Browsar arkivet för kategorin various creatures

mjau! / meow!

various creatures
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I fredags hade vi besök av kära Märit, och den här gången hade hon sina vackra katter med sig. Vi fick en härlig (och fartfylld!) fotostund i skogen tillsammans med bästa Anna som också var på besök. :) Det blev massor med bilder, men här är några av mina favoriter.

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This Friday, we had a visit from dear Märit, and this time she brought her beautiful cats. We had a lovely photo session in the woods, together with Anna who was also visiting. :) I took lots and lots of photos, but here are a few of my favourites.

magnus

Magnus

louise

Louise

stefan

Stefan

kerstin

Kerstin

magnus

Magnus

louise

Louise

stefan

Stefan

kerstin

Kerstin

louise

Louise – alla katterna är så fina, men Louise var verkligen min favoritmodell för dagen!
Louise – all four cats are so beautiful, but Louise was definitely my favourite model for the day!

england, day four – the national history museum!

people, places, various creatures
6 Comments

On our fourth day in England, we set off for London and one of our favourite places – The National History museum! Sadly, we just missed the Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo exhibition, but the NHS made up for it with an amazing butterfly farm. So, beware – lots of butterfly close-ups to follow in this blog post! :)

erik

On the train to London – enjoying some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans that Sarah bought at the Harry Potter set tour.
Erik was brave enough to try a soap flavoured one, but we left the vomit and bogey ones in the box!

the national history museum

We entered the NHS from the back exit and rode the escalator up into the earth itself!

the national history museum

Wall decorations the Earth Hall.

the national history museum

Sulfur minerals on display in the Earth Hall.

kirsty and catherine at the national history museum

Goofing about in the minerals section.

dodo at the national history museum

Seeing the Dodo always makes me a little sad. ♥

butterfly at the national history museum

After lunch, it was time for the butterfly farm! Generously equipped with Catherine’s macro lens, I was in heaven!

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

Butterfly enjoying over-ripened pineapple. The smell was… interesting…

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

Semi-rotten orange, yuuum… :)

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

butterfly at the national history museum

catherine at the national history museum

This one wanted to come home with us!

tea outside butterfly at the national history museum

Having tea outside after spending about an hour and a half with the butterflies.

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Back inside, through the front entrance this time. Saying hello to the Diplodocus, affectionally known as “Dippy”.

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We explored The Vault, which has the museum’s most expensive treasures. How about this diamond butterfly pin?!

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I just love opals – I could stand and look at their gorgeous colours for hours.

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Erik, Catherine, Kirsty, and Sarah, saying goodbye to Charles Darwin. Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful day out, Catherine & Co!

our third day in england – harry potter!

life in general, people, places, various creatures
3 Comments

A couple of weeks before we left for England, my “kennel dad” Graham e-mailed me with an idea. Would Erik and I like to go to the Harry Potter studio tour while we were visiting? OF COURSE we would! I had no idea this exhibition was running, but after reading up on it I got VERY excited! The tour would be full of complete sets and countless props from all eight Harry Potter movies – nothing could be a better birthday treat for a complete and utter Harry Potter nerd like me!

Below are just 18 photos from our fabulous day. If you want to see more, I’ve put up another 176 (!) photos in a public Facebook album that you can access by clicking HERE.

I want to thank Graham and Catherine as well for this amazing experience; I had the time of my life, and my inner Harry Potter fangirl was moved to tears several times during the day. :) If you like Harry Potter at all and have the chance to go, don’t hesitate!

harry potter set tour

Sarah and Erik outside the studios by the giant chess pieces from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

harry potter set tour

Before starting the tour, we had a quick look in the magnificent gift shop.

harry potter set tour

The first part of the tour – the Great Hall!

harry potter set tour

Costumes for Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape before the teachers’ table.

harry potter set tour

Onwards on the tour – the Gryffindor boys’ dormitory and Harry Potter’s bed.

harry potter set tour

The Gryffindor common room!

harry potter set tour

Professor Dumbledore’s awesome office.

harry potter set tour

Prop detail – the actual Philosopher’s Stone used in the first movie!

