4thWeekend

The 4th weekend at Lappala made us turn our indoor activities to outdoor. This was the 1st weekend we actually had time to start to operate outside the buildings. Even there are still a lot to do indoors.

This weekend I had time to take a closer look to our stairs to the lake shore. Autumn and nature looks beautiful on the stairs but it is actually quite dangerous because it makes it all very slippery if it is moist or frost weather.

Now it is more safe. Now I can bring my grand child for the lake shore adventure and allow her to use the stairs without fear.

This weekend we had time to start to mow the lawn. We got the ride-on mower to work. For the 1st time ever in my life I used the ride-on mower and fell in love with it. Despite it needs petrol to run. We have almost ½ hectares to mow so you really need something powerful fir that. But we have some plans to reduce the lawn that needs mowing. 

Can you spot the forgotten vegetable garden in the pic? It is fenced because of the reindeer who love to eat everything your grow. Yep, there are free running reindeer around the village.

This weekend I took my mom for a holiday weekend. She's been such a great help in cleaning it all up at Lappala. She really has deserved some desired special moments. I took her to a small village farm markets and walks in the woods.

The forest, lake and autumn colors are everywhere. At Suomu most of the leaves have already fell down but it all still looks great. 

I think I will start to call this little cottage of ours "Tonttula". That means a place where the tomtes live. We set up the season lights for Tonttula this weekend. 

Indoors at Lappala I continued my work to turn recycled old lanterns to useful sources of the light at Lappala for the polar night season.

We have taken the recycled bathroom wall cabinet to Lappala. The mirror is also recycled. The bathroom lantern in new and works with the electricity. The walls are not quite finished yet, but He has done a great job painting it all white. I won't show you before and after pics of this, because it would be a bit too humiliating for Lappala. We all want us to be seen at a good light on internet, don't we.

This Lappala bed room I can show you before and after. The walls will go through the decorating. This is how they look now. The frame of this bed is recycled but everything on it is new. For the hygiene. 

On the bed you can spot those two beautiful bed runners made of recycled fur. The FoxBlanket you can see here and the muskrat blanket here. 

On the right side of the bed you can see a very old wooden table. It plays the role of the bedside table at the moment, but it won't be its final position.

This is something we will use as recycled. It needs to come home for the electric safety check up and upholstering. I have an idea already...

3rdWeekend

Again this week on Friday after work we drove to Lappala. This time I was just travelling so I had 3 hours of time to crochet granny squares. It is going to be a blanket for Lappala. For this blanket I use AAW yarn (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool and 10% nylon) (100g = 238m). I have plant dyed the yarns by weld (yellow) and cochineal (red).

This view proves we are soon there. We will across the lake Kemijärvi by Lapland's only ferry and in few minutes we'll be there at Suomu. Despite we use private car, Suomu is accessible by public transport. You can get for example by a night train from Helsinki to Kemijärvi and by a local bus from Kemijärvi to Suomu. Suomu is a small and sleepy, very private feeling location by the Arctic Circle. That's why there is not many public routes daily to Suomu and back, just few, but that's all you need.

This was our 3rd weekend at Lappala. We are still in the middle of cleaning and arranging the places. But this weekend we also sat down to welcome friends. We had our very 1st visitors at Lappala. It was nice to chat with friends about Forest Sámi culture and help out by volunteering in Forest Sámi costume history by bringing into common good my own knowledge. The flowers in the picture have traveled a long way to Lappala's kitchen by the Arctic Circle. 💝 You can notice, Lappala's kitchen has finally got new old curtains. I have 3 of these and I have made them years ago for our veranda at home. I brought all 3 to Lappala and later you will see the other 2 windows wearing them.

This weekend we were also able to build instead of just cleaning. Unbelievable but true, this bed fit into that tiny box. At the end it was practical because we were able to transport it in the car and didn't need a trailer for that. If we have a trailer with us it wastes more petrol. So, it is more environmental friendly to pack it all up into a tiny box and make a customer build it. It needed 3 hours to finish it. But yes, it was possible to do so. 😂

You can spot BlanketNo9 on the bed. You can also notice an old lace pillow case I brought from home with the pillow. The lace bed cover is original from Lappala. The bed cover under the lace is temporary until I will find or make the right one under the lace blanket. The right side table is actually an original plant stand from Lappala which we use now as a bedside table. The space between the bed and wall is small but the plant stand fits perfectly in. It is just enough to place your glasses and book on to it. On the left side stands the original chair from Lappala. At least temporary it plays the role of a stole and a bedside table. 

