a massive spring update

Are you bored with my magnolias yet?

I guess my friends OUGHT to be. I discovered that I have quite a collection in my camera - a collection of friends that I dragged along with me for my almost daily magnolia mission :)

This is me paparazzi-ing a picture of my friend Kirsi watching my other friend Marie taking a picture of the magnolias that I forced them to go and see about a week ago :-D


...and this is my friend Anders, at the very same place, two days ago. I inspired him to take a picture TOO. I ought'ta get royalties from the magnolias for making them famous, ahem.

Well, this is it. It's done. I no longer need to watch them, cuz from now on it's just downhill again...

Svartån ("Svart" = "Black"and "ån" = ehm, well not river, but stream? creek? shucks, what would you call it?)

Kyrkbacken (Church Hill), the oldest part of Västerås. There are always new things to discover around the corner. Some of the wooden houses are 400 years old.

I'm SHORT, but I would need to bow to be able to get inside, I doubt that this door is higher than 1,5 metres. Yes, the houses are carefully modernized inside, people still live there, this is one of the most popular places in Västerås.

We all know that maples are beautiful in autumn colours - but I also love the early limegreen tiny tiny flowers in spring, before the leaves appear.

Magnolia watch, mid April in Västerås

Sooon... soon! I go to Vasaparken several days a week to check now :)

New blooms in the garden

In just a week things have started really happening in the garden. The Abutilon is starting to flower (top) as is the Species Tree paeony. The Abutilon is definitely early. That should not start flowering until next month. Another example of global warming?

Various animals, some doing naughty things

Red eared terrapins at a local park. These would have been bought at the time of the Teenage Mutrnt Ninja Turtle craze in the 90s then abandoned when the owners discovered that they aren't easy pets to keeps

Two particularly shameless lily beetles.


I have no idea who this cat is but it was facing down Bebe on Saturday morning

The return of my old favourite, the crab spider

"I can see you"

Street art, someone recently decorated a small box outside the library with this delicate little work of art.

Easter in Karlstad

This is river "Klarälven" in my hometown, Karlstad.

This is a new one - it wasn't there a few years ago. He does look a bit familar, perhaps an old boyfriend left behind, or something. Hm.

(why oh WHY would you place a statue of a gorilla in the middle of the street?)

OK, so mom's cats are sissies! Iriis and Astor huddled together behind the couch.

I, um, wonder why? So I guess Izzy was a little... well, she WAS stark, raving MAD. Dunno what it is about her and neutered males.

(Iriis is a neutered female, but Izzy always goes for Astor)

Here goes: the result of the big fight. 90% of this is cream coloured fur from Astor. A mere 10% could be traced back to Izzy. Oops.

cats and taps

My cats like boxes, just like Ted below, but they seem to be even more fond of taps. Dripping taps. Tristan has displayed this behaviour ever since we first got him (we think he was about 5 years old when he came to us), but Sally was a normal water bowl drinker when she arrived. For about half a day that is and then she was converted too! However, she hasn't progressed from the bathroom sink to the shower as Tristan has :-). Incidently, the only way to get Tristan to drink from his water bowl is to add chunks of ice- he is a truly American cat.





I apologise for the bad quality of the pictures- bathrooms are difficult when the flash is bad.

What is it about cats and boxes?

I buy an inexpensive photo printer, get it home and start setting it up. Within nanoseconds, Ted is in the box and trying to get some sleep. What is it about cats and boxes, fruit bowls, egg cups and so on??

Västerås' walkabout, April 1st

The turbine building, Västerås' oldest power plant - hydro power, obviously. Built about 120 years ago, AND it still works (renovated in 1995), providing power to the castle. I've been inside - my inner engineering geek LOVES this. I admit ;)

Gustav Vasa - endlessly watching over the castle from Vasaparken...

...and here goes: the Västerås castle. Not very Disney, this one. The oldest parts are 800 years old. It was a royal residence until 1638.

Inspired by Cecilia, I had to go check the Magnolias too - nah, they are not fully ready for take off yet, and neither should they be already this time of the year.