harry potter set tour

Possibly my favourite set – the Weasley family’s kitchen

harry potter set tour

Statue from the Ministry of Magic during Voldemort’s reign – inscribed with the words “Magic is Might”.

graham på harry potter set tour

Cheers! Lunch time, including some refreshing Butterbeers. The studio tour is one of only two places in the world where the official Butterbeer is sold.

harry potter set tour

Me and Erik outside number 4, Privet Drive. Sorry if we got dog hair on your doorstep, Petunia!

harry potter set tour

Next up was the special effects exhibition – here’s Luna Lovegood’s roaring lion hat!

harry potter set tour

Ickle Hungarian Horntail dragon. O.o

harry potter set tour

Thankfully, the Dementor was only about half of its actual size, so it wasn’t as frightening as it might have been att full size.

harry potter set tour

Diagon Alley! So many cool details and things to look at!

harry potter set tour

And the grand finale – a perfect scale model of the entire Hogwarts castle. Photos can’t do it justice, but my mind was completely blown.
The light kept changing to illustrate different times of the day, and all the while the Hogwarts Hymn was playing. So beautiful.

sarah

Back at home; Sarah enjoyed her huge, solid chocolate frog. :)

solskenslördag / sunny saturday

life in general, various creatures
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ekorre

Ekorre från igår. / Squirrel, from yesterday.

älg

Älgko som promenerade förbi på vägen för ett par veckor sedan.
Female moose that walked past our house on the road a couple of weeks ago.

bergfink

Bergfink från igår. / Brambling, from yesterday.

Mycket trevlig lördag! Sovmorgon och tillsammansfrukost innan Erik liftade iväg med en av våra grannar för att jobba i några timmar. Jag påtade på med dusch, disk och en stunds virkning & ljudbok i solen, då Aska och Ruth fick vara med ute och gnaga lite ben. Sen in med pojkarna i bilen och iväg en sväng till Sunne BK. Det var kurs på agilityplanen och några som tränade lydnad på stora planen, perfekt störning för Tintin. Särskilt som hundarna som tränade lydnad var shelties; tror bestämt att Tintin saknar sina sheltiekompisar Penny och Fendi. Dock gissar jag att de inte saknar honom riktigt lika mycket… ;) Sen for vi vidare in till stan, där Sirius och jag gick till djuraffären för att shoppa lite nödvändigheter. Sen fick Tintin komma ut och miljöträna lite och han var SÅ duktig! Det var soligt och fint och fullt med folk i Sunne, men förutom lite sniffande så var han mycket uppmärksam. Väl tillbaka vid bilen så kom strax husse. Lite mathandling, och sen hem för att umgås och äta middag med underbara vännerna Anna & Mikael. Jag kom sedvanligtvis sist i Ticket to Ride, men det är lika kul ändå. :) Nu blir det nog en kopp te, virkning och ett par avsnitt av McLeod’s Daughters innan sängen kallar. Hoppas att ni läsare också har haft en fin dag!

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A wonderful Saturday! A lie-in and then breakfast with Erik, before he hitched a ride with one of our neighbours and went to work for a few hours. I puttered around, taking a shower, cleaning the dishes, and crocheted outside in the sunshine for a bit. Aska and Ruth kept me company, chewing some yummy bones. Then, I loaded the boys into the car and went to the dog club for a bit. There was a class going on at the agility course, and a few people were practicing obedience on the big training field. Perfect distractions for Tin, in other words! Especially the obedience gang because their dogs were Shelties, and it was very clear that Tintin misses his Sheltie friends Penny and Fendi. Though, I’m fairly sure they don’t miss him quite as much… ;) After the dog club, we continued into town where Sirius and I visited the pet store to pick up some bones and treats. I took Tintin for a walk around the little town, to expose him to a different environment from the dirt roads where we usually walk. He was such a good boy! It was a busy afternoon, too, with lots of people moving about in the sunshine, but apart from a bit of sniffing Tintin was very attentive. When we had returned to the car, it wasn’t long before Erik joined us. A spot of grocery shopping, and then we went home to have dinner and hang out with our darling friends Anna & Mikael. Of course, I came last in Ticket to Ride as usual, but I still love that game. :) Now, Erik has just made me a cup of tea, and I think I will enjoy it with some crocheting and a couple of episodes of McLeod’s Daughters before going to bed. I hope you had a lovely day as well, dear reader!

