to view and fill the lungs with the freshness of it all

Everywhere it's bristling with life

Pretty little things come and join our garden habitat with us

Warm spring evenings invite to sit down by the water and enjoy the late sunsets

The dogs enjoy soaking up the sun during the warmest part of the day ...

after which it is nice to cool down by splashing about in the water

Then there's the time for some other activities. Each to their own.

Oh you tender spring time, you have gone for this year but I still remember the injection of vitality that you inserted in me

I decided to blow new life into this blog ...

2010-06-22T01:19:00.004+03:00

and since we no longer live in the year 2009 I also changed everything about it - name and all.

Yes, I'm still live and kicking and have not forgotten about my dear hobby - photography.

I sincerely appologice to my finnish friends (if indeed I still have some after all this time - or any at all come to think of it) for concentrating only on one language from now on. Ie. english. In my lazyness I just find it simpler all round.

I really have no particular theme for this post (or for the blog in itself) so here I'll start with some random photos and collages of this and that

Inprisoned in a droplet

The inhabitant of the droplet web

The idyllic countryside

Our living garden

Summer friends in the garden

Drama in the nature

Beauty in nature

A family portrait

Filled with testosterone

Go away, I'm nesting here

A fairytail road

The sky is ablaze

The chinese pavillion

Mr Crane

Silver droplets

The gardener's joys

The lights of my life

Here endeth this path of delights that I have crossed ...

on some of my travels ...

Merry Christmas from winter wonder land

2009-12-23T01:11:00.002+02:00

Hope you all have a wonderful and festive season and good luck for 2010

Sky watch Friday - Over the coal harbour

2009-11-26T23:50:00.003+02:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Sylvia, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

Long time no see

2009-11-26T03:26:00.003+02:00

Yup! It's been a while. Suddenly I felt the urge to put in a few shots here. Dunno why.
Life is busy with three dogs and frequent visits to the forum for Spanish rescue dogs. So all other netting has been put on hold.
A bit unfortunate but perhaps I'll get into it slowly again. At least for a few of my favourite sites.
Anyway, here are some shots from this past time that I have been absent. I just thought of a reason too. Right now it's so damp, dark, murky and muddy - absolutely boring in fact - that some more colour is needed into this drab existance. What better way to do it than remembering the summer and early autumn gone.

Mist over the bay one September morning

A little lake

Part of the Fagervik bay

The seagull and the boat house

My bathing beauty

A sprinkler in action

Bubbles on the bottom of a pond

An idyllic summer scene

A power plant in the evening sun

The summer brook

A droplet

Another droplet

A third droplet

Streaming part of river

On a rowing trip

Another river scene

As it turns out it ended up beeing a rather wet post anyway. Well, these kinds of waters are more pleasant, I think, than the endless drizzle from the sky.

Luonnon ihmeitä ... The wonders of nature

2009-09-28T02:18:00.003+03:00

Olen ollut vieläkin kovasti varattuna toisaalla ja osasyynä on siihen alla oleva suurin ihme kaikista. Hän on uusi karvainen vauvani. Espanjan poika Rufino tuli ja valloitti pikku kokoonpanomme yhdellä silmäyksellä. Hurmaava, avoin, leikkisä ja pusutteleva nuori mies. Nyt koiria onkin sitten triplasti.

I have been occupied elsewhere still and partly it is because the biggest wonder of them all below. He is my new hairy baby. The spanish boy Rufino came and conquered our little flock in one glance. He is charming, open, playfull and full of kisses this young fellow. Now I have triplets.

Tässäpä ovatkin kaikki kolme ... Here we have all three

Vaan on niitä muitakin luonnon ihmeitä tullut kuvattua ... All the same I have caught other wonders of nature on camera too

Peuraperhe ... A deer family

Joutsenperhe ... A swan family

Hyönteinen, joka meni vähän solmuun ... An insect that got himself in a muddle

Toinenkin hyönteinen ... Another insect

Nättejä rantakukkia ... Pretty seaside flowers

Lentomuurahaisia ... Flying ants

Liskovauva ... A lizard baby

ja aikuinen ... and a grown up one

Sammakkovauvoja ... Frog babies

ja aikuinen ... and a grown up one

Harjoittelevat hanhet ... Geese in training

Yksittäinen peura ... A lone deer

Ruusunmarjoja ... Rose berries

Raparperin lehti ... A rhubarb leaf

Kiitos todellakin teille ihanille kommentoijille. Yritän ehtiä visiitille jonakin päivänä.
Thankyou to all you wonderful commentators. I shall try to pay you a visit one of these days.

Yltäkylläisyyden kausi ... The season of plenty

2009-09-17T20:53:00.003+03:00

Vielä on ripaus kesääkin jäljellä ... Still a smidgeon of summer is left too

Vaan pikkuhiljaa luonto valmistautuu pimeään kauteen ... Still the nature does slowly prepare for the dark season

Monta ihmeellistä asiaa voi luonnossa nähdä ... Many strange things can be seen in nature

Nämä muurahaiset ovat käyttäneet katajanmarjoja kekomateriaalina ... These ants have used juniper berries as building material for their ant hill

Kesän muistoja ... Memories of the summer

2009-09-13T15:05:00.003+03:00

Syys on jo täällä mutta vielä muistissa on kesän muistot. Tässäpä liuta minun kesämaisemiani.

Autumn is nigh but those summer memories are still fresh in my mind. Here is a load of my summer habitats.

Paljonhan näitä kertyy kun blogia päivittää harvakseen.

There's perhaps too many to choose from due to sporadic updating of this blog.

Elä ja anna toisten kuolla ... Live and let die

2009-08-21T16:26:00.003+03:00

Pienten saalistajien elämää ... The life of small preditors

Sky watch Friday N:o 58

2009-08-20T15:41:00.004+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

Allthough I've been quite absent of late from the blogworld apart from a few personal posts I've not stopped being fascinated by the sky. Hence I thought of making an entry for this week.

Over the rock face

More rocks

Hillside view

Over the reeds

Syksy saapuu ... Autumn approaches

2009-08-17T19:30:00.000+03:00

Kesämökkinäkymiä ... Summer cottage views

2009-08-07T19:26:00.004+03:00

Tervetuloa Lindheimiin ... Welcome to Lindheim

Etupihaa ... Front garden

Vierastupa ... Guest house

Lisää etupihaa ... More from the front

Kaksoismännyt ... Twin pines

Katolta katsottuna ... Seen from the roof

Aidan vierustaa ... By the fence

Osa kivikkoryhmää ... Part of the rockery

Toinen puoli kivikosta ... More of the rockery

Takapiha ja lampi ... Back garden and the pond

Sama toiselta kantilta ... The same from another view point

Aurinkoterassin reunus ... The edge of the sun terras

Toinenkin reunus ... The other edge too

Kalliot ... The rocks

Maksaruohoja ... Sedum

Alapuutarhaa ... The lower garden

Laituri ja soutuvene ... The board walk and rowing boat

Lucia laiturilla ... Lucia on the board walk

Lucia lammella ... Lucia by the pond

Äitini nauttimassa kesästä ... My mother enjoying the summer

My new baby

2009-07-31T23:06:00.003+03:00

Lucia is her name

and she came to me from Spain

She's young and elegant

and sweet and very pleasant

Both my girls got on so well from the start

and both of them are equally as smart

Kärpästen maailma ... The world of the flies

2009-07-26T01:45:00.003+03:00

Nauti kesästä ... Enjoy the summer

Sillä se voi olla viimeinen kesäsi ... For it can be your last one

Kärpäsiäkin on monissa väreissä ... Flies too are found in many colours

Karvaisiakin on ... Others are quite hairy

Herkkä hetki ... A tender moment

Saarnaaja asento on pop kärpäsilläkin ... The preacher position is popular with flies too

Oh deer what ears and scales on skins or tails like fins and heads like pins!

2009-07-24T22:15:00.004+03:00

Sky Watch Friday N:o 50 - Summer skies

2009-06-26T13:31:00.004+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

Perhaps it isn't such a good idea to participate now as I'm off to the cottage and cannot comment on other entries but I guess I can do so when I'm popping back to town from time to time. So I'm doing it anyway.

Summer sky over the tree tops

Drive by photo over some fields and there's thunder in the air.

View over the bay at our cottage

A trip to the seaside with Ljuba

Here's whishing all of you a great weekend and great skies over your heads.

Eläinvauvoja osa III ... Animal babies part III

2009-06-24T23:05:00.003+03:00

Laulurastas perhe ... The Song Thrush family

Silkkiuikku perhe ... The Grebe family

Eläinvauvoja osa II ... Animal babies part II

2009-06-17T17:56:00.003+03:00

Joutsen perhe ... The swan family

Ootteko kaikki koossa? ... Are you all assembled?

Katsokaapas kun mamma näyttää miten joutsen-kävellään ... Look and learn as mommy shows how to do the swan walk

Hei älkää tönikö! ... Hey stop pushing!

Mamman ja papan välissä on turvallista ... Between mommy and daddy is safe to be.

Pikavisiitti/eläinvauvoja osa I ... French visit/animal babies part I

2009-06-16T13:17:00.003+03:00

En ole tekemässä mitään suurempaa paluuta blogimaailmaan mutta ajattelinpa julkaista muutamia söpöjä kuvia luonnon lastentarhasta kuitenkin.

Not planning any kind of major comeback to the blog world yet but thought I would publisize a few cute pictures from nature's cresh anyway.

Pieni rusakkovauva ... A little brown hare baby

Mmmm kuinka hyvälle kukat tuoksuukin .... Mmmm how nice the flowers smell

Ruohonkorsi suupielessä ... Grass straw in the corner of the mouth

Kukkatutti pupunen ... Flower dummy bunny

Olen piilossa, luulen ... I am hidden, I think

Tauko ... Break

2009-06-02T20:34:00.003+03:00

Haluan ilmaista lämpimät kiitokseni kaikille ystävilleni blogimaailmassa osoittamastanne mielenkiinnosta ja myötätunnosta. Se on merkinnyt minulle todella paljon. Nyt juuri tunnen sellaista voimattomuutta, etten jaksa kovasti blogeihini keskittyä. Toivon jaksavani palata blogimaailmaan pian uusin voimin. Tällä hetkellä pidän kuitenkin luovaa taukoa. Sillä välin haluan toivotella teille kaikille ihanaa kesää.