This weekend we had just few hours of time to explore the possible routes we want to investigate in Suomu. 

Lake Kemijärvi is big and it is impossible to miss it if you are visiting the area. Because of its form it seems to be just everywhere.

It is a big enough to feel almost like a sea. But it is not. Even the dogs have notice the biggest differences compared to the sea.

It smells different and tastes different than the sea bay by the Gulf of Bothnia at home. Our sea at home is not so salty but at the end it is a sea and has salt in it. But lake Kemijärvi is a lake and not salty at all. Every time Nuka and Pii reach the shore they really need to taste it to see is it still un-salty or not!

The lake and the shores also smell so different. It all is very exciting and new to both of them: Nuka and Pii.

Nuka is already 11½ yrs old. She is still in a good physical and mental fitness. She had her vet check up in August. She has some osteoarthritis and we updated her "just-in-case" meds for that because her beloved hunting season has just started. She will have her dental care in November. Pii will have hers too.

In Suomu and all around in Lapland are also something else interesting than water. There are free running reindeer that are someone's cattle. That's why you need to have your dogs always as chained: on a  leash. No matter how well they obey, there is no exception. The most common damages to wild game and reindeer is done by tourists' pet dogs that are set run free on their Lapland holiday. No matter how sweet and pet they seem at home, when they meet the wild they will turn out predators. Make sure your dogs are chained and don't get free by accident. 

Chained and on leash your dogs can enjoy these beautiful routes and outdoor without worries despite you might suddenly spot a reindeer or another wild animals.

Many people travel to Lapland only for the winter and snow. Also autumn is a beautiful time. Local people are back to work after the summer. But local hunters usually have their summer holidays actually on autumn. You don't need to fear them. But if you do, wear something red or orange to make sure they will notice you.

NoBrown

You know I have had the plant dye experiment going on since the summer 2025. I finally have received the last result and skein. Against all the odds, that I learnt in summer 2025, instead of brown I received green. That is very extremely interesting. And beautiful. All for my upcoming book about Forest Sámi costume history.

2ndWeekend

Last weekend was our 2nd at Lappala. I was back with Him, my mom and the dogs. We still used many hours to clean it all up. 3 hours on Friday, 13 hours on Saturday and 9 hours on Sunday. 2 persons cleaning and 1 renovating, like on the 1stWeekend. My arms are sore, my back is aching but my heart is pumping because of the love.

Slowly we are turning to the point where we can start to decorate instead of just cleaning. Not yet, but soon. I can see it already. You can be sure I am not going to use many window hiding curtains. The view to the lake Kemijärvi and fells is amazing at my corner of Suomu. 💚

1stWeekend

This Friday we drove for the 1st time for the weekend to Lappala. Last weekend He and YoungLady made a day-trip to drive the 1st load to Lappala, but this weekend was the 1st ever we spend in this beautiful traditional house. We needed 2 cars and a trailer to drive the 2nd load.

For example the recycled LED-lanterns traveled to Lappala. They lighted up our moments at the wood burning traditional sauna where is no electricity or drains. They are really beautiful!

This is the view I woke up this weekend. I just need to open my eyes and see this fabulous view. I love the old trees that can tell many stories.

This is the view I see when having a breakfast at Lappala. There are many young trees also. I do love them all. I do love the lake too. It is so big that it feels almost like the sea bay at home.

This is the view I see through the bedroom window. Autumn colors arrived early this year and at the moment outside is very beautiful.

Lappala is going to be quite a lot recycling. All we can't recycle, but we do recycle as much as possible. In this picture you can see the old beds with new mattresses, old rag rug and old curtain.

Pii had a rough weekend at Lappala. She meets my mom very rarely and never at over night visit. Now my mom came with us. Pii decided it is her job to look after granny. It was endearing how seriously she took her self-imposed duty. She even slept beside my mom's bed and didn't move until she woke up. My mom was there to help me with cleaning Lappala. Believe me or not, but we didn't made it in one weekend. Not even we worked 3 hours on Friday, 13 hours on Saturday and 10 hours today. It really is a forgotten old traditional house which none has been serve in years. I'll be back with my mom next Friday.