Island Winter

After a dark and somewhat dreary December, with relatively mild temperatures and hard ice instead of soft snow, we are finally enjoying skiing, toboggoning and fooling around in white, white, white! Yay!     

Scramble

On an end of week walk up the back forest we enjoyed scrambling and

and slipping over ice and snow to make it up the top. 

We managed to get some idea about the state of the trees after the storm

Ivar that hit Jämtland in mid December. Quickly we realised that we belong to the lucky ones, with fewer trees down, but it was still odd to see so many them "horizontal", sleeping draped in snow. 
At one point, we took a log-break and contemplated how spared we are in our little hideaway; considering the avalanche amount of snow that has hit mid Europe and the flooding they battle both in Italy and the U.K. 

Our thoughts go to the woodfires that make the heart of our home, respecting the fact that without them - our life here really would not be possible. 

So, the next project will be to somehow drag down the fallen giants of our back   forest in order to fuel our life, to give us warmth.

Sleeping Beauties

Log Lounge 

Daring a fairly steep descent on our way home; we were reminded that our local downhill skiing club opens up today! 
Volunteers have worked hard to prepare the slopes so we can all enjoy the thrill and freedom of racing down the mountain! With the winter sport break coming up we are sure to enjoy as much 

exercise as we can take, come perfect temps and not much wind! 
Check out http://www.gallosk.se/

Water and Wildlife

 This year spring seems shy, giving Martin some extra time to finish off the jetty for the summer season and our first paddle for 2012 ended in a much more practical fashion than usual - behold below!
Spring is in everyway the time for birds and their babies.
Our birdbox is inhabitet by the blue tit pair we have been feeding over winter (at least we are pretty sure they are the ones...)





And, with the Black Grouse `loitering` alongside our unsealed roads (they ingest sand to aid in their digestion) we are having some trouble making it to school and work on time. Their courtship song is performed from the tree-tops around our farm and inspire me to work harder on my camera skills!
The return of the Crane calls for a variety of reactions from the residents of this region.
They are notorious potato-thieves, known to have decimated crops. This unwelcomed behaviour together with their piercing, trumpeting call sometimes makes people think of them as winged elephants!
We find it very difficult not to adore them; their amazing mating dance, their graceful long legs and even their call - melancholic and haunting in the light spring evenings. This year we are lucky to have spotted a nest close to our home where the couple is brooding over two eggs and we can watch them without disturbing. Let´s see if I can get a good shot!
Oh, and our one bottle fed lamb is growing amazingly and has been named Erica. She gets about a litre of milk a day and who knows how much love!

Tree-planting, seed-sowing, wood-chopping, tad-pole- and salamander-watching are all asking for our attention.
It is bright and busy on the farm! ***

Springlands

Our Place - Virtually
With the warm sun reflecting in the small remnants of snow it is now clear  to us that, along with this web-page, spring has finally sprung!
Plants, people and living creatures are getting set for the growing season ahead. Some are more prepared than others and in the last week we have already welcomed the season´s first new lambs.
So far we have nine long-legged little ones getting used to the ways of this place at an astonishing pace. Life in this part of the world is one of seasons, and spring provides great experinces of the amazing transformation from dark to light and white to green.
Our daily work of surveying the fences and splitting fire-wood for next winter only adds to the intensity of our anticipation of what the warm season will bring!
Setting out on this years first canoe-trip from our newly built jetty is high up on the list together with the impending open water fishing season.
This spring and summer season we are excited to welcome new visitors to stay in our renovated `Green Guest House`. If you are considering a real visit just contact us to make a booking!
Light and Green we Thrive.