Kaikkea hyvää toivotellen,

Tarolino

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to express my sincere thanks to all my friends in the blog world for your interest and support. It has been a real source of strength to me. At this point I have a feeling of such fatigue that I feel I must keep an inspirational break from my blogs for a while. I hope to return soon enough with new strength to this wonderful blog world. In the meanwhile I'd like to whish all of you a lovely summer.

All the best to you from,

Tarolino

Elämää maalla ... Life in the country

2009-05-26T22:03:00.004+03:00

Koirablogiani en kykene edelleenkään päivittämään enkä pahemmin katsomaankaan kun siellä on niitä Lucan kuvia joten tulkoon tänne luontoblogiini toistaiseksi muiden kuvien ohessa Ljubankin kuvat. Viikonloput maalla ovat terapeuttisia kun saa kaivella multaa kunnes sänkyyn kaatuu ja ihastella maaseudun kauneutta ja elämää.

My doggy blog is still of the limits for me. I cannot yet quite even look at it as there are so many pictures of Luca there. Hence I will post photos of Ljuba in my nature blog for now alongside with other pictures. The weekends in the country are very therapeutic when one can dig in the soil till one drops in bed and enjoy the beauty of the countryside and the life within.

Rantaniityn punkkimagneetti ... The seaside meadow tick collector

Mitä? Onks tääl punkkeja? ... What? Are there ticks here?

Näin minä pesen ne itsestäni pois ... I'll wash them away from myself like this

Ljuban mökkinaapuri Saku, joka aina kuolaa reippaasti Ljuban nähtyään. Ljubassa on sitä jotain mikä saa pojat kuolaamaan ... Ljuba's cottage neighbour Saku, who always drools heavily at the sight of her. She's got that something to make the boys drool.

Vasikat kevätlaitumella ... Calfs on spring pastures

Utelias ... Inquisitive

Laiturin lokit (kävis bändinkin nimeksi ja yhtä äänekkäitä olivat) ... The board walk gulls (could be the name of a rock group too and they were just as noisy)

Tämä pikkuinen oli huomattavan hiljaisempaa sorttia ... This little one was of a lot more quiet nature

Luuli kai kyyhky olevansa hyvinkin piilossa kun ei mihkään liikkunut ... This pigeon must have thought that it was well hidden and would not budge from the spot

Tämä värikäs harakka ei ruohomättään maastoutumissuojaan niinkään uskonut ... The colourful magpie had no such confidence in the camouflage quality of a tuft of grass

Nokikana halusi kai vain poseerata ... The coot possibly just wanted to pose

Maaseudun maisemia ... Countryside landscapes

Maalla ... On land

Rannalla ... By the shore line

Merellä ... Over the sea

Uusia lehtiä ... New leaves

Ikivihreä vanhus ... Evergreen oldie

Vesilisko lammessa ... A newt in the pond

Toinen lammen asukki ... Another pond dweller

Liljakukko, joka pääsi kuvaan ja kuoli. Näitä kun emme lijoihimme halua. ... A lily beetle that had its picture taken and then died. These we do not want eating up our lilies.

Murkut vanhassa kannossa ... Ants in an old tree stump

Missäs olet ukko koko illan luuhannut kun keon suursiivous on meneillään?! ... And where have you husband been hiding all evening when we have the spring clean of the ant hill?!

Perhosten mukana liihotellut tietenkin ... Been fluttering about with the butterflies no doubt

Jos rouva muurahainen ottais vähän rennommin niinkuin me päiväperhot niin elämäkin sujuis kuin siivillä ... If Mrs ant would take things a bit lighter like us butterflies her life too would just fly along

Niinhän se on meillä ihmisilläkin. Toiset ovat arjen puurtajia ja toiset liitelevät kepeästi paikasta toiseen. ... This how it is with us humans too. Some of us are hard workers while others flutter about from one place to another.

A cheer me up -award from Valkyrien and Ebie

2009-05-21T22:02:00.003+03:00

Having great friends that are so sweet and thoughtful in times like these is a true treasure. Two of these, Valkyrien (a blogger extraordinaire) and Ebie (who has a wonderful blog too) have been so sweet and yeat found time to cheer me up with a lovely award as well.

I cannot thank them enough and also do visit their blogs. They are just that bit extra so you will not be sorry.

Vielä kukat jaksaa tuottaa iloa ... The flowers will bring some joy still

2009-05-21T20:18:00.009+03:00

Tässä siis viimeaikaisia kukkaiskuvia, sekä mökiltä että luonnosta. Samalla haluan kiittää saamastani osanotosta ja tuesta teitä rakkaat blogiystäväni. Olen nyt työharjoittelussa ja siellä kun on paljon ihania ikäihmisiä suuren avun tarpeessa niin sekin pitää kiinni arjessa kuten tietenkin ihana Ljuba koirani.

Here are various flower pictures that I have been taking lately, both from the cottage and in nature. I also want to thank all of you dear blog friends for the kindness and support I have received from you. I am now in work training at the moment and there are so many wonderful senior citizens in need of a lot of help so that keeps me hanging on to everyday life not to speak of my lovely Ljuba dog.

Luonnon kukkaisantimia / Nature's flowery gifts:

Metsä-orvokki / Common Dog Violet

Keto-orvokki / Wild Pansy

Suo-orvokki / Marsh Violet

Mustikka / Billberry flowers

Pikkukäenrieska / Least Gagea

Rentukka, Vuokot ja Kevättaskuruoho / Marsh Marigold, Woodanenemies and Pennycress

Kesämökin aarteita / Cottage treasures:

Tulppaaneita, Esikoita, Narsisseja / Tulips, Primulas, Narcissus

Luonnonvaraisen ja viljeltyjen esikkojen (omatekoisia) risteytymiä / (Unintentional) hybrids between the natural Cowslip and cultivated Primulas

Jalokiurunkannus / Corydalis Nobilis

Kevätvuohenjuuri ja kyläilijä / Doronicum Orientale and a visitor

Vaan hän on se suurin ilonaiheeni / But she is my greatest source of joy

Aluksi hän etsiskeli kaveriaan tutuilta poluiltamme mutta ei enää / At first she was searching for her friend at our usual walk sigths but not anymore

Today's flowers No 40 - in memory of a lost friend

2009-05-17T23:35:00.004+03:00

This Sunday meme is hosted by Luis Santilli Jr, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
To participate and/or view wonderful blooms click on the above icon.

My flowers today are my small miniature roses here in my little town garden. They are my tribute to my darling Luca who passed away on Friday and talk about my great sadness and loss.

I still find it hard to think about him without tears running down my cheeks and a great lump sticking in my throat but I did want to pay my little hairy friend this tribute here in my blog.

For myself I have chosen the Bleeding Heart and Forget-Me-Nots that were flowering in our cottage garden. No other flowers could express my inner turmoil better.

Also I will try to visit as many as possible of you but please don't be offended if I still haven't got the strength to comment very much.

Suokaa anteeksi ... Please forgive me

2009-05-15T22:57:00.002+03:00

En kykene juuri nyt keskittymään blogielämään enkä vastaamaan viesteihin, joita olen kommenttilaatikkooni saanut. Tänään klo 18 nukkui rakas Lucani pois sylissäni ja olen siitä aivan rikki sisältäni.

I cannot at the moment concentrate on blogging or answering those messages that I have in my comment box. My darling Luca slept away today in my lap at 18 hours and I'm completely torn apart inside.

Ikävä on ääretön ... I miss him so terribly

Sky Watch Friday N:o 44 - Chasing a pot of gold

2009-05-14T22:13:00.003+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

I know for a fact that there is a pot of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow. Seems if I drive along this road I'll come right to it.

Hang on! Now there's two of them. So which one hides the pot of gold and which one is the imposter?

I see it! I see it! Gleaming right there on the other side of the bay.

Oh well. Seems like that prospect too went up in a huff of smoke.

Happy Sky Watching everyone!

Watery Wednesday N:o 35 - Calm or gushing, which do you prefer?

2009-05-13T21:24:00.002+03:00

Watery Wednesday is hosted by 2sweetnsaxy. Jump in your canoo and go for a splash around in the watery parts of our planet by clicking on the above icon.

An evening image of the little summer cafe at the Soukka marina while it still was more or less empty of boats

A detail of lake Hannus where I often walk my dogs

The rapids from the Espoo manor area, that has been figuring here at different interwalls before too

They split into two in one place and here's the more narrow part of the same rapids

Happy cyber splashing everyone

Kaikenlaista ... All sorts

2009-05-12T19:56:00.003+03:00

Kevääseen kuuluu pienet kasvinalut, jotka työntyvät mullasta ylös.
The spring brings new small plants pushing up from the soil.

Kevääseen kuuluu sininen taivas ja pitkät valoisat illat.
The spring brings blue skies and long light evenings.

Kevääseen kuuluu ensimmäiset puiden siemenriipukkeet.
The spring brings the first seed strands on the trees.

Kevääseen kuuluu perhoset.
The spring brings the butterflies.

Kevääseen kuuluu myös vesisateet.
The spring also brings showers.

Kevääseen kuuluu puiden kukinnot.
The spring brings flowering trees.

Vaahtera / Maple

Kirsikka / Cherry

Kevääseen kuuluu myös ensimmäiset ukkoset.
The spring brings also the first thunder storms.

Ukkonen saattaa myös tuoda mukanaan rajun raekuuron.
Thunder can bring with it also a hefty hail storm.

Kevätkukat saavat kestää kaikenlaista.
Springflowers have to put up with all sorts.

Kevät tuo mukanaan paljon uutta ja ihmeellistä uteliaan koiran elämään.
Spring brings a lot of new and wonderus things to a curious dog's life.

Erilaiset äänetkin kiinnittävät valppaan koiran huomion.
Different sounds attract the attention of an alert dog.

Kevät tuo mukanaan kalamiesten jättämät, ah niin herkulliset, kalanperkuutkin.
Spring brings with it the, oh so delicious, fish heads and guts left by the fishing people.

