The Wolfmaier’s year of 2015 described with pictures
These are some pictures describing our year.
The year started with two new family members joining in. Siam and Milo were really scared of the children in the beginning, mostly hiding, like here, under the sofa.
The beginning of the year was also a very wet one, this little lake formed just outside our property, one particular rainy night it almost reached our garage.
Playing with the kids is important; here is one of the creations made.
At the beginning of February winter finally arrived with some snow.
It wasn’t much but it was enough for the mandatory snowmen.
The funny thing was that just the day before the first flowers had made it out of the ground.
Johannes made it to some real snow on one of his business trips, here in Hallsberg where he learned more about how traffic was directed on a long single track line.
On Shrowe Tuesday there is the tradition of eating a special bun. For some reason Johannes didn’t get one at work (he wasn’t at the office), and Susanna didn’t buy any for home. He really wanted some so then they had to be made.
The end result was really good, so this might be the way of doing it from now on.
As spring came there was some cleaning to be done in the yard. We got rid of the leftovers from the shed; underneath the sheets of metal from the roof mice of different kinds had made small tunnels.
To get rid of some of the shrubs that we cleared out during the winter we made a fire during the full moon.
Eggs are getting a new dye for easter.
Eggs (filled with candies) being found in the garden. The Easter bunny really did a great job hiding all those eggs.
Some bigger Easter presents were tested. Now our kids can help with moving dirt and other things in the garden.
Riding seems to be one of the best things our daughter can do. This was the first time this year, at the farm with all the sheep.
Spring is the season when the grill is back in use. (I’m too lazy to pull it out in the winter with all the rain and snow).
It is also the season for new projects outside.
This year the grandparents helped building a playhouse.
Some are just enjoying a calm break in the grass.
The vegetable garden got a fence to keep rabbits and deer out. Sadly it didn’t keep the snails out. More about our war on snails later…
One of the favourite things our kids do when outside is sitting in the cart and preferably being pulled all over the place.
Spring did also bring some rain.
Not all the time, but to complete the playhouse we put the party tent over it and had a dry working-space.
An evening stroll to the shore of the lake, a single fisherman enjoying the calm evening.
Our daughter learned how to climb the play tower. Now the big slide is easy accessible for her, but more important the platform at the top.
The evening light at the lake is just wonderful.
The farm next to our house from the road to the lake. The fields in yellow bloom is one of the nicest things of spring and early summer.
The road from the farm towards our house in the evening light.
Work got Johannes to Kil. Here we have the platforms of the station. He went there to figure out how this locally dispatched station is run, with an old relay signalling box.
Spring was also the time to get a new fridge and freezer. The floor of the kitchen had been put in after the old ones, so we had to dismantle the top shelves before we could get them out. They had to be removed anyway as the new ones were a bit taller than the old ones, but it was tricky as everything was really tight and hard to remove.
At Johannes’ work the terrace was inhabited by a seagull family. Luckily they were okay with us eating there too. Seagulls can be rather protective about their small ones.
Sunset at the lake. We far too seldom take evening walks due to bedtimes of kids and such.
This is our canoe. We decided to get it into shape. Johannes brother fixed it up so it doesn’t leak and cleaned it. We also took off the old nameplate. We are not entirely happy with the name Yellow Widow. As the canoe is green and I don’t think that a Widow is something that should give name to a family boat.
Some small flowers on our property. We don’t know what they are so if you do, please let us know.
Our daughter exploring the rock-fields of Skäralid, a national Park not far from home. And no, she wasn’t allowed to go further up.
At the end of the stroll through the park we had ice-cream and enjoyed the view from the café.
After the ice-cream we drowse up to the viewpoint at the top. We did manage to have a midsummer without rain. (Had we stayed at home we would have had some).
An old SAAB by the summer café. There is a café and Bed and Breakfast in the farm that is open during the summer, really nice place, not so many people find it.
This summer’s nice days were enjoyed in in the hammock watching the kids play in the play-house or sandbox.
Then it was time for a trip to Germany. With kids traveling takes a bit more time. Here a play and lunch-break in the heat (over 35°C) in Alsfeld. We went to see friends and relatives during two weeks´ time.
Between visiting we also managed to have a day in Stuttgart. Here we did some shopping but we also went to Killesberg, a nice park with a miniature railway, nice flowers, a lookout tower and a huge playground.
One evening we were invited to a barbeque party of the trombone choir a friend´s kid is part of. It was spent on a high fruit field where the wind was really strong.
We also went for a walk in the forest around the monastery of Bebenhausen.
We did some overnight stops at bed and breakfast places; one was in Ulm, where this little river runs between the houses on the way to the Danube.
The light on this field was just too nice not to make a picture of. In the distance we see the mountains east of Hersbruck.
It is nice how there are benches along the walkways…
Now we are on the way back home. First stop, just by chance, a dried up lake in Tripits. It had a nice playground and our daughter found some kids to play with.
Luther-house in Wittenberg, were we stopped for the night.
The next night was in nowhere just south of Rostock. A rustic place, luckily warm outside, as it might have been tricky to keep the kids off the stoves. In the evening we were invited to dinner at the hosts´, together will all kinds of people, lodging there or just friends from the area. This really is a place to come back too, check it out: http://www.gutshaus-rensow.de/ (Only in German or Danish).
Now we definitely are leaving Germany. We took a late ferry due to the fact that our planning included us booking the ferry while we were on route. Realising that the ferries were filling up we had to book one in the evening, resulting in a nice day at a local bath with an adventure part were we just relaxed (as much one can with two small kids) and us arriving in the middle of the night back home.
