Just another standard Sunday in Finland...

They have strange squirrels near Kontiolahti:


And even stranger Dr Who-style lichen:


We also saw a lesser-spotted Orb:

Trees, and more trees

The Finns really love their forests and trees. Here's M's science workbook - in Grade 1 they are already learning about the different trees and their names. Love the giant purple mushroom too...

It's not very surprising though, when there's scenery like this. Here's a view of our bit of the lake, about 5 minutes' walk from our house:

Preparations for the winter...

It's rainy and blowing a gale outside, but that doesn't matter, as we're safe in the knowledge that a cubic metre of wood is neatly stacked in the garage, waiting for the stove to be lit.


Today's the first time it's felt chilly in the house since we've been here. It's getting dark quite early now (7pm Finnish time), and starting to feel like proper autumn, so we'll have to have the stove on soon.

M and I have some snazzy new Finnish wellies to deal with all this rain - but hopefully it'll be nice over the weekend, so we can go hunting for pine cones in the forest. If we were true Moomins we would of course be eating pine needles and covering the chandelier so we can hibernate for the winter...

Forests!

My daughter is obviously changing into a Moomin (probably the Snork Maiden)...

Forest tales

The nights are drawing in

When we arrived at the end of July, it was light until about 11pm at night (and even that was early, compared to silly o'clock during my visit in late June). Now, it's going dark at about 8.30 - everyone on our little estate has got their lanterns out. I guess there's no point lighting them on summer evenings...

Moomin cake!

Well what else do you make a Moomin-obsessed girl for her sixth birthday? It was appropriately Finnish, as was the trip to Kitee Zoo, where we saw bears, arctic fox, elk, lynx and the cutest woolly pigs (I kid you not) I have ever seen.

Lakeside ramble