Today's Flowers No 39 - From the cottage garden

2009-05-10T20:53:00.004+03:00

This Sunday meme is hosted by Luis Santilli Jr, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
To participate and/or view wonderful blooms click on the above icon.

Two hairy friends in front of the early spring tulips

Tulips and scilla

Close-up on tulip and striped squill

Single tulip

Daffodil

Close-up on scilla

Primula

The very first forget-me-not

Cowslip (a natural variety but welcome in our garden)

Hyvää viikonloppua ... Happy weekend

2009-05-08T19:02:00.003+03:00

Olen siis jälleen mökillä pari päivää. Samalla kiitän kauniisti ihanasta tunnustuksesta jonka sain jälleen Zilgalta. Zilga antoi sen ystävyyden merkiksi ja sekös erityisesti lämmittää mieltäni. Vähän aikaa pidän sitä ihan itselläni kunnes päätän kenelle sen annan edelleen. Isot halit sinulle Zilga.

Käykää Zilgan blogissa. Se on hieno.

I am again heading to the cottage for a couple of days. At the same time I want to thank Zilga for the wonderful award that she has given me as e token of friendship (as seen above). That in particular warms my heart very much. I shall keep it for a while until I have decided who I will forward it to. A big hug to you Zilga.

Visit Zilga's blog. It is wonderful.

Sky Watch Friday N:o 43 - Clouds

2009-05-07T22:27:00.005+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

I seem to be guesthost this week. It's nice to be up in the limelight. LOL. No seriously it was such a incredible sunset. I've never ever seen a sky like it. Yellow yes. Red yes. Pink yes. But never orange. It was quite a magical moment that did not last very long. Hence I thought that finally I have one that I dare to put for guesthost picture. I mean the previous ones have all been so extra special, that any kind of sky just would not do.

But now I'll show quite different skies in this blog of mine. Here I will give in to one of my follies, which is clouds. They just fascinate me, as you will see.

Happy sky watching everyone!

Mökki detaljeja ... Cottage details

2009-05-07T00:46:00.004+03:00

Uutta kasvua ... New growth

Kummajaisia ... Alien things

Pisaratimantti ... Droplet diamond

Hyönteisiä ... Insects

Matelijoita ... Cold blooded creatures

Pesäntekopuuhia ... Nest building

Kurki ... Crane

Lähinaapureita ... Close neighbours

Herkkuja ... Delicacies

Vesiä ... Waters

Hiilivuori ... Coal mountain

Puutarhalammen kulma ... A corner of the garden pond

Maaseutua ... Countryside

Iloisia koiria ... Happy dogs

Hiirenkorvia ... New leaves

Taivasta ja puuluuranko ... The sky and a tree skeleton

Watery Wednesday N:o 34 - Boats

2009-05-06T12:01:00.005+03:00

Watery Wednesday is hosted by 2sweetnsaxy. Jump in your canoo and go for a splash around in the watery parts of our planet by clicking on the above icon.

This time my entry is concentrated on different kinds of 'boats'.

An old fishing trawler that don't anymore leave the shore but is used by the family, who owns it, as a summer cottage in a sense. The children like having meals there and also like to sleep over on warm nights.

A motorized boat in the Tapiola marina

A sailing boat in the Soukka marina waiting for some action. The rocky hill in the background is called Kasavuori. It was used during the war as a signaling place due to it's height and proximity to open sea.

A man laying out fishing nets from a rowing boat and a hopefull seagull keeping him company. In the background is a small island with a couple of cottages on it. Last winter I walked around it with my dogs.

A coalship delivering coal to the Inkoo coal harbour in early April (hence the ice still lying on a big part of the sea). This harbour lies close to our summer cottage opposite side of the same bay as where we have our own personal stretch of water. That is normally counted so that it's the with of the plot of land and 200 metres out from the shoreline.

Metsäretkellä ... Walking in the woods

2009-04-30T13:02:00.003+03:00

Olen poissa kotoota tiistaihin asti mutta yritän vastailla palattuani.

I'm away from home until Tuesday but will try to respond at my arrival.

Tämän vappunaamarin kera toivottelen Hauskaa Vappua!
With this First-of-May masque I'll bid you all Happy First of May!

Today's Flowers No 38 - Some new ones

2009-04-30T12:13:00.004+03:00

This Sunday meme is hosted by Luis Santilli Jr, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
To participate and/or view wonderful blooms click on the above icon.

I find wild growing mosses and other things in the forest as beautiful as those glorious products of man's creativity. The Heather in fact is carrying last year's flowers as they do flower in the autumn with pink flowers but still, the dead ones are pretty too.

I just love to follow the developments on those spring trees and shrubs this time of year even if everything in this collage is not just flowers.

These are all new arrivals for the week in nature except for the woodeanenemies. I had to incorporate them as I've seldom seen ones that pure blue and that thickly growing.

The gardener's joys. New ones are the Daffodil buds (I saw some that were partly open but liked this picture more), the Striped Squill (also called Puschkinia) and the Hyacinth

I shall not be home until Tuesday but will try to respond to you then at the latest. In the meanwhile thankyou for your interest.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sky Watch Friday N:o 42 - Sea moods

2009-04-30T11:44:00.005+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

Between the rocks in Kopparnas

Over the Laurinlahti bay

Towards the bottom of the Laurinlahti bay

Over the Kivenlahti bay

A sunset over the Kivenlahti bay a couple of weeks ago

Another view of the same sunset

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Härski Kanadan hanhi ... The cheeky Canada goose

2009-04-29T18:54:00.003+03:00

Pitemmittä puheitta päätelkää itse kuka haluaa olla kukkulan kuningas

Without any further ado decide for yourselves who wants to be king of the hill

Minun henkilökohtainen kauneushoitolani ... My personal beauty salon

Hei kaveri, sopisiko joukkoon ... Hey mate, could we join you there

Rasittaa noi tunkeilijat ... Pushy guys are so irritating

Jospa käyttäisi hieman pelottelutaktiikkaa ... Perhaps some scare tactics would be beneficial

Tämähän onkin hauskaa ... Hey, this is a load of fun

Apua, korstohan on ihan hurjana ... Help, that big guy is totally out of control

Kukahan se on se kukkulan kuningas näillä vesillä ... Who is the king of the hill in these waters now

Krokotiilikierroksia ja tuuletusta ... Crododile rolls and general celebration

Niinpä niin. Sillä välin valkoposkihanhet valloittavat maakaistaleen ... Yeah! Meanwhile the Barnacle geese take over the strip of land

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Watery Wednesday N:o 33 - Stonebay at night

2009-04-29T01:06:00.004+03:00

To participate in this meme hosted by 2sweetnsaxy just click on the above icon

Sea views after sunset

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Tiedotus asiaa ... Informative post

2009-04-29T00:44:00.004+03:00

Ajanpuute hallitsee kovasti elämääni viime aikoina ja nyt on ollut pakko todeta, etten vaan voi olla kaikissa haasteleikeissä mukana. Toki tiedän, että varsinaisia lukijoita ei blogillani ole kuin kymmenisen vaikka seurantalista toki on pitempi. Se kyllä riittää vallan hyvin kun itsekin aktiivisesti seurailen noin kymmeniä blogeja päivittäin ja muita sitten ajoittain lisää. Jatkossa tulen siis osallistumaan keskiviikkoiseen Watery Wednesday haasteeseen, perjantaisin Sky Watch Friday haasteeseen ja sunnuntaisin Today's Flowers haasteeseen. Muut päivät ovat omille valinnaisille kuvilleni. Milloin mitäkin.

Lokkien leikit

A lack of time is dominating my world lately and now I have had to make the decision to reduce the memes I'm participating in. Of course I realise that actual readers to my blog is about 10 or so even if the followers list is longer. That's quite okay since I myself like to follow actively about ten blogs and then a few more on occaisions. In future I want to continue with the memes Watery Wednesday, Sky Watch Friday and Today's Flowers on Sundays. The other days will be for my own pictures of choice. Whatever whenever.

Dancing gulls

My World Tuesday - Flowers and Birds

2009-04-28T05:21:00.006+03:00

To show off your world and view other worlds around the globe just click on the above icon.

My World Tuesday is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. A big thankyou to all of our wonderful hosts.

Spring is such glorious time. The best time to do birdwatching and then there are such wonderful amounts of bright springflowers in the parks and nature

Today's edition comes from a place called:

It is the fairly modern commercial center of the town Espoo (right next to Helsinki), where I live, but also offers a lot of nature and parks. It's not as such a new area but has undergone a lot of changes and new developments in the recent years. A recent introduction but from a different perspective to this same area was given by Chrome3 for MWT.

Here is an architectural view to start with. This is the hotel Tapiola Garden behind a pool of water. Two in fact. A big square one and this small round one in front.

Walking along we come to this bridge crossing a narrow channel

There I saw this bird that I've only seen in pictures before. It's called an Oyster Catcher.

In the park, where the grass would turn green if we had some rain, two Seagulls were kissing while a Magpie respectfully turned the other way

Continuing the walk I noticed how the new leaves were bursting out on trees and shrubs.

Also the Lark tree is making new soft needles

In the brook the Water Irises are already tall and soon they'll have their glorious yellow flowers

The Lupin leaves were already quite big too

Walking along the walkway amongst shady trees ...

... we come past the marina, where not too many boats were out in the water yet.

In places the white Woodanenemies were growing like a carpet on the woodland floor

In other more open spaces the Coltsfoot was specled on the ground like little suns

We come past a carpet of Bird-in-a-bush flowers (a natural variety)

This Magpie had found something under a bush ...

... while this Blackbird ...

... and this Field Fare were considering jumping into one to hide from the camera

Then we walk past a field of Striped Squill flowers ...

... and arrive to a field of blue Scilla flowers

At one point we walked passed some red Osier Dogwood shrubs. Only these were actually both red and green on the same branches. I've never seen that before. Only seen either red or green one coloured shrubs.

Finally we arrive at the seaside bay, which Tapiola is situated at.

There I saw a pair of Eurasian Wigeons

I also saw a pair of Tufted Ducks allthough the tufts aren't really visible in this photo.

There were lots of Barnacle Geese there ...

... and a Canada Goose as well

The pussywillows and many other trees and shrubs were already flowering ...