Summer-time is sitting in the grass time.
It is so nice sitting in the grass, enjoying our place during the day.
In the evenings, when night falls it all changes a bit. We had a fierce war with the Spanish slug. Here with the help of a leopard slug. Almost every day Johannes killed and removed a bucket of them, some days even two or three. (The bucket was about one litre). This way we had some strawberries and our garden wasn’t a total loss.
We also took a walk in the Fulltofta nature reserve, where we came to this little lake in the middle of the wood.
Later during that walk we also encountered the biggest anthills we have seen here in Sweden. Here Susanna is standing in front of one to show how big it is. This wasn’t the only one either.
Later in the summer we went to the gardens of Klinta for the last time before they were closing due to change in owners. Here was a café, a big greenhouse with two kiwi-trees, fruit and herb garden and some ponds. Not much water in the ponds though, it was a dry summer this year.
The pond barely recognisable in the front.
On the way back from the mailbox, the oaks on the meadow just south of our place.
Our place in the summer. It is a green heaven.
And it produces goodies too. Here a lovely plum cake. We had really many plums this year and blackberries too. Not many apples though.
This was the summer when our son learned to walk. Here he is showing off to his great grandmother.
Riding the frog (or whatever animal that might be) is great fun even if done together.
The king of the forest, here in the zoo Skånes Djurpark that is just outside of Höör. We had year-passes so we went there a couple of times, looking at the animals (they only have Nordic animals there), playing on the playgrounds and just having a good time.
It’s not that we lack wildlife at home. Here the hedgehog enjoyed the leftovers from our dinner because we didn’t close the door good enough.
It’s not that we lack wildlife at home. Here the hedgehog enjoyed the leftovers from our dinner because we didn’t close the door good enough.
We went to a raspberry farm, it was next to the railway line, Johannes just can’t stay away from trains.
It looked like a good idea to cook some sausages over the open fire, it was just a bit chilly, somehow sun and rain started taking turns though.
After the summer ended it was time for Johannes to be home with the kids, here they are helping shopping for food.
Our daughter is now four years old. She started at preschool now, getting new friends and other challenges.
These are the tomatoes. We had eight plants this year, all giving plenty of fruits, I think we had the first in the end of June and we started buying tomatoes again in the end of September.
The yearly grooming of the trees had started. Here one of the bushes in front of the house.
Twice a week Johannes and the kids went to open preschools. Here the view from the one in Bosjökloster, looking over the golf-course. Now the autumn started to show.
Playing together gets more and more fun, here the swing is enjoyed.
Beautiful late summer clouds just outside our place. Our son really likes to explore the surroundings; we have to be really alert so that he doesn’t wander off.
Then there was a blood moon. We didn’t get up at the right time but a few shots just before it ended was possible.
Our place as viewed from the farm.
One day we decided to make a walk towards the west along the lake. Somewhere here we realised this might be the end of the road or rather the end of the path, it wasn’t a road in the first place.
Before the autumn would bring wind, rain and whirling leafs, it was time for the children’s house to get painted. Great to have a grandfather that can help us with that.
The autumn started setting in with so many more colours in the fields.
I picked up our daughter a few times with the bicycle. It’s a 16 km roundtrip, so it takes a while, especially now when I’m not bicycling every day.
A rare sight from the balcony, three deers in the field. We do see them on and off, just not this close to the house and three at a time.
Autumn is also the season of fog. Here some low-fog just after sunset.
The mood of this is magical.
Perfect perspective, on the way home looking up to Brostorp.
Autumn at its’ best.
The end of summer and autumn were dry, not much rain at all, here we are walking on the bottom of the western Ringsjön, about 50 meters out from the normal shorline.
Walking back home, now the trees really start turning colourful.
There were rather many really nice days. The open landscape with the mighty wind turbines is grand.
We made it to the zoo a few times; here our kids are riding sheep.
There is a nice forest playground, actually mainly for bigger children, but our daughter just can’t stay away and enjoys it.
Autumn and sunshine is a great combo.
Every time there is a way to get on the back of a horse is used by our daughter.
The view of the lake, the grey horizon merging with the grey water, rocks showing where one shouldn’t drive ones boat when the water is higher.
Playing at the beach is fun, even if it’s getting rather cold.
It is also good not to walk back home but to be pulled by father.
Now the corner boards were completed. They were just lacking paint…
Painting outside in late autumn isn’t that easy. So; all of the boards were taken down and painted in the workshop and shed.
November also was the month when the first big tree of our place was to be taken down. We had great help from a friend, Johannes´ parents and the neighbour who allowed us to use his pasture to fell in the easiest direction.
A new view of the house, this will hopefully leave a lot less leafs on the roof.
Then the winter came. First round that is. Perfect for snow-light building. (And Christmas-picture making).
It came rather much during the night.
We cleared the driveway and paths, not knowing how much more would come.
Our place in the snow.
The amount of snow made it possible to build a nice snow house. We even had lights in it.
Just in time for advent the snow was gone again, Christmas-marked riding at Bosjökloster.
There is always something to be done in the garden. Here our son is helping Johannes clearing heaps of leafs.
Christmas came, and with that a tree inside with a pile of presents under it.
Afterwards, the presents were enjoyed in the lounge.
One more year has passed. The armchair upstairs is a great place to sleep in. Siam is enjoying the calm.