Days like these are rare.
Yellowhammer, or as we call it Yellow Sparrow.
The morning was simply wonderful today despite the low temperature, it was only -10C ( 14F). But the sun shone and the wind was absent. I had my jacket open as long as we walked in the sunshine but closed it as soon as we walked in the shadows 🙂
Even though it still is far to spring I did get some spring feeling when I heard the Black Grouse out on the bog, the lark singing high up in the air and a blackbird singing from the top of a spruce. I love the Black bird’s song, especially when I hear it in late spring evenings when I have the bedroom window open. The Black bird is Sweden’s national bird, well chosen because we do love it.
Lots of people were out all day taking advantage of this wonderful weather. Some had bought lots of tree trunks and started cutting them up in smaller pieces fo heating their homes next winter. My neighbour started to disassemble his woodshed that a previous owner had put up. The best thing one can say about that woodshed is that there’s no risk that it will burn down, there was no ventilation in it so both the shed and the fire wood were starting to mould 🙂 🙂
They had also placed it behind the cottage, so that had to go round the cottage to put fire wood in it 🙂 🙂 🙂 I can’t for my life not understand what they were thinking when placing it on that spot. Why not closer to the road and closer to the entrance? I never understood those people, like when they were putting up a fence. It didn’t even take more than a few days until the first section of it flew away in a storm 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ll start cutting down the old plum tree tomorrow if the weather continues to stay this wonderful. Half the tree has fallen down by now and it’s safer to bring it down by myself. Plum trees never get especially old and I think this one is at least 70 years old. I love those yellow plums even if they never last more than a few hours after picked 🙂 Perhaps I’ll buy another one later on but firstly I must pick a place to plant my Black Walnut. I sowed it four years ago I think and now it’s time to try it outdoors. This plant zone is on the border to what it manages to cope with but then again I have two Osage oranges (Maclura pomifera) growing in my garden and those shouldn’t survive here at all, they have been growing in my garden for over three years now. Well they grow very slowly but they do live 🙂
I have a fire burning in the stove, tonight will be just as cold as last night. But it’s already warm in my cottage, the sun heats up my home very well on days like this.
Have a great continuing of Easter!
The cottage by the Crane lake part two 
hi christer! it rained here all day. we just came back from korean dinner! it will be cold and snow tomorrow…the first day of baseball here. we have osage oranges growing wild here. joyce
Hi Joyce!
So far it looks like we’re missing the snow here but things can change quickly in those predictions 🙂
I’ve never eaten Korean, is it a big difference from Chinese?
The Osage Orange shouldn’t be able to survive here but it looks like they are doing fine. The biggest threat to them is my dogs, they tend to run over them every now and again 🙂 🙂 🙂
I wish Baseball was a bigger sport here!
Have a great day!
Christer.
isn’t it strange how some plants survive and others fail, Beautiful photos, I love the last few weeks of winter, the promise of spring is everywhere, I would hate to live in a land where the seasons have no distinction,
Hi Laurie!
Yes these shouldn’t stand a chance here but they seem to manage fine, the biggest threat to them are my dogs that tends to run over them every now and again 🙂
I would love to live in a tropical climate, I would miss spring though but I wouöld survive without it 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
Hi Christer,
Good luck with your black walnut tree. They grow well here but 50 miles north of me they aren’t quite so hardy unless they are planted in a sheltered spot. If you can put yours in a spot where the winter winds don’t get at it then it might do well. I would say to put it over by the osage oranges since they are surviving where they ought not to grow but I’m not sure they are compatible with black walnuts.
I love the photo of the pony standing under a tree with the red barn in the background. He looks very comfy standing there. Almost as if it were summer. 🙂 I was going to write “white pony” but he isn’t white and not because he’s dirty. Then I thought he’s a buckskin but he isn’t that either. He’s light tan. 🙂 Now I have to google his official horse color name. Probably something weird like creamora. 🙂
Today was a lovely Easter Sunday here. Sunny and warmish. No jackets required. I went to breakfast with my youngest brother and that was good. Then I went home and did nothing much for the rest of the day and that was good, too. 🙂
Enjoy the evening.
Hi Caryn!
I think these walnuts comes from trees already growing here in Sweden so that might give them a better chance to survive. I’ll have to see if the osage orange is compatible, but I would still get some troubles with the apple tree nearby I’m afraid 🙂
I can’t remember what that kind of horse is called, Norwegian I think. Horse colors are very much named like cat colors, very strange 🙂
Today is even better than yesterday so the old plum tree has been cut down, it was already almost dead. I’ll miss those plums though.