... while others had already gone to seed

Turning back we cross the bridge over the Ring I road (there are three ringroads around the Helsinki area) ...

... and walk past this water tower

In one place near the center of Tapiola a pipe with a bit of a differense was sticking up behing an apartment house

So we have taken our walk and have come back to the center part.

There's a lot to take in but this is just to give you an overall view of what I saw and experienced on this walk, which I would not have taken you on had I not left my car in for service a bit earlier and wanted to just kill some time before it would be ready to collect again.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Today's Flowers No 37 - Spring is here to stay

2009-04-26T11:30:00.002+03:00

This Sunday meme is hosted by Luis Santilli Jr, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
To participate and/or view wonderful blooms click on the above icon.

I'm still stuck on those nature's little spring glories that we have around. This time of year it's easy to count the new arrivals in both nature and garden. Later so many different species come at once that it is no longer possible.

The Coltsfoot you already know but they are now out in big numbers all over the place.

Same goes for the blue (pink/purple) Woodanenemies. The forest floor is now totally littered with them in places where the light conditions are right.

These white Woodanenemies are new for the week and have just started in the sunnier places. In a week or so they will cover the ground in many places.

The Pussywillows are also flowering now and the Bumble Bees have woken up. A small white one here.

In the gardens there are Grape Hyacinths, Scilla and Spring Iris among other spring flowers. As you can gather Pussywillows are among my favourite subjects. Especially like this when the light comes from behind.

A yellow Bumble Bee busying itself in a Crocus. There's a lot of saffron material on it (saffron comes from crocuses).

Hope you enjoyed these northern beauties and look forward to seeing all your wonderful blooms of the week.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Elämä ympärillämme ... The life around us

2009-04-26T00:28:00.004+03:00

Merirokkoja veden rajassa ... Barnacles at the waters edge

Vesimittarit ovat heränneet ... The pond skaters have woken up

Pelästytin rusakon kävellessäni ja hölmö otus alkoi juosta lähes kohtisuoraan minuun päin.
I startled up a hare on my walks and the silly thing started to run nearly straight at me.

Tässä näkyy että sen toinen korva oli pahasti halki. Mietin mikähän trauma jänistä on kohdannut. Ehkäpä koira tai kettu.
Here you can see that one of his ears was split in half. I wonder what trauma he had been subjected to. Perhaps a dog or a fox.

Räkättirastas puussa ... A field fare in a tree

Nuoret joutsenet lentävät siistissä rivissä rannan tuntumassa.
Young swans flying in a tidy row along the shore line.

Tässä onkin tutumpi hahmo tullut ihmettelemään mitä jännää se mamsi sieltä lammikosta löytää.
Here we have a more familiar figure come to see what mommy thinks is so interesting in that pond.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Bird stories

2009-04-25T02:25:00.003+03:00

This is a sort of way of getting use of all those bird shots I've got into lately. Somehow they lend themselves quite easily to cartoons with a bit of imagination. Or what do you think?

The Coote story

Party Pooper:

The Swan stories

Vanity Fair:

Vanishing court:

The Grebe stories

The Groom:

Bermuda Triangle:

The Adultery:

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sky Watch Friday N:o 41 - Over the rooftops

2009-04-24T02:39:00.005+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a very popular meme that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Wren and Fishing Guy. To view some wonderful skies or participate in the meme just click on the above banner.

This week my skies will those seen right outside from where I live.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Valokuvatorstai 129 - Autio

2009-04-23T11:37:00.004+03:00

Voit osallistua haasteeseen tai käydä katsomassa muiden osallistujien luovuuden hedelmiä klikkaamalla yo. nappia.

Haasteena on siis 'Autio' jonka Thicacu on ehdottanut ja vastaan haasteeseen ao. katumaisemalla.

Öisin tämä katu on aika autio

The challenge of today's Thursday meme 'Photographic Thursday' is desolate. At night that street above is pretty desolate.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Watery Wednesday N:o 32 - A confused little friend

2009-04-22T16:06:00.009+03:00

Watery Wednesday is hosted by 2sweetnsaxy. Jump in your canoo and go for a splash around in the watery parts of our planet by clicking on the above icon.

I have a new little friend that my heart go out to, since my friend the Dipper living by the Espoo manor rapids over the winter has departed up north to Lappland.

The rapids where I also saw a swimming Otter some time ago trying to snatch the Dipper.

A male Teal caught my attention a few weeks back as he was swimming around in my local brook with a pair of Mallards. He seemed to be following the much larger female Mallard around very tightly and oddly enough the male of the pair didn't seem to mind.

This was the first sighting about three weeks ago

From the first sighting, I thought the Teal would dissapear as soon as the sea would melt down. I felt strongly that he should be with his own kind. Also I've never before seen a Teal this far up on land.

Two weeks later I saw the same threesome again. They were walking around in a muddy ditch right next to the walkway with dogs, bicycles, walkers and joggers passing by. The same scenario was still going on with the Teal hanging on to the female Mallard and the male Mallard not minding.

Close up on the confused Teal and the object of his heart's desire

Today, yet one week later, I saw the Teal again in the brook but this time he was on his own. My guess would be that getting close to the nesting season the male Mallard finally chased his clingy rival on his way. A Teal would be no match for a much larger Mallard. This made me feel so very sad for the Teal. Sociable birds should not be on their own. Still there's not much to do but to hope that the Teal will take to his wings and fly away to find his own kind sometimes soon. At least he has some water and plenty of vegetation to feed on in the meantime and also he is physically okay as he took to his wings when I came closer.

My lonely little friend.

Kollaaseja ... Collages

2009-04-21T23:30:00.003+03:00

Sammaleet ja jäkälät ... Mosses and lichens

Linnut ... Birds

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

My World Tuesday - Nature parade

2009-04-21T18:28:00.005+03:00

This week I'll not concentrate on architecture as there is just so much happening in nature that it deserves a presentation. A lot of photos are not of any beauty value as they are taken just so far away but nevertheless I want to record what I have seen and when as the spring moves forward so fast.

Here on a plowed farmer's field the Great Snipes had arrived and were feeding around a puddle of melted snow

In the same field were also many Lapwings that have been quite rare in resent years due to the ditches from fields dissapearing as they all seem to be more and more drained underground and so they have no nesting sites.

The Pied Wagtails had arrived already at Easter.

A load of Canada Geese that have stopped to feed on another field

Also the deer come more out in the open during the last of the daylight. This is a male Whitetail Deer. Would that be buck?

Here we have a female or is it a hind?

The Cormorants have arrived too.

As have the Great Crested Grebes

This is two flying male Goldeneye ducks looking for females.

Here we have a pair of Goosanders landing on water.

A pair of Mute Swans has established the shore where our summer cottage is as their territory after a lot of flapping and posing to a rival pair.

These Goosanders and Goldeneyes had already paired up and are planning to nest just outside the water's edge at our cottage too.

We have these reedbeds there so we always get a lot of nesting seabirds around our area. Having said that, just like many smaller birds, Goldeneyes often nest in hollow trees. We have such a tree in our yard. It's a very tall pine and was originally hollowed out by a Woodpecker but now Goldeneyes have used it for many years and squirrels use it as a winter nest too cleaning out all the down etc. left by the birds when autumn comes.

A lot of flying about is happening at the moment. Here is some Mallard ducks in flight

Here we have two male and one parcially showing female Eider.

In the tree a Hooded Crow shelters from the cold wind while the Seagull embraces it.

The Gulls kept doing a lot of aerial acrobatics.

As you can see the bay where our cottage lies was still parcially frozen in the middle last weekend. That yellow house is not our cottage but on the opposite side from our shoreline.

This is My World Tuesday that is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Wren, Sandy, Louise and Fishing Guy.
To participate please click on the below icon.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Today's Flowers No 36 - Natural and garden varieties

2009-04-20T18:31:00.002+03:00

This Sunday meme (I'm a day late) is hosted by Luis Santilli Jr, Denise Gullickson, Laerte Pupo, Denise B. Castro
To participate and/or view wonderful blooms click on the above icon.

Finally during Easter there were some natural flowers other than Coltsfoot flowering, even if it still is very cold for the time of year. Nights go below zero. Also in our cottage garden some development had started to happen.

Here is first my wild flower section

The above mentioned Coltsfoot. Like little suns in the dried grass.

Blue woodanenemies. As the name suggests they grow in the woods and require dappled light to florish. They always come out before the leaves on the trees. Later on we'll have the white ones too.

New fresh leaves of some seaside plant. Don't quite know which one but the leaves are pretty.

Flowering Alder tree

Then we have the cultivated section:

Many crocuses had alreade come up. They don't so much mind the cold.

In front is a lot of tulip leaves but no flowers yet. There are different varieties in that bed flowering from May to mid June.

The snow drops are usually the first to come and the ones we have are not planted there but just appeared one year and have multiplied on their own since then. Must have been seeded by some bird.

Close up of Snowdrop

Also Daffodil leaves are showing up in the spring border but not yet flowering so I bought a pot of miny daffs to brigten up the day. In the autumn I'll plant the bulbs in the ground but as of yet they are still flowering very well due to the chilly wheather.

Close up on daffodil

In the same pot also grows some Pearl Hyacinths (no idea if that is the correct name)

This is how they look like before the flowers open. We have many of these too in the cottage but they also come up a bit later on free land allthogh the leaves are well visible.

The first Scilla were already in flower but not quite opened up yet so I did not take a picture of them.

I cannot resist putting in one more picture of my Easter cactus. It's still flowering nicely.

Close up of cactus flower.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sunday scenery - A moment at the seaside

2009-04-18T03:58:00.003+03:00

Sunday scenery is hosted by Tarheel Ramblings. To view a scenic world or participate please click the below icon.

As I'm away for the weekend I have posted this early, even if I will then add my name to Mr Linky on my return.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Keväthullut ... Spring mad

2009-04-18T01:54:00.003+03:00

Aattelinpa että nämäkin kuuluvat toistuviin teemoihini mutta laitoin ne nyt erikseen.

