What does one say when...

... one has finally found a place to call home after years of searching for it?

The Farm is full of small perfect sights.

I love how well it's taken care of and how nicely it has aged.

Wanna find out if birds will nest in that little house up there in the spring?

Double-luck attracter?

This last picture shows the building that holds the stable area, my garage, my gear storage room and some wonderful handiman area... and my actual live-in house in the back ground.

I'm not sure what to say now that I have a home.

Am waiting for the wood stove to be activated for me so I can start heating my space that way.

Have spent hours the other day with a chainsaw... readying myself for the cold.

Have berries in the freezer and rhubarb.

Bought a wonderful bed and ordered a couch.

Taking small steps to making it more mine every day.

:)

An Afternoon Hike.

I'll let the pics do the talking this time ;)

Skinny Dip Inspiration (... or Invitation?).

Ups, I did it again.

Couldn't resist a waterway's invitation to join it for a few seconds...

Maybe I captured it's beauty well enough for you to be tempted as well?

Wait, that is just a fuzzy pic of B and some fern-lings!! :)

I had no clue that my backyard offered a 200 yard waterfall...!

I'm in love. The colours. The energy. The simplicity.

In other news:

Had a real wonderful first date with a wonderful fellow yesterday.

Up on the fjäll.

Caught several rainbows.

Ran with B.

Who ate some berglemmings (= sadly some very cute little creatures).

Life continues to be wonderful.

And maybe a tad less lonely.

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Where and when are you next going to be inspired to take a dip?

The Farm.

This is it, people... my new base.

In a whirlwind Buford and I left our old house right after our client left. We have spent the last 10 days or so moving our belongings from our temporary house to our new home.

I've even bought a bed in the meanwhile!! (Side note: Kinda crazy that I had to learn at 33 years old that I have slept wrong for all of my life?! From a cute guy at IKEA that "checked me out" while pretending to sleep on various beds? Was well worth it though, cause I now sleep in heaven every night. Thinking I may push a 100 if I continue good stuff like this for myself... Underbart!).

But, back to The Farm.

On the picture above (I took a photo of a photo in the older flat upstairs) you can see all the buildings that are bascially mine. Yeah, I get to be the "rent-in owner" of all of them...!

B and I live in the house on the upper right corner of the picture. The other buildings are an actual stable, a house that's being renovated (not actively, but it looks incredibly promising), quite a few sheds, and several storage places. Everything is in nice shape and beautifully aged.

There is also a swing. B gets a lot of stoke in his eyes when I use it. May try to capture that on "film" at some point for you all.

There is also endless forest that starts right behind our property.

And in the forest there are lingonberries. And moose. And bears. And trails to bike and hike and ski on. You get the picture. It's my kind of paradise.

Am planning to take some current photos of it all today.

Cannot wait to share...

In the meanwhile: Har det bra!

Out breathing with Beefy P.

Right now I am actually home... watching Into the Wild, loving the soundtrack, the perspectives, drinking a glass of wine, cuddling with the B on a makeshift "couch". Earlier, however, we explored some of the beauty that now is in front of our doorsteps... check for yourselves:

Sweet, sweet B. (Psst.. I think he's actually a little stressed due to our current move.)





Am after these guys. Wanna pick many and make jam.







This is for Andrea. Pretty, huh?







There are reindeer in this pic. B had to be leashed after all. (In Sweden you have to leash your dog officially between sometime in March and August 20th... August 20th however, also coincides with the beginning of the hunting season. Currently they hunt bears... and have shot a 228 kilogram bear nearby. Next week is älgjakt.. poor moose...).






Fun species. I think I'll use the colour scheme in my new living room.

Views in my back yard.

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So, I have moved.

Left my old house officially today.

I have also thrown myself full force into Swedish studies after my return from the wild.

Am stressed.

Unsure.

Longing.

Seeking.

And, feeling blessed.

We landed.

B and I (and the plants I bought instead of a bed, a couch, chairs, kitchen table...) made it to our new home: The Farm.

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More soon. :-)

Hoppla!

I have 14 minutes till I have to wake up the client who then has to do a couple last minute things before jumping into (T)rusty and head to the place where we start our 100 km canoe trip on Klarälven. Naturally, I have a million things still to do. Catching up here is an inmportant one.

