there's no lady in my radiator, nor behind it. instead, found decades of grime and teasers of the most perfect, pale turquoise paint, as well as what looks like the original wallpaper from 1951. used a toothpick to pry out some dust bunnies from the inside... it's electric so when i switch it on, the smell of burning dirt fills the apartment, but hopefully my scrubbing and vacuuming helped some. luckily the radiator will probably not be needed until next winter.

sysi and savu were sooo not going to have a disney moment when they got a bowl of noodles to share... rat fanciers will always tell you how clean rats are, but that's not the entire truth. they spend most of their days grooming because the rest of the time they are busy making great big messes. the more staining potential a food has, the farther from the source it must be dragged, preferably across the provider's freshly laundered sheets or shirt or similar.

speaking of messes, i myself am a great hot one. it's just too warm a day today. even with ice cream inside, i could feel my body reverting to survival mode. i was at the forest home and managed to pick half a litre of spruce tips and some wild greens before it was time to go indoors. brought so much stuff back again, and the big question is, why must everything be red? there really should be a 'replace colour' option in real life, too.

slowly making progress on my plot... splurged on some echinaceas and a peony (both white) today at the nursery to make the situation a bit more garden-like. both plants are my dream but they always fail... fingers crossed they'll thrive here! there is also a peony from the forest home taking root. today i made the beds on the top left corner and sowed radishes, carrots and hyssop, among others. one fellow gardener gave me garlic and lots of strawberry plants, and others planted two sea buckthorn saplings for me! i am spoiled rotten. the tripod in the middle is for beans and i sowed some salad in the middle the other day, putting sand in between the rows. today found cat poop buried in the sand... great. i will put some twigs sticking up all over the sowings from now on. it's hard not to get carried away, but risk of frost is far from over (is it ever?) so need to pace myself... an eeny meeny polytunnel would be so nice! or a proper greenhouse even...

not making any progress at home, but flowers always help, right? they draw the eye from any messes. this is my hallway/entryway and each morning i kind of have to pinch myself to make sure i'm not just dreaming this is my home now. to have my own space, and so much of it, is such a luxury but for me also somewhat of a necessity in order to function. the odd minty hue in this photo is from the super green view across the street!

i'm kind of gearing up to making this blog more substantial, but so far we are still in the realm of random ramblings, which will always be a part of who i am so that will not end. i just think it would be fun to also work from a place of cohesion and planning sometimes. after treading quicksand for a decade, it's odd having some bearings all of a sudden, and seemingly limitless directions to head towards.

on my to do -list:

• rhubarb & vanilla liqueur
• crocheted cotton top
• big work table
• lots and lots of sewing
• starting seedlings
• a thousand other things

the weekend was wet, and this week is starting out grey, too. it does good for the greenery, and my soul as well as my nose. tons of birch pollen in the air last week, i'm not even allergic but it was too much for sensitive nostrils. on sunday i took a walk to explore my new surroundings in the rain, which made everything clear and fresh. found a nice path down from the water tower hill, through some woods and rocks, emerging next to my old high school. looked promising for bilberries and mushrooms.

it was so lush and peaceful, yet only steps away from route 8 and fairly close to town centre. some of it was nice and steady like this, parts of the trail were muddy and steep, but all of it made me happy. so much to discover! next time i will try the other road that diverged...

my original reason to climb up to the water tower was to check on the frog spawn discovered earlier. tiny tadpoles now! the trashy rock pool made me sad but the future frogs seemed to love their hiding places and had plenty to eat. made me want to dig a pond into my garden plot... maybe just a tiny one, fit for one water lily...

it wasn't until at home that i realized i was soaked, i had been so enthralled by everything else, and my feet were dry so i wasn't cold. i had some rhubarb and strawberry tea, with a gluten free strawberry bisquit that looked like a baffled sloth face. well, i may have had more than one, actually... i really need to start cutting down on the sugar, it's making me feel so sick. luckily there's now a lot of wild greens to occupy my mind. nettle is at its best and i really want to try a kimchi with all finnish veggies. ground elder for chinese cabbage etc. i have a lot of plans, as usual.

this shot is from my evening walk to the carnival on friday, when it was still sunny and warm. one of my crazy dreams for when i win the lottery is to buy a carnival and make it not depressing. old time atmosphere, proper carnival music, stylish rides and spooky sideshows...  anyway, i took some photos because the light was so awesome, and this amethyst orb was in all of them, in the same spot in the middle of the street, no matter how my camera was angled or pointed. just happens to be the street my late grandparents' (and great grandparents') house is on...

it's a great neighbourhood, called 'the moor', with wooden houses and a sense of elevation. for me it's childhood, too, and it still feels exactly the same. i wish i could've lived in my granny's house but i'm happy to live close by now and have lots of walks through there.

so far, moving to town not as bad as feared.

the picture above is self explanatory, right? yesterday i lucked out big time and scored this plot of land nearby. the gardens are next to the school i went to thirty years ago, there's a stream to the right of this photo where i've spent hours and hours playing. things haven't changed much there, it's all lush and full of birdsong. i can't quite believe it's true that i get to call this mine for the summer and hopefully many more. it paid off to chat with the seasoned ladies, i was tipped off that there's a freshly available plot, nicely kept and fairly weed-free. (there were others that were growing hay basically.) i can pretty much just start sowing! there are even berry bushes ready.

the downside is an abundance, abomination even, of snails. picked a bagful already and had to destroy them and it was easily one of the most awful things i've had to do. i love snails, but these ones breed and breed until you cannot walk without crushing them with every step and all your veggies are gone. i wish i could have ducks there... there are wild ones, got to see if they enjoy a crunchy snack.

but anyway, i am giddy with excitement and joy, and it's a new theme for blog posts as well. i'll try and squeeze and stack as much permaculture onto this little piece of land as possible.