I thought that these too belong to my reocurring themes but decided to post them separately.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Toistuva teema ... Reocurring theme

2009-04-18T00:24:00.006+03:00

Inkivääri heitti haasteella. Pitää fundeerata mikä on sellainen toistuva teema mikä tulee aina uudestaan omiin kuviin. Ts. mikä on se asia mikä kiehtoo eniten. No olisin tietty voinut laittaa tänne vastaukseksi kuvia koiristani mutta se ei yksin riitä. Mitä sitten? Kuvailenhan kaikkea yhtä suurella innolla. Niin makrokuvia pienen pienistä yksityiskohdista kuin maisemakuvia suurista aloista ja kaikkea siltä väliltä. Vaan on oikeastaan kaksi asiaa jotka palaavat kuviini aina vaan uudestaan. Molemmat yhtä vaihtelevia. Toinen on taivas ja toinen meri. Lisäksi taivas ja meri kuuluvat minusta yhteen. Tai siis meri taivaan kanssa. Ei kylläkään päinvastoin. Toki merta kuvaan välillä ilmankin taivasta taustanaan ja toimiihan sekin mutta dramaattisimmat kuvat saa kun on taivas/meri yhdistelmä. Tämä päivä oli sellainen, että ei tarvitse ns. merta edemmäs mennä saadakseen vaikka kuinka monta esimerkkiä juuri tästä väittämästä. Yhden tunnin aikana Kopparnäsissa ollessamme koirien kanssa tapahtui niin dramaattisia käänteitä molempien elementtien väreissä, tunnelmassa ja valossa useita kertoja että näin ei usein tapahdu viikonkaan sisään. Alussa on kuitenkin kolme muuta kuvaa, joista näkee miten kevät on edennyt merellä vähän yli viikon sisään.

Inkivääri gave me a challenge. I have to think about such a reacurring theme that returns into my photos time and again. In other words what is that one thing that I find most fascinating. Of course I could have put here pictures of my dogs but that would not be enough on its own. So what then? I do photograph about everything with just as much enthusiasm all from macros of tiny details to large landscapes and everything in between. But there are two things that do return to my photos time after time. One is the sky and the other is the sea. I also think that the sky and the sea belong together. That is the sea belongs with the sky. Not necessarily the other way around. Of course I do also photograph the sea without the sky as a backdrop and that works too but the most dramatic effect is to be had when sea and sky are paired together. Today, when I went to my favourite spot in Kopparnas with the dogs, was such a day that I need not research any further for perfect examples for this argument. Within one hour there were so many major changes in both elements regarding light, colour, mood and texture that such changes don't often occur even within one week. But first there is three other shots just to show how the spring has advanced at the seaside within a bit more than a week.

Sulaminen on alkanut
Meltdown has started

Pääsiäisenä iso osa oli jo ihan sulaa mutta lumenrippeet on kallionraossa jäljellä
During Easter a big part was already icefree but there is the last of the snow still trapped in a rock crevice

Pääsiäisen jälkeen tuli aurinko ja sulatti loputkin
After easter the sun came out and melted the rest too

Tässä sitten on osa tämän päivän dramaattisista käänteistä meren yllä
This here is then a few shots of the dramatic turns over the sea today

Nyt minä haastan leikkiin mukaan / Now I want to send this challenge to:

HPY, Valkyrien, Pacey, Arija and EG WOW

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

One more talent award

2009-04-17T01:10:00.004+03:00

I have come to the conclusion that Titania of Under a hotter Sun, swiss born herself but living in Australia, is more than worthy of a recognition for her talent of writing. Her descriptions of family life in Australia with different stories for each post are absolutely enchanting. I urge you to go and see for yourselves. The writing itself is captivating and you'd never think she was born to speak german and not english. The feel of the stories takes you back to a bygone era when the settler spirit lived high and mighty among people in new countries. Do pay her a visit.

This is thus for you Titania

Sky Watch Friday N:o 40 - Moonstruck

2009-04-16T21:40:00.003+03:00

Fly, fly up to the sky. If you feel the urge to view some spectacular skies or have some of your own to show off then just click on the above banner and fly, fly, fly away

The Sky Watch Friday meme is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Wren, Sandy, Louise and Fishing Guy.

A big thankyou for the upkeep of this long running meme.

Two jackdaws in a tree admiring the moon

A new moon in a cloudy sky

Nearly full but not quite

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Valokuvatorstai 128 - Saapuminen

2009-04-16T11:03:00.002+03:00

Tämä kuva katulakaisuparaatista kertoo kevään saapumisesta siinä missä muutkin merkit. Kadut ovat sulaneet ja kuivat ja niinpä liukastumisenestosorat voidaan lakaista pois.

Valokuvatorstaihin voi osallistua klikkaamalla ao. painiketta

This is the Thursday meme 'Photographic Thursday' and the theme this week is arrival.
I recon this picture tells as much about the arrival of spring as any other. When the streets are free of snow and have dried up the street sweeping patrol gets out to sweep away all the grit that has been layed out in the winter so that people will not fall over on the icy roads.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Country walks part II

2009-04-15T19:59:00.006+03:00

I feel like lingering on in my little personal paradise island for a bit still. The summer cottage is on an island but reachable by car all year round as the island of Noto is separated from the mainland only by a narrow channel and there's a bridge going over it. Okay there's a lot of cottages there so it's by no means my personal space apart from the plot the cottage is on, which goes all the way down to the water's edge.

This time I want to present mainly some of the tree life on that island.

Silver branches

Huggingly weird tree trunk

A giant burl on a birch tree

Interesting root. Like a woman's buttocks.

Roots of a fallen tree

Mossy roots creeping over the forest floor

Roots in a brook. Or perhaps dinosaur feet?

The leaf buds of a wild rose

Coltsfoot in the grass. Flowers within the flower.

Cattail that has dispersed nearly all of its millions of seeds

A cute tree dweller that has lost a big part of its grey winter coat. Soon it'll be all red.

A little imsy wimsy spider running on a stick

This is my older brother, who also came to the cottage for easter as his wife was in Japan on business. We don't live close and he's a very busy working architect so it was really nice to see him. We're so proud of him.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Watery Wednesday N:o 31 - Streaming

2009-04-14T23:47:00.004+03:00

The water fall in Helsinki old town

On the other side of the the two way parted river is these rapids

This is the Wedenesday meme hosted by 2sweetnsaxy

Jump in your canoo and join the ride

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

If you have come for your award then please just scroll down a bit.

Awarding awards

2009-04-14T18:51:00.003+03:00

I got a new award again from Norway this time. A big thankyou goes to Valkyrien, who's own blog is most enjoyable and photographs are of professional standard.

This award I want to forward to:

HPY - excellent photography and blogging in four languages

The wanderings of a Georgia depressionist - beautiful wildlife photography

Scotty Graham's photo blog - totally in a class of his own

Lilac Gate - a great love for nature and beautifully detailed photography

Zilga - an artist of great dimensions

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Further on I want to pass this award received from Pacey

to:

Periferialife - lovely and warm hearted descriptions of country living

Ida's little corner of the world - innovative photography and a very sweet personality

The Rocky Mountain retreat - an exceptionally brave woman with an amazing artistic talent

Kastanjetti - beautifully written and with enchanting photos

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Finally I want to pass on an award of my own to a few very talented bloggers that have a great eye for photography and /or writing:

This award goes to:

Today's Blah - always nice pictures and a lot of variation of motives as well as a warmhearted sense of humour accompaning each post

Valkyrien - she's just a very talented lady and then she's funny too

Hullukaalisalaattia - simply outstanding photography and a very up to date record of everything that's going on in nature

Finnish Churches - a great photographic and written record of churches in Finland and written in several languages

Drammen daily photo - talented talented talented

Now and then - Enjoyable photography through and through

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I don't want to make any rules as of how many (if any at all) bloggers the awards must be passed on to. That is totally up to each of the receivers. I give the last one in particular as a personal one as that one I made myself.

Hopefully these awards will be well received and enjoyed by those who are nominated.

Maaseudulla luontosafarilla .... On a nature safari in the countryside

2009-04-14T15:42:00.005+03:00

Niin oli paljon jo tullut muuttolintuja tuonne Inkooseen missä kesämökkimme sijaitsee. Veljeni näki harmaahaikarapariskunnankin mutta minä en niitä valitettavasti nähnyt vaikka samoilin ristiin rastiin pitkin rantoja.

So many migrating birds had already arrived to our shores in the area where our summer cottage is situated. My brother even saw grey herons but I had no sighting even if I trampled all around the shores for hours.

Räkättirastas ... Field fare

Västäräkki ... Pied wagtail

Kanadan hanhia ... Canada geese

Merihanhia ... Greylag geese

Samat lennossa ... The same in flight

Lentäviä merihanhia ja telkkäpariskunta ... Greylag geese and Goldeneyes in flight

Merimetsoja ... Cormorants

Kyhmyjoutsen ruokailee ... Mute swan feeding

Punarinta ... Robin

Laulurastas ... Throstle

Peipponen ... Chaffinch

Keltasirkku ... Yellowhammer

Mustarastas (uros) ... Blackbird (male)

Talitiaianen ... Great tit

Sama lennossa ... The same in fleight

Kuusitiainen ... Coal tit

Käpytikka ja sinitiainen yhdessä ... Spotted woodpecker and blue tit together

Talitiainen odotti vuoroansa ... The great tit waited for its turn

Kuten odotti tämä söpö kurrekin ... As waited this cute squirrel

Talitiaiset tulossa tekemään kurrelle seuraa ... Great tits flying in to make company for the squirrel

Muurahaisvilinää ... Heaps of ants

Näin myös metsäjäniksiä ja supikoiria mutta kuvaa niistä en saanut ... I also saw mountain hares and raccoon dogs but did not manage a photo of them.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

My World Tuesday - Easter in the country

2009-04-14T02:08:00.002+03:00

This was my world over Easter. Our summer cottage is awakening to a new season for this year. All snow has just dissapeared and the grass is still yellow and dead but soon it'll be nice and green and the shrubs and climbers framing the house with lush green leaves as well as flower borders bursting with colour. So far only little snow drops and crocus had started to flower.

Views from my country walks. A couple of different barns.

This one acts a shelter for sheep if they need to get under a roof to shelter from the outside elements.