Ready? Here we go!!

First a few photos of the last adventure:

Huts we reached after a 25 km hike.

Once B was with us my smiles increased by... well, a lot.

Photo credits go to A who hiked with us in week 3.

A taking in Helag.

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Life is full.

Our time at home was mostly nice and sometimes tricky. I am clearly more prepared to do crazy expeditions with youth than to have them at my home. My home life really isn't as active as say... a farm life or some other good place where a troubled youth can untrouble his or her self.

Accordingly I have to work more. Meaning I have to create ways to keep us busy to keep some one from getting into trouble (for once not myself or the Beef-ster).

Over these past 2 weeks we did quite a good job at just that.

And at picking blueberries (hurray, they're back!), cooking scrumptious meals, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, doing paper work, catching fish, providing Beefy Panify with daily adventures and:

SEALING THE DEAL TO MOVE TO A FARM!!

Yes, you heard right. Yours truly will spend the next week canoeing the Klarälven 100 km towards the south, then see some friends in the old stomping grounds and spend the last week prior to being FREE AS A BIRD (after working for 7+ weeks nonstop) on the islands of the St Anna Archipelago and then - move to the sweetest rental opportunity in all of Sweden per September 1st!

It's a farm that...

... is fully functional in case I want some additional four-legged ones...

... is located beautifully on the outskirts of a sweet little village...

... has trails (snowmobile, bike, hike, ski) basically going through the back yard...

... an incredible flat in it for the rascal and I...

... tons of space for all the things I can come up with...

... work spaces for wood work, art, repair, etc. ...

... a humonguous garden space that just kind of transitions into the forest...

... a wood stove...

... freezer, dishwasher, washer, dryer, environmentally sound appliances...

... lots of light...

... mountains and streams right outside my door!!

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Ups, time to wake the client....

... anyways, I'll be back to move my stuff there and keep things more updated around here.

-- Skipping away :) --

Last week was all kinds of wonderful.

Having my parents here for a visit allowed me to make even more out of my days.

Early on we went to Linsellborren Naturreservat where I whipped out a Swiss Cheese Fondue.

It's my second outdoors, made on a fire.

They're good!

On another day Mr. Moose and I took a long kayaking trip. We started waaay up on the river and made it all the way to our houses. True bliss... and it will likely soon happen with clients.

I took my parents to Sånfjället Nationalpark a few days ago. We hiked to the top of Lillfjällen. Gorgeous!

I cannot get enough of the wide wide open that's "mine" all of a sudden.

Mine to play with, that is...

Beefy is still recovering. There are better and not so good days.

It will take a while for the results of his tumor to be given to me.

Until then, he's being cute...

As we left the Nationalpark area, we encountered the following family:

What's with the goat?

And yesterday... yesterday was the cherry on the pie. Not only did we see the following reindeer herd,...

... but also did we get to see my first swedish bear (and their first bear in the wild)!!!

I think I have landed.

Kayaking with the B.

Training on land: check!

Self-portrait: Check!

Cuteness: Check!

Back on safe ground: Check!

Sweet Saturday adventure: Check!

Moose-lets in the hood!!

Look what happened while B and I hiked our butts off!!

Isa had her calves. They touch my soul and feed my sense of wonder.

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After visiting with them in the back area of the hägn, they made it to the farm house for the first time in their lives...

Sweet little wonders of life.

My future... illustrated.

I spent four days living the life that I am building for myself right now.

It was unbelievable!

The little sweetheart enjoying Särvfjället's everchanging vistas.

Finding a way through some marshy stuff...

Don't they look like troopers?

It's the life.

After some apprehension at home, B bonded with the kid during the adventure.

View from the saddle... I'll bring my parents here during their upcoming visit.

As I was setting up our sleeping spot, B positioned himself in front of the departing sun...

... while "the kid" decided to forego his tent set up ("too complicated") and settled in for the night.

B and I's sleeping quarters.

Shortly after taking a coffee making break at the hut behind us.

B is quite serious about taking breaks.

On our third day of hiking we had to cross these kinds of features... and waded through lots of water and muck.

Our destination was my "safe place" Malmbäcken. Isn't it incredible?

The shared struggles and pleasures did wonders. B therapy is enjoyed by all...


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