långpromenad med tin / a long walk with tin

dogs, various creatures
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tintin

tintin

tintin

tintin

tintin

myrstack

tintin

tintin

tintin

tintin

tintin

tintin

Vi säger bara en sak – BARMARK! :D / We only have one thing to say – NO SNOW! :D

musbesök / mice visit

dogs, various creatures
8 Comments

Ikväll har vi haft besök av våra vänner Anna och Mikael, och som om inte det vore trevligt nog så hade de med sig sina urgulliga möss också. Tre av dem är bara en dryg månad gammal, och väldigt sociala och mysiga. De fick busa loss på köksbordet medan Erik lagade middag, och jag kunde inte låta bli att ta fram kameran. Visst är de söta! :)

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Tonight, we’ve had a lovely visit from our friends Anna and Mikael. And as if that wasn’t wonderful enough, they also brought their adorable mice! Three of them are only just over a month old, and they are so sociable and cuddly. They got free range of the kitchen table while Erik prepared dinner, and I just had to take out my camera. Aren’t they cute! :)

 

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dagens fågelskådning / today’s birdwatching

various creatures
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Blåmes. / Blue Tit.

Svartmes. / Coal Tit.

Talltita. / Willow Tit.

Tofsmes. / Crested Tit.

Blåmes. / Blue Tit.

Talltita. / Willow Tit.

Tänk så mycket underhållning ett fågelbord kan ge. :) Jag har spanat på mina nya fågelkompisar genom fönstret en tid, men det har varit svårt att få till några bra bilder. Jag förutsatte att pippisarna skulle vara skygga, men idag när jag skulle gå ut och skaka mattor så upptäckte jag att de inte brydde sig nämnvärt om att jag var ute och påtade på. Kameran låg precis innanför dörren, så jag kunde inte låta bli att ta en paus i städningen och föreviga några fåglar istället. Särskilt lycklig är jag över att den vackra tofsmesen ställde upp på bild – visst är den bedårande söt?

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To think that feeding birds can be such entertainment! :) I’ve been admiring my flying friends through the window for a while, but it’s been difficult to get good pictures through the glass. I just assumed that the birds would be very shy, but today when I went outside to beat some rugs, I discovered that the birds didn’t really mind me being outside. My camera was just inside the door, so I couldn’t help taking a little break in the cleaning and photograph some birds instead. I was especially happy to catch the gorgeous Crested Tit on camera – isn’t it adorable?

fågelskådning / bird watching

various creatures
3 Comments

Gråspett. / Grey-headed Woodpecker.

Talgoxe. / Great Tit.

Som om det inte redan fanns tillräckligt mycket att älska på den här platsen – nu har jag upptäckt att tvättställningen utanför är en lekplats för talgoxar, blåmesar, nötväckor och annat smått och gott. Jag tror allt att vi får investera i ett fågelbord så att pippisarna får lön för underhållningen!

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Yet another thing to love about our new home – the laundry airer outside is a playground for Great Tits, Blue Tits, Nuthatchers, and other little birds. I think we’ll have to invest in a good bird feeder, to pay them for all the entertainment they’re providing!

semestrande / vacationing

life in general, various creatures
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Fina värmlandsdagar avlöser varandra. Förra veckan spenderade vi i stugan strax norr om gränsen till Dalarna. Ingen bilväg bär dit, så vi packade fyra hundar, massor av mat och ett par dunkar vatten i båten och puttrade dit över sjön istället. Sånär som på en framfusig fransman som försökte lägga till vid bryggan och vägrade förstå att stugan inte är till salu så fick vi vara helt för oss själva. Vädret var ljuvligt så både jag, Erik och hundarna har badat – vissa mer än andra. ;) Nöjda och utvilade åkte vi hem till Eriks föräldrar i fredags kväll.