Walking in the woods

and along the shores

as well as across the fields

The boat people are also already out on the water

Join the fun and present your world to the world

Thanks for this meme to Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Kevään esiinmarssi ... The strides of spring

2009-04-09T15:08:00.005+03:00

For Sky Watch Friday, please scroll down

Ihmeellistä ajatella, että vielä viime viikolla tuntui kovin talviselta.
Strange to think that only last week it still felt quite wintery.

Jäätön kanava ... An icefree channel

Omenankukan nuppu ... A bud of an apple blossom

Joo vanha lehtihän siinä on vaan kyllä ne uudet on tulollaan ... Okay there's an old leaf but the new ones are already budding

Ensimmäiset luonnonkukat, Leskenlehti

The first wild flowers, Coltsfoot

Pajut ei ihan vielä kuki ... The willow does not quite yet flower

Ei tietoa tämän pensaan nimestä mutta väri on ihana ... Don't know the name of this shrub but the colour is wonderful

Sammaleet kukkii ... Flowering moss

Uutta vihreätä alkanut kasvamaan ... New green growth showing up

Täynnä emikukintoja (Tervaleppä?) ... Full of catcins (Common Alder?)

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Happy Day

2009-04-09T11:57:00.003+03:00

Pacey, that ever ingenious photographer of Today's Blah has again spoilt me rotten with this lovely new award.

This makes for a happy day.

I will take some time to think about who I want to forward it to as I'm going away tomorrow. In fact I already have a few in mind but that'll have to wait.

I have another award of my own to pass on as well and can then do that in the same breath. I would not want to exclude all the clever and talented men bloggers either but they cannot be part of the sisterhood.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sky Watch Friday N:o 38 - Grey skies and the last of winter

2009-04-09T02:37:00.003+03:00

Sky Watch Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Wren, Ivar, Sandy, Louise, Fishing Guy and Klaus. It's extremely popular and presents some really fabulous skies around the world. To view and participate click on the above banner.

Here's the last edition of my colour scheme skies. It's spring and the rivers run free, the snow has melted away, the first wild flowers are flowering and the leafbuds are swelling up everywhere. However some of these shots are from two and three weeks ago.

Can you make out the sun. It's just up there. I'm pointing to it.

A big thankyou to the whole Sky Watch team.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Today's fur and feathers

2009-04-09T00:33:00.005+03:00

Today I noticed that the swans had returned as I walked to the seashore, were a little bit of water had gotten icefree.

Swans mate for life and here is a well established pair, that resided in the same spot last year and had a healthy clutch of eight offspring that all made it to adult size.

At this point they just seemed to have a flock of mallards continuously following them about. One male mallard kept standing by the female swan and stretching his neck ever so much. I wonder if he thought that she might mistake him for a little funny coloured swan with that long neck of his. He just kept doing it for ages.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this cute little male sparrow, that sat inside a rose bush. Isn't he just adorable.

My friend the pleasant pheasant just gets more and more colourful and yet he's still alone and keeps shreaking out his desire for a mate.

I think this is some kind of trush but I could not really find out the exact english name. Song trush is what it is in finnish (I think). The belly side seems a bit dark for that but there's no other bird I could find that would fit the bill either and the bird sat in the shadow amongst the pine branches. It would be about the right time of year for these to arrive now.

Remember the smooth and delicately pink brested woodpigeons in love from last week. Well it seems love is rough business for some. There's not much of the debonair look left now.

Here's the other party.

On the way to the shore I saw my bearded mate. He still makes me smile. That was perhaps quite inappropriate at that point. He seemed to be suffering of the most horrendeous hangover. And yet ... smile I did.

This is neither fur nor feathers and yet it looks like one or the other if not a combination of the two. A reed ready to disperse its seeds to the winds of the world.

I met my friend with her golden boy on the way and had to reproduce his handsome face too.

May I present Eli Goldenlines, who always lovingly nibbles my hand when we meet.

Two other dogs caught my attention while I was walking. Both tied down to a tree a few metres apart waiting for their owners. As one returned but not the other I can say owners rather than owner. I thought they were so cute that my camera just appeared in front of my face like it had a will of its own.

Here's one who's owner did return quite quickly ...

... and here's the one who's owner was nowhere in sight at that moment.

In all fairness perhaps I should introduce my two little temporary foster kids too.

This is Nelli and all I can say is that even princesses get dirty sometimes.

Vilma is no princess. She's a regular tomboy. I just gave her a trim because she resembled a troll more than a dog before.

As long as I got into it I might as well continue with a couple of recent profile pictures of my own two.

As you can see Ljuba has also been trimmed into summer shape.

Luca has not got this mop of hair any longer either but I trimmed him the day after these photos, ie. today.

Quite a job to get all three trimmed short but it's done now.

We are now going to the cottage on Friday. I'll be taking my laptop with me but the signal there is really weak so most likely I can only read my mail and blogs but not really post anything nor comment very much on other blogs. We'll have to see how it goes.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Siivekkäät ... Winged ones

2009-04-07T19:12:00.004+03:00

Koska nyt olen edelleen kaupungissa ja tänään pääsin taas lintuja kuvaamaan, vaikka sumuista olikin, koirien kanssa rannoilla pyöriessäni, niin laitetaanpa tänne vielä päivän lintukuvat ja pari sumukuvaakin.

As I'm still in town and I got to photograph birds again today whilst walking the dogs around the shores, I thought I would put some of the shots here of these wonderful winged creatures as well as a couple of images showing how foggy a day it was.

Tänään näin ensimmäiset Kanadan hanhet tälle vuodelle. Olivat vaan vähän turhan kaukana.
Today I saw the first Canada geese for this year. Unfortunately they were a little bit too far away.

Telkkä naaras järjesti pienen esityksen juuri sopivasti kun olin saanut kameran esille.
A female goldeneye arranged a small show just as I was ready with my camera.

Sorsatkin olivat kovasti lentävää sorttia tänään.
Mallards were also a lot on the wings today.

kaisloja ja sumua
Reeds and fog

Sumu meren yllä
Fog on the sea

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

My World Tuesday - Seaside architecture

2009-04-06T23:24:00.005+03:00

I seem to be totally stuck on architecture for this meme but then there are so many others where nature photography is more appropriate.

I'm not saying these modern buildings have much of interest value in themselves but they are part of my world as much as quaint old buildings. Those of you with a good sense of imagination can just imagine a small sandy beach behind the rock formation there. That of course is rather handy for the people living in that tower block. They can just drape themselves in a dressing gown, take the lift downstairs, go for a swim and return to sit on their balcony in private to enjoy a cold drink whilst looking out on the bay.

Melting sea but not really icefree yet

On the opposite side are some lower white terraced houses and slightly higher four story buildings behind them. That's where the seaside promenade goes towards the marina. Before the marina is another little beach with a cafe and changing rooms.

Here is still a corner of that area, which was actually a watery area but was filled up and built on. Another day and the wheather not so nice. The melt water has been drawn into the ice, as you can see, and further melting process put on hold as the temperature got chillier with the clouds. Behind the houses is a bridge going over a narrow part of the bay which only spans for about another kilometre up land from that point turning eventually into a narrow river.

Here is a house that is built on a hill so I see it most evenings when walking my dogs around the riding stable valley and it catches the evening sun quite nicely.

At the same time I'd like to take this opportunity to whish everyone a happy Easter.

I'll still be in town for a couple of days but then we'll head to the cottage for a few days. I can hardly wait, especially as I'm in charge of my neighbour's two dogs as well and four dogs on a leash in town is rather tricky at times.

The neighbour went to Rome just as that horrible earth quake happened a hundred kilometres from Rome. Luckily they are not in danger.

I just feel very sad for all the families of the people who died and also those who lost their homes.

If you want to view beautiful places around the world or participate with your own pictures please click on the below icon

Thankyou to the My World team once again for this popular Tuesday meme

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Lintulöpinää ... Bird talk

2009-04-06T01:54:00.004+03:00

Tänään Helsingin vanhan kaupungin mahtavalla koskella
Today at the Helsinki old town mighty waterfall

(This is for you in particular George and Betsy)

Naurulokki sanoo: "Oho. Tais työaika jo alkaa."
Black headed gull sais: "Oh dear. Duty calls."

Rannanvartijat! Naurulokki ja kalalokki.
Shore guards! Blackheaded gull and common gull.

Koskelo toiselle koskelolle: "Pahus kun noi vartijat on niin tarkkana. Miten tästä nyt pääsis salaa rantautumaan?"
Goosander to other goosander: "Darn that those guards should be so alert. How could we unnoticed sneek ashore?"

"Kutisevaa hommaa tää vartinointi."
"Itchy work this guarding lark."

"Hei sinä, iso mies. Nyt ois ruokatunnin paikka."
"Hey you, big guy. It's time for lunch hour."

Vahdinvaihdos.
Changing of guards.

Naaras koskelo tovereilleen: "Hei tyypit. Siellä on nyt vain yksi vartija."
Female goosander to her group: "Hey guys. There's only one guard now."

"Tehdään rynnäkkö."
"Let's make a dash for it."

Sillä välin lounaspaikalla...
Meanwhile at the luncheon place...

"Hei tyyppi, mitä sä meinaat? Tää on mun pöytä."
"Hey dude, what are you up to? This is my table."

"Pysy nahoissas kaveri. Tähän viereenhän mä menossa olinkin."
"Keep your feathers on mate. I was going to this next table."

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Today's Flowers No 34 - still indoor varieties

2009-04-05T20:56:00.003+03:00

I got myself an Easter cactus

Here's one of the fully opened flowers. I did notice it was blurred but I decided I actually like it this way.

I've been carrying other flowers home too. Here's some tulips, miniature roses and St Paulias.

Close up of tulip after five days of purchase. Small signs of wilting can be seen but I thought it makes for an interesting detail.

To show of your blooms and view other little miracles of nature click on the below icon and enjoy a visual feast

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sunday Scenery - Rocks and bridges

2009-04-05T11:48:00.004+03:00

At the bottom of the hill. Remnants of a snow castle on the brittle sea ice in the background.

