SpringIndeed

When you look outside you see the spring. This year it is more snowy that in past years. The climate change means more rain and the rain means it falls down as snow around here.

You can see and hear the signs of the spring everywhere. We still keep our eyes on birds and feeding. There are days it is better still provide the feeding. They are already working hard in my garden but we still help them to survive over the snowy season.

Some days there is snow free areas and some days not. This path leads to our bird feeding station. For the next week they have forecast rain. This week it arrived as snow. If it arrives as water it  makes the snow melt faster.

The waters are still frozen: sea, bays, rivers, lakes... Only the stream and rapid places are open now. But it is enough for the swans, ducks and geese to eat and stay, not to fly back to south.

The quality of this zoomed smart phone pic is not so good but hope you can spot out a bit of blood and two pike heads. An otter has caught some spring time pikes for lunch.

Also, some warm shores of the bay seem to be exposed for the sun-sun-sun! Today the daylight time is 16 hours 36 minutes and keeps on increasing until MidSummer.

The spring means also school end season at work. 

It means also visits. Kirke and Kusmi have turn out such a good voyagers that even a taxi driver got worried and asked if they are still alive because they were so quiet and well behaving. Usually they travel in a bus instead of a taxi. They can use even a portable litter box so it is just fine to make a 12 hour long journey with them. 

The cats and dogs get along very well. The dogs, especially Nuka who is already 9 years, loves to watch them like a TV. There's always something going on! 😄

This spring means also a voyage for me. At work we were accepted in Erasmus+ accreditation so it has become a time to renew my ID-card. I am leaving the town... not quite yet but soon. Flights are already booked.

HobbyBag

I designed and sew another big fabric bag. It is for my bobbin lace base made of Finnfoam frost insulation sheet (you will see it later). 

It has an important pocket to carry things but also point out the side I need to place up when I carry it with me and place on the car seat or on anything else.

The opening of the bag's mouth is huge so I use a cord to close it up to prevent anything roll out.

Carder'sBag

At work I designed and sew a big fabric bag of left over fabric.

I need to carry something with me every now and then. For practical reasons I need a bag for it. But it came without a bag when I ordered it at work for the students' use.

It is a bag for Golden Fleece drum carder for spinning and felting. The students love it and I am satisfied on it too; both drum carder and bag. The carder and equipment fit in the bag so it is easy for me to carry it all around without fear dropping something into snow and lost forever.

RelaxedMind

My Northern Lights puzzle is finally finished. Before it was completely done I had to face the most difficult part which was the top edge sky. The sorting out puzzle boxes were really helpful in the process.

Finally I managed to do it. It is a beautiful winter scene from Lapland, Finland. I had a great time making it.

I don't know which one brings more satisfaction and pleasure: making a jigsaw puzzle or breaking it back to thousands of pieces. It is a proof of it that I was able to steal some me-time for absolutely non-productivity oriented busy work and world. Absolutely good for ones mental health! 

WeavingAndSewing

Last Autumn I participated on tablet weaving course at work which we arranged in co-operation with local museum Tornionlaakson museo. It has been a busy year but now I am about to finish the tablet woven band basing on 14th century textile in a burial from Valmarinniemi, Keminmaa. It is going to be a sample for my band weaving course in May 2024.

I have started also a sewing project. It is time for a new dress. I need a costume for an upcoming jubilee in May 2024. 

I can't do much gardening yet because the world still looks like this.