Lördagen bjöd på en härlig dos kultur. Eriks mamma Carina bjöd med oss till Mårbacka, Selma Lagerlöfs hem strax utanför Sunne. Vi gick en fin guidad tur och jag fick lära mig massor om Selma och hennes hem som jag inte visste tidigare. Efter att ha spatserat runt lite i trädgården så åkte vi in till Sunne och åt en jättehärlig lunch på Strandcaféet vid Fryken. Och framåt fyratiden var det äntligen dags att få avnjuta födelsedagspresenten som Erik och jag fått av hans föräldrar. Vi begav oss till Berättarladan vid Rottneros, där Västanå Teater spelar Molières Misantropen. En fantastisk uppsättning med underbara skådespelarinsatser, musik och dräkter. Vi satt på första raden och jag kände mig helt översköljd och omfamnad av föreställningen. Återigen tack för en superfin födelsedagspresent, Carina och Kenth! Efter teatern kikade vi förbi hos Eriks bror Anders, innan vi åkte hem, trötta och fulla med fina intryck.

Igår och idag har vi mest puttrat på hemma hos “svärföräldrarna”; Erik och hans pappa håller som bäst på att fixa lite smått med bilen. Vi planerar att stanna kvar tills på torsdag, så att Erik hinner få fira födelsedagen här hemma i Värmland. Jag roar mig med att virka och läsa/lyssna på Outlander-serien av Diana Gabaldon. Hundarna är i himmelriket med sköna promenadskogar, massor av vatten att bada i, och såklart en trädgård att skrota runt i. Om vädret tillåter så tänkte vi lägga lite spår till Aska och Tintin imorgon! :) Hoppas att alla bloggläsare därute har det lika fint som vi. ♥

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We’re having a wonderful time down in Värmland with Erik’s parents. We spent last week in the cottage just north of the border towards the county of Dalarna. There’s no road to the cottage, so instead we packed four dogs, lots of food and a couple of big canisters of water into the boat, and went across the water. Apart from a very persistent Frenchman who stopped at our dock and refused to accept that the cottage isn’t for sale, we were completely alone. The weather was gorgeous and we all swam in the lake – some of us more than others. ;) Content and well-rested, we returned to Erik’s parents’ house on Friday evening.

Saturday, we had a proper culture day. Erik’s mother Carina took us for a guided tour at Mårbacka, the home of author and Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf. I had never been there, and apart from enjoying the tour, the house and the grounds, I also learned a lot about Selma and her life. After Mårbacka, we went into the town of Sunne and enjoyed a great lunch by the lake Fryken. And later in the afternoon, it was finally time to head for the Storytelling Barn by Rottneros mansion and enjoy my birthday present from Erik’s parents – Molière’s The Misantrophe by Västanå Theatre. It was an amazing production with stunning actors, music and costumes. We were seated in the very first row, and I felt as though the play washed over and embraced me. Thank you so much for such a wonderful gift, Carina and Kenth! After the play, we paid a quick visit to Erik’s brother Anders, before returning home, happy and full to the brim of impressions.

Yesterday and today, we have mostly pottered around at home; Erik and Kenth are currently fixing a few small things on our car. We’re planning on staying until Thursday, so that Erik can celebrate his birthday at home. I’m keeping busy with my crochet hook, and reading/listening to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. The dogs are having the time of their lives, enjoying the woods, waters and garden. If the weather permits, we’re planning on doing some tracking with Aska and Tintin tomorrow. :) I hope that all of you blog readers are having as wonderful a time as we are! ♥

inneboende / lodger

various creatures
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Alltså. Jag skulle putsa fönstren – jag lovar! – men jag kunde ju inte bara slänga ut Herr Spindel efter att han lagt så mycket möda på sitt fina nät. Tintins “noskonst” får helt enkelt vara kvar på fänstret ett tag till. ;)

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Well. I was going to clean the window – I promise! – but I couldn’t just turn Mr Spider out after he spent so much time working on his web. Tintin’s “nose art” is just going to have to stay on the window for a bit longer. ;)