Reinforcement of rocks for a jetty (not showing in the picture) behind some reeds

Small wooden bridge over a brook

Larger concrete bridge over the bay

This scenic meme is hosted by Tarheel Ramblings. Click on the icon and go and see more scenery of the world for yourselves.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Päivän lintuhavainto ... Today's bird sighting

2009-04-04T22:48:00.004+03:00

Tänään oli aika tihkuinen ja tuhruinen ilma mutta otin nyt kameran kumminkin mukaani. En uskonut löytäväni mitään kuvattavaa mutta olinkin väärässä. Tosin kuvien laadusta näkee, että valo-olosuhteet olivat kaikkea muuta kuin hyvät.

It was a rather drizzly and murky day today and I took my camera with me just in case not really expecting to find anything to photograph. I was wrong. The pictures just show that it really wasn't the best kind of light for good photographs.

Purossa sinisorsapariskunnan kanssa kaveerasi yksinäinen tavi uros.
In the brook a lonely male Teal had befriended a Mallard pare.

Miksi sillä ei ollut mukana lajikumppania vaan kavereina kaksi sorsaa, sitä en tiedä.
Why it had not with it any of its own kind instead of having grouped up with the two ducks I don't know.

Hetken päästä muija kameran kanssa puron penkalla alkoi tuntua ahdistavalta ja niin kaverukset nousivat vastarannalle maihin.
After a while the woman with the black box on the side of the brook started to feel too pushy so the three friends got up on the opposite side.

Vähän mietiskellään hetkisen mitäs tässä tekisi.
A moment's consideration of what would be the best action to take.

Sitten kaikki kolme lensivät pois
Then all three flew away

Jäljelle jäi vain puro ja sen kuollut kasvillisuus
Left was just the brook and its dead plantlife

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Lisää kevättä ... More of spring

2009-04-04T18:13:00.004+03:00

Puissa lehtinuput pullistuu ja ilma on leudon lämpöinen vaikkakin huhtikuisen kostea. Kekomuurahaiset ovat heränneet jokakeväiseen siivousurakkaansa. Multa tuoksuu kostealta. Eilen näin ilmassa liitelevän sitruunaperhosen. Mikä tunne!

On the trees the leafbuds are swelling up and the air is mellow and warm allthough the typical April humidity is present. The woodants have woken up their to annual spring cleaning activities. Yesterday I saw the first little lemonyellow butterfly of the year fluttering about. The damp soil has its own particular scent. What a feeling!

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Pientä hauskanpitoa .... Just having a bit of fun

2009-04-04T17:06:00.003+03:00

Koska meri on edelleen jäässä ja ei niin mielenkiintoinen aattelin vähän leikkiä kuvankäsittelyllä kun näin siellä keskellä lumimöykyn, joka oli jäännös jonkun lumiukosta. Mitä enemmän pelailin kontrastien yms. kanssa sitä enemmän möykky alkoi muistuttaa koiraani Lucaa. Siitäpä sitten tämän postauksen otos.

Because the sea is still frozen closer to the shores and thus not such an interesting subject I thought of playing around a bit with my photo editing program when I saw out there a lump of snow that had been someone's snow man. The more I played around with contrasts etc. the more the lump started to resemble my dog Luca. That gave the birth to the image of this post.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Bird rhymes

2009-04-03T21:14:00.005+03:00

I'm far too productive today. Spring has put my head in a spin. Someone please stop me.

This crow
walked in the snow

This crow
flew quite low

This magpie

flew sky high

This great tit
seemed to be fit

This pheasant

was rather pleasant

These ducks
communicated with quacks

The End

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Purosta tuli joki ... The brooke became a creek

2009-04-03T16:58:00.001+03:00

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sulaa, sulaa, sulaa ... Melting, melting, melting

2009-04-03T15:32:00.003+03:00

Kevät saa sydämen laulamaan ... Spring makes your heart sing

Pihamuurin kupeessa krookuksetkin ovat työntymässä esiin ... In front of the garden wall the crocus are pushing through as well

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Sky Watch Friday N:o 37 - Shades of pink

2009-04-02T21:36:00.002+03:00

Click on the above banner and the sky will open up for you. In fact, why don't you show the world what your sky looks like at the same time.

As you can see I'm going through the colour variations in my posts lately. Actually I have such an abundance of sky images that I don't know what to do with them all but this seems like a good idea to me. Having said that some of these are already older from three weeks ago, so that amount of snow in the third image gives a false impression at this point, but who cares. The sky is the sky (or is it the limit?).

Thankyou as always to the excellent Sky Watch Friday team.

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Valokuvatorstai 126 - Mikä tämä on?

2009-04-02T12:02:00.002+03:00

Nyt löytyi jokseenkin sopivahko luontokuva tähän haasteeseen. Se miltä se näyttää on tietty aika selvä mutta mikä se oikeasti on onkin se kysymys tässä kohtaa.

This is the finnish Thursday meme and today's topic is: "What is this?" So it's a guessing game today.

Valokuvatorstai on suomalainen haasteleikki ja sinne pääsee painamalla ao. nappia.

Käypä tutustumassa ja heitä oma mysteerisi kehiin.

Helsinkikuvia voi käydä katsomassa, jos kiinnostaa, alla olevaa Helsinki Daily-linkkiä painamalla.
If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

Watery Wednesday N:o 29 - Meltdown

2009-04-01T11:33:00.005+03:00

Today on April Fool's Day I have chosen to show you three different images of the spring thaw process. No I'm not pulling your leg (or am I).

The first image is in strange lighting conditions taken at sea

The second is from a lake where a corner had totally thawed out

The third is a river view

The fourth is just to illustrate what the thaw does on dry land

Finally we have the brook, that flows through the riding stable valley round the corner from home

I did do a bit of pulling. Sorry. Most of you would have noticed that the amount of images were more than just three :) That's not the main April Fool's Day joke in this post though. Take a good look at what you see in image # 4 and especially what you don't see or what you perhaps should see instead of what you do see. Something is not in the same form above the puddle as it is in the puddle. That's all I'm going to say.

Waterproof shoes quite necessary here when walking through the woods. To see and join in with the world's wet elements just go to the below meme hosted by 2sweetnsaxy

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

L'Amour

2009-04-01T00:28:00.009+03:00

Kyyhkyläiset ... In Love like a Dove

Hoppla ... Hoopla

Tässä kohtaa se meni jo tirkistelyksi ... At this point I felt like a Peeping Tom

Kääntäkäämme siis häveliäästi katseemme kohti kuutamoa ... Let us thus avert our eyes towards the moon

Sepelkyyhkyt ... Woodpigeons ... Columba Palumbus

If you are interested in what Helsinki is like then you are welcome to view my new blog Helsinki Daily

My World Tuesday - Back to base

2009-03-30T23:19:00.005+03:00

Previously I have taken you east and I have taken you west from where I live. I have now returned back to base and here are a few of those buildings that are situated very nearby indeed. Some old others new. Different styles.

This old millhouse is situated by the rapids close to the Espoo manor, which was featured a few weeks back. I beleive it served as a way of getting electricity but is now empty inside. The water still runs through it.

Here is an old school building close by. It still functions as a school for first graders.

This is a modern detached house close to one of my favourite walks on some granite hills dropping down to the sea on one side. The style is rather a combination between modern and traditional. The roof design is a very traditional type of roof. Not only does it allow for more ceiling space on the second floor but the snow falls of the roof a lot easier than if it was plain V-shaped.

Here is a cluster of detached modern houses along the seaside walk. Detached, as I said, they are but the gardens aren't huge, as you can gather. I call them the mushroom houses, because to me they resemble mushrooms growing in the woods.

This old building I like very much. Unfortunately the family owning it probably had a shortage of money at one stage and so they sold a big chunk of land around the property, which was quickly built up with new modern and very expensive houses. That spoilt the overall view of this beautiful old house by the sea quite significantly. I left the new houses out of the picture on purpose.

Finally here is a row of newish terraced houses along a narrow street passing the Laurinlahti bay on the other side of the mushroom houses above.

Have you ever wanted to become a tourist guide? This is your chance. Click on the icon and join the world to show them yours.

A big thankyou to the whole My World Team for the upkeep of this wonderful meme.

Mellow Yellow Monday N:o 12 - All the good things

2009-03-30T17:49:00.008+03:00

When you think that the spring most definately is due
but the picture outside your windows just makes you feel blue
Then there's surely but only one thing to do
Surround yourself with colour that'll chase away the gloom

Capsicums will do
Healthy they are too

Just a little treat
A mouthwatering sweet

Last years Mother's day lily has got flowers
That alone has pretty fine mental healing powers

Bright and beautiful spring flowers in people's kitchens
Chase away the blues from their unspringlike existens

The sight and tender scent of the layered rose
Fits in your vision and right under your nose

If that's not enough, then what more can I say
Some amusement can be had also from picture play

Now you go and chase away the blues by visiting the below site, which is hosted by Drowsey Monkey

Earth Hour 28th March 2009

2009-03-29T21:44:00.005+03:00

Half an hour to Earth Hour

At 20.30 the street lamps outside went dark

During Earth Hour

I was spending it with friends. We had a candlelit dinner. What could be nicer.

For Today's Flowers and Sunday Scenery please scroll down

Today's Flowers No 33

2009-03-29T19:05:00.003+03:00

As I was saying last week today's flowers for me would most likely be tulips. Outdoors is a drab picture. Heavy snow falls all night last night. Melting again today to a wet slush but certainly put the approaching spring on hold - again.

Well luckily we can enjoy the flowers indoors.

Are you into flowers? If so, then this is the site for you.

For Sunday Scenery please scroll down.

Sunday Scenery - Views to sea

2009-03-29T18:55:00.003+03:00

Sunday Scenery is hosted by Tarheel Ramblings. Pay a visit, why don't you.

Sky Watch Friday N:o 37 - Shades of blue

2009-03-26T21:43:00.004+02:00

Glorious skies are only a click away so move the curser to the above banner and press once.

Last week I had shades of yellow. This week I move onto another main colour in the spectrum of the sky.

Usually I prefer simple pictures but this time I thought of posting one a bit busier version.

A jackdaw in fleight

Patriotic

Self portrait

Like it was flowering

A field of ice

Night blue

Thanks to the whole SWF team for this immensly popular Friday meme

Tunnustus ... Recognition

2009-03-26T19:40:00.004+02:00

Minua on taas hellitty uudella tunnustuksella. Olen niin otettu tästäkin ja aina jaksan ihmetellä miten tällainen amatööri voi saada joltakin niin luovalta henkilöltä kuin tämänkin tunnustuksen antaja tällaisen suosionosoituksen.

