MIDSUMMER IN SWEDEN 2010 + 2011

WE DANCE AROUND A POLE DECORATED WITH LEAVES AND WILD FLOWERS

MANY ARE DRESSED IN TRADITIONAL COSTUMES

AND MANY HAVE FLOWERDECORATIONS

HAVE A LOOK!!!

BACKATORP---A NEW WINERY??

THE DAY BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY MY VERY GOOD FRIENDS FROM OSLO (METTE AND PER) CAME BY AND GIFTED ME WITH WINE BOTH IN BOTTLES AND ON ROOT.  LIVING ON A RIDGE FACING NORTH WHERE THE SUN DOES NOT MAKE IT ABOVE THE BRIM OF THE RIDGE FOR 2 WHOLE MONTHS!! I WAS IN TROUBLE.

AS I DID NOT WANT PLANTS CLIMBING ON MY HOUSE, I USED MY BIRTHDAY TO PLAN MY WINERY.  I TRIED TO LOCATE THE MOST SUNNY PART (NOT EASY WHEN IT WAS OVERCAST).  I DECIDED THAT THE UNIPER AND MY GRAPES SHOULD LIVE TOGETHER.

SO I STARTED TO DIG A HOLE

AND MAKE A SHELTERING WALL.

NEEDED MORE MATERIAL AND SOME GOOD EARTH.

ALLMOST DONE.........

.....AND VOILA HERE IS BACKATORPS WINERY, BOTH GREEN AND BLUE GRAPES!!!

JUNE, FLOWERS, INSECTS AND MORE POLLUTION

WHY IS THE SUN WHITE?

WHEN IT DID LOOK LIKE THIS!!

WHY?

WHY, WHY??

FLOWERS, BEETLES AND POLLUTION

EARLY JUNE FLOWERS

STRANGE BEETLES

AND IT IS SAID THAT POLLUTION IS CAUSING THE STRONG COLORS AT SUNRISE AND SUNSET.  WELL AT LEAST IT BRINGS BEAUTY

BEE-DRAMA

SITTING PEACEFULLY ON MY STEPS--I HEARD A LOUD HUMMING IN THE AIR.  LOOKING UP I SEE AN ENORMOUS BEESWARM HEADING FOR MY CHIMNEY.

I FETCHED A LADDER AND USED MY HIGHPRESSURE WATER PISTOL, BUT NO EFFECT.

THEN I CLIMBED UP ON THIS STONE WITH MY CAMERA TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHICH OF THE CHANNELS THEY HAD OCCUPIED

A LITTLE SCARY TO BALANCE ON THE STONE BAREFOOT.  I ALSO REMEMBERED THAT HERE I HAD SEEN A POISONOUS SNAKE SOME YEARS AGO.

ZOOMING IN

IT SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHTMOST CHANNEL

STEPPING UP ON THIS LADDER AND ZOOMING IN IT DEFINITELY WAS THE RIGHTMOST CHANNEL, THE ONE FROM MY OPEN FIREPLACE .  SO I LIT UP AND KEPT THE FIRE ALL DAY.  WHAT HAPPENED I GOT A LOT OF HALFDEAD BEES INTO MY KITCHEN AND WALKING

BAREFOOT, ONE OF THEM STUNG ME IN MY LEFT BIG TOE.  SO NOW I AM LIMPING AROUND AND HAS DECIDED THAT THEY CAN LIVE THERE THIS SUMMER BUT NEXT SPRING I MUST SEAL THE OPENINGS SOMEHOW.