I'm here.

You have plans. You have thoughts. You even have the time, but somehow it just runs through your fingers like sand. And there is nothing you can do about it. It is a big part of something called life. Without getting any deeper and philosophical - I am still alive and kicking. 

Since last post my life has been filled with good things and bad things. After we got our vaccines and our oldest relative, my hubby’s uncle, got his we decided to take a trip to the cottage. After a six hour drive, with just stops to take some well needed stretch the legs, let Bentley sniff around and eat our home made sallad by a lake we arrived at the cottage. We had not been there for two year because of the pandemic and I was a bit afraid to find it looking abandoned. The cottage looked just fine, but behind a jungle and fourteen deers. They were all over the place!

This was in late August and we felt lucky to finally enjoy a couple of weeks of late vacation. My hubby worked during the summer, so that he could have his vacation in September. Oldest daughter did the same and youngest had her summer as usual and started to study in September through a school platform and meetings on Zoom. Works well during the pandemic. 

I enjoyed my time with gardening (jungle), taking some swims in the lake and breathing the fresh forest air. Had some dolls along the trip too. We visited some places nearby, but mostly we stayed at the cottage. We visited my hubby’s uncle, being a 100 years old and just having his next birthday in late October. We had plans to celebrate him on his day before we drove home. I knew that my husband and oldest daughter had to travel back home to work and meanwhile I and the youngest one would stay with Bentley at the cottage. But that did not happen. No birthday, no work. 

We visited him daily, sat and talked, helped him to do grocery shopping, talked with the care takers. He was so glad to see is and enjoyed the visits a lot, especially our girls and Bentley. Bentley loved to visit him and just sit by him, like a support dog. It went fast in the end. He complained about a huge pain in his leg, ended up taking the ambulance to the hospital and he never came back. It was probably a blood clot. We miss him a lot. He was the last of my mother in law’s siblings. My husband and his cousins are the oldest ones now. 

Some of the flowers at my hubby's uncle's funeral.

Some weeks later we lost another relative, one my mother-in-law’s side. Just like that. He was even a neighbor to us, had the second house on the road before us. He has always been there, year after year and now the house is empty. Well, the village feels empty. And we are feeling numb. 

I walked a lot in the forest that my hubby’s uncle owns. Walked to the lake, picked mushrooms and berries, let Bentley be a free soul, took some photos of my dollies. So let’s enjoy some photos from those days. The dolls will appear in the next post...

Enjoying my walks.

Our neighbour's cows.

There are so many big rocks in the forest near our cottage.

What is this? A hiding place for a small hunter? It was hunting season during our stay at the cottage.
Village was filled with hunters and their dogs.

The lake.

Bentley and his best friend Dante, who came for a stay - two times.

Neighbour's two dogs - new friends.

Curious horses, so friendly. Oldest daughter with Bentley.

Bentley and Dante by the lake.

Bentley loves to sit on the rock and just look at the surroundings.

After a rainy walk and some food it feels good to just chill...in the rain, on the vet grass.

Macrothylasia rubi, I assume. Will be a Fox Moth.
Friendly too, even if some say it is toxic. 

Very tired after carrying a big stick from the forest. Fell asleep on it.

I had a thought to have this on the garden chair.
Someone took it.

Lovely goat at the Wämö park.

Life is not always a walk in the park, but we had some lovely moments
during the vacation. It was needed.

Thank you for your visit! See you soon!