Tunnustuksen antoi Zilga, jonka oma blogi on vallan upea. Kannattaa todella käydä tutustumassa Zilgan uskomattoman luovuuden tuotteisiin hänen blogissaan. Zilga on siis taiteilija, joka kykenee luomaan upeita töitä vaikka mistä materiaaleista ja lähes kaikilla medioilla.

Ymmärtänette, että häneltä saatu tunnustus on suuri kunnia.

This award was handed to me by an exceptional lady Zilga who has a wonderful blog and is a real artist. She can create artwork from almost anything. I highly recommend a visit to her blog to view her amazing art. It was a great honour to receive this award from her.

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Tässä on lista blogeista joille haluan tämän tunnustuksen ojentaa. Valinta oli todella vaikea. Niin todella moni muukin tuli mieleeni

Here is the list of blogs I'd like to forward this award to. The choice was really difficult. So many more sprang to mind.

Valkyriens Fotoblogg, Norway
Authorblog, Australia
Kastanjetti, Finland
Periferialife, Finland
The Rocky Mountain Retreat, Canada
Senior Moments, Tennessee, USA
Photos from Finland, Finland
HPY, France
Today's Blah, Philippines
East Gwillimbury WOW, Canada

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Oikeastaan tunnustus tulee jakaa eteenpäin kahdeksalle blogilla mutta en vaan kyennyt pitämään listaa niin pienenä.

Actually you are meant to give this award to eight new blogs but I just did not manage to reduce the list any further.

Purple Day 26th March - Epilepsy Awareness

2009-03-25T19:18:00.005+02:00

This one time I shall overlook my decision not to post anything old and out of place for the season we are in at the moment in this blog of mine.

The reason is this:

If you have something purple to wear then wear it tomorrow. I unfortunately don't own anything purple so instead I will let my blog wear something purple today and tomorrow in honour of so many sufferers and especially one very special person and friend.

So here is a purple memory from last summer in support of all you epilepsy sufferers around the world and for the rest of us to become aware of this harsh illness.

This is for you Michele, the bravest of the brave Rocky Mountain girl with an exceptionally special artistic talent.

Watery Wednesday N:o 28 - Ice, droplets and bubbles

2009-03-24T21:34:00.005+02:00

This is Watery Wednesday. Put your wellies on, push your canoe out on the water, open your umbrella, stick your bikinis on and join in with the wet world.

This image was taken a week or so back and it is totally gone now. I had this motive in my outdoor plantbox were a drain had kept dripping water on it from the upstairs balcony.

To me it's like a lady with a scarf on her head walking in an ice forest. I wonder, do you see it?

Already then it was drip drip dripping away

Trying to catch a droplet just as it falls. I just never did.

The bubbles below were formed on a lake were a stream runs down into it.

Taken with two different filters. Hence the difference in colour. The real colour was somewhere in between.

Thankyou to the WW host 2sweetnsaxy for this meme

KOP KOP KOP ... KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

2009-03-24T18:30:00.002+02:00

Kop kop kop.
"Kuka siellä?"
"Se olen minä. Kevätlapsi."
Avaan oven ja siinä hän on, tuo suloinen pieni kevään tyttö, jonka hiukset ovat kultaa auringosta ja hengitys tuoksuu vastaleikatulta ruoholta.
"Tulin vain kertomaan että nyt ei mene kauaa kun olen jo kokonaan täällä. Pieniä valmisteluja pitää minun vielä tehdä."
"Voi rakas kevätlapsi kuinka sinua olen odottanutkaan."
"Toin tuliaisiakin. Tällaista pientä esimakua."

Knock knock knock.
"Who's there?"
"It is I, the spring child."
I open the door and there she stands that sweet little girl with hair of gold from the sun and a breath that smells like newly cut grass.
"I just came to tell you that it won't be long now before I will be here alltogether. I have some small details to arrange before that."
"Oh dearest spring child how I have been waiting for you."
"Look I brought you some presents too. A small taste of what's to come."

Tässä nuo tuliaiset ovat ... Here are those presents she brought

Seuraavana aamuna:
Kop kop kop.
Ryntään ovelle ajatellen, että ihana kevätlapsi siellä taas odottaa. Mitä vielä? Kylmä henkäys tuhahtaa kasvoille kun avaan oven ja siellä takana seisookin vanha rouva talvi valkoisen tukkansa kanssa.
"Luulitkos pääseväsi minusta noin vaan eroon? Katso olen peittänyt kevätlapsen lahjat."
"Hyi sinua ilkeä vanha akka. Odottelin sinua kovasti jouluna. Tulitkos silloin? Etpä tullut. Nyt ei sinua enää kaivata."
"Vai ei. Kysypä vaan koiriltasi. En minä hevillä aio lähteä."

Next morning:
Knock knock knock.
I rushed to the door thinking the delightful spring child would be behind the door again. But what? A cold blast hits my face as I open the door and see old mrs Winter with her white hair standing outside.
"Did you think you could get rid of me that easy? Look I have covered over the gifts from spring child."
"Shame on you you nasty old hag. I waited so for you at Christmas. Did you come then? Oh no. Now you are not welcome anymore."
"Am I not. Why don't you ask your dogs. I will not be going out without a struggle."

Ja niin se vanha talven akka peitti kevätlapsen lahjat ja paljon muutakin ... And so the old winter woman covered over the spring child's gifts and many other things too

Koirieni mielipidettä en kysynyt. Se tuli selväksi muutenkin ... I never asked the dogs about their opinion. It was made quite clear without asking.

My World Tuesday - West side story

2009-03-23T22:53:00.004+02:00

Have you ever wanted to become a tourist guide? Here is your chance. Join the world and show them yours.

My world today is about buildings west side of Helsinki where small rivers flow, lakes spot the terrain and rolling hills break up farmers fields and forests and people live a less hectic life.

Here is Sjundby mansion situated by a river just were the rapids fall into a small lake. Still today owned by the private family Adlercreutz, who has been in possession of this mansion for over three hundred years but it was under russian seige during the second world war. In one of the buildings there are still russian texts on the outside wall giving instructions to the soldiers.

The river provides some of their electricity via this building housing an electric turbain.

Here is that same building viewed from the lake side

Moving onto the Svidja manor, which no longer functions as a private home but is the headquarters of Scandinavia's largest agricultural institute

Here is a closer view of it. It is built like many churches in a cross formation.

Close to Svidja is this old grey stone church with its yellow bell tower. This is the church of Siuntio.

Alongside another road near the village Lapinkyla I found this little wooden church with the typical cross form shape.

This large birch tree stands guard to an allotment garden village with rows and rows of pretty little cottages and their just as pretty little gardens and as you can see my world is still a wintery one.

Ännekäs naapurusto ... Noisy neighbourhood

2009-03-23T20:20:00.005+02:00

Vastoin kuin moni muu minä pidän variksista ... Unlike many others I like crows

Niillä vaikuttaa olevan huumorintajua ... They appear to have a sense of humour

Älykkäiksikin olen kuullut niitä haukuttavan ... I also have heard them being called intelligent

Kyllä mä näistäkin laumasieluista pidän ... I do also like these little flocking birds

Pieni harmaa varpunen ... A little grey sparrow

Kaikkea muuta kuin vain harmaa on tämä janonsa sammuttaja ... Everything but just grey is this one quenching his thirst

Jotain pientä komiikkaa on tässäkin kävelytyylissä ... There is something a bit comical also about this walking style

Entäs nämä harakat sitten ... What about these magpies

Aika tyylikkäitä - kunnes avaavat nokkansa ... Quite stylish - until they open their beak

Nämä naakat kuuluvat myös laumasieluihin ... These jackdaws also belong to the flocking birds

Enpä tiedä komiikasta mutta aikas nokinen naama kaverilla on ... I don't know about comedy but this fellow has quite a sooty face

Ryhti on kyllä erinomainen ... He carries himself well though

No sorsat nyt kuuluvat ihan suosikki aiheisiin ... Mallards are among my favourite subjects

Etenkin nämä tyttösorsat ... Especially these female ones

Osaavat oikein poseeratakin ... They know how to pose

Vaan ehkei tällä kävelyllä ihan mallimaailmaan ole asiaa ... Perhaps this walk does not quite promise for a great career on the catwalks though

Yksi hetkellisesti hiljainenkin naapuri löytyi. Ei selvästikkään halunnut tietää ... One momentarily silent neighbour was there also. Obviously just did not want to know

Mellow Yellow Monday N:o 11 - A bit unclear

2009-03-23T00:44:00.006+02:00

Now here's a face that always makes me smile

"Oh yes. Pretty mellow", I hear you say

"Certainly not a sad character", I hear you say.

Then I hear you ask: "But where is the yellow bit?"

Well let me tell you.

She and her friends live in a yellow house. Pretty run down but it has got HEART and soul.
"Ah yes. A tiny yellow bit there but isn't it mostly red?" I hear you ask.

In truth it is mostly yellow but not what you call a pretty building, so you just have to be content with only one corner of it.

Want a bit more yellow?

Okay then.

Here is a nice yellow sunset ...

... and a bench to sit and enjoy it on.

To cheer yourself up from doom and gloom go visit the MYM website and take it from there

For Today's Flowers and Sunday Scenery please scroll down

Today's Flowers No 32 - but a first for me

2009-03-22T22:28:00.004+02:00

I've never participated in this meme even if I adore flowers. Just haven't had that many flowers to present. Or I do have lots and lots of flower photos but none taken this time of year. My blog must follow the right time of year I've decided as it's called Nature Year 2009. That makes flower showing a bit difficult at the moment (unless I go and by some tulips to have at home, which I probably will). Still today I noticed that my mother's christmas cactus had made a flower so I can show it and still keep to my agreement (with myself).

Here is that single but lovely red bloom.

As a bonus here we have some daffodils that are already sticking up on a place were the snow has melted away. Not flowering but it will not be long now.

Are you into flowers? To view or participate click on the icon below:

For Sunday Scenery please scroll down.