Have a great day!
Christer.
It’s a Norwegian Fjord and, perhaps, it is a brown dun color. Not really sure because, frankly, all the photos of the different colors looked alike and the web sites all assumed that the reader already knew. Very cliquey of them, I think. They were all American breeders and the Norwegian Fjord is rare here so cliquey is to be expected. 🙂
You did not save any plum stones to make a new plum tree?
The black walnut might do okay with the apples trees. We had apple trees along side ours and they did fine but they were very old trees and eventually had to come down. A couple got blown down from hurricanes, too. The osage orange grows in the same places as black walnut but not at the same time. The black walnuts come in as the osage moves out. Sort of like maples colonize shrubby meadows.
Hi Caryn!
Yes that’s the name but we call them Fjording’s 🙂 I’ve only seen this color on them and had no idea they could have others too. I’ll see if I can find the color name on it here.
It never becomes the same kind of plum when sowing a kernel. So it could have becpome something better or worse, one never knows 🙂 It’s the same with apples, it will never become the same variety as the one the kernel came from. But I was lucky with one I sowed and the apple turned out to be one of the tastiest I’ve ever eaten 🙂
So the Osage orange is most likely not a friend of the walnut. But I’ll find a place for it, sooner or later 🙂
Christer.
Hi Christer, glad the weather was nice for your Sunday as was ours here in Rhode Island where we spent it visiting the grandchildren and other family. Thanks for your well wishes too.
Hi Beatrice!
It is even better today! I even heard some cranes fly by this morning 🙂 I do hope this is the beginning of spring!
Have a great trip!
Christer.
Det är verkligen härligt i solen dessa dagar men så fort man hamnar i skuggan så blir det iskallt:( Får väl hoppas att SMHI har rätt när de säger att våren kommer nu i nästa vecka:) Koltrastens ljuvliga sång fullständigt älskar jag, speciellt som du säger när man hör den från sovrummet på sommarkvällarna:) Orre har jag tyvärr aldrig hört i verkligheten. Man förundras i bland över människors sätt att tänka, eller brist på tankeverksamhet kanske man ska säga när de gör sådana där korkade och idiotiska saker. Vi såg på ett ställe några som gjort en “grusgång” genom att hälla ut lite grus direkt på gräsmattan, utan markduk och utan tillräckligt tjockt lager:) Undrar hur många dagar det tog innan gräset vuxit över den “gången” 😉 Vad spännande med Citrusmullbär, googlade på det och jag har aldrig hört talas om det förut, kul om det kan växa i din zon:) Ha det gott/Monne
Tjänare Monne!
Idag var det till och med ännu bättre, dessutom hyfsat skönt i skuggan 🙂 Men våren dröjer ju alltid lite längre här inåt land, så jag får nog vänta ytterligare en vecka eller två innan den kommer hit!
Orren låter ju inte sådär jättefint om jag skall vara ärlig 🙂 men det är ändå liksom ett vårtecken :-)Vi har gott om dem här nu och kanske, kanske kan det flytta hit lite tjäder också.
Jag skulle också vilja se en sådan grusgång efter ett par veckor 🙂 🙂 🙂
Citrusmullbäret skall ju kunna klara sig i zon ett men det har dessa inte förstått 🙂 Det största hotet mot dem är mina hundar, de tenderar till att springa över dem titt som tätt och dessutom vattnar alltid Orvar allt som blivit en halvmeter eller högre 🙂 🙂 🙂 De har först växt i oskyddade krukor i två år och sedan ytterligare minst två år på friland, de växer långsamt men de växer 🙂
Ha det gott!
Christer.
Christer,
We began with a nice day today but it started to get cold in the afternoon, and now it’s raining. We’re still pre-spring as the nights are cold, and there is often a morning frost. Lots of birds at my feeders, mostly gold finches, and the male feathers are now a bright yellow. I like to watch out the window.
Gracie runs all over the backyard, comes in panting and with gross spit on her face from running with her mouth open. She is loving this weather as your dogs are!
Have a great evening!!
Hi Kat!
Still wonderful weather here but next week when they predict temperatures above 32F even at night the bad weather will return. We might even get some snow but that’s typical for April.
Lots of birds by the feeders here too but mostly brown ones 🙂 Well we have some brightfully colored as well but they are now searching for nestingplaces elsewhere.
Yes they do love the sunny weather, especially Sune that runs around like crazy all the time 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
great photos, especially Bertil ,the bird and is that Hector?
Hi Cindi!
Yes that’s Hector.
Have a great day!
Christer.