Hot

 

While here in Sweden we haven't had summer temperatures as high as the southern parts of Europe (and are not very likely to end up there either), we have had a few days a bit above my own "comfort zone".  

On Monday morning it was still quite pleasant, though, and I went for an "early-ish" (as in before lunch) walk into town, and bought Swedish strawberries from a stand in the main square.

 

Yesterday was warmer still, but as it was laundry day for me, I didn't really feel it all that much until after 4 pm, when I was done with that and went outside... "Not a cloud was in the sky", and it was beautiful - but I cut my walk short (and did not go out again later, either).

Today I woke up to 26'C indoors (in spite of fans going all night and a window or two slightly ajar); and outdoors feeling clammy, with threat of thunder. I decided to go out before lunch rather than later, and again that was no doubt the right decision. This time I found my strawberries (and a few other things) closer to home - there is a small "corner" grocery shop only 5 minutes away, which I've come to appreciate more and more... They don't have "everything", but they do have a wide assortment of fruit and vegs. This time of year, with a lot of it on display outdoors, it also almost gives me a feeling of being on holiday somewhere exotic, without going through the actual hassle of travelling!

Tonight there are weather warnings for thunder and heavy rain in the southern parts of Sweden, including the area where I live. Not having to be out in it, no serious worries for my own part, though. (Better keep my windows closed, though!)

 If I'm finding it too warm even at 26'C (78.8F), I dare not even think how I'd feel about 46'C (114.8F), like they've been experiencing in southern Spain and Portugal...

 

(Map from one of our major Swedish newspapers, DN, 1 July)

Coping with Changes

  

Ill: Tove Jansson

In coping with various changes in life, I often find my thoughts wandering off to the Moomin Valley and the characters living there. The Moomins were created by Tove Jansson, a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She wrote several books about them, and later also comic strips. Drawing the comic strip adventures was later continued by her brother Lars Jansson. Back in my childhood/youth, these comic strips were published in the daily newspaper my parents subscribed to. Later on, I bought some of the comic strips adventures collected in albums. From early childhood I also remember some of Tove's illustrated children's books; and a bit later on in life, I collected her novels about the same characters. 

Anyway. One of the comic strip adventures (by Lars Jansson) that tend to turn up in my head in times of change is one where some strangers turn up in the Moomin Valley, and persuade Moominpappa that it would be a good idea to turn their valley into a "nature park". It also turns out that there are certain requirements to make this happen, though. One of those is that a nature park ought to include "hot springs". So Moominpappa sets out to arrange that - "borrowing some hot water from Gaffsie" (while covering up his intent with lies).

It works, and the hot water comes up at a hot spring outside; but at the same time, Gaffsie's shower stops working, while she's using it. However, when she goes out to investigate, she sees the"hot spring", and decides that this will work just as well for her needs - and just puts up a shower curtain in front of it, outdoors. Her comment: "I have always believed in Providence - although not this much..."

Various other troubles turn up with the idea of creating a Nature Park as well, though; and in the end, it is not approved, and Moominpappa decides to restore things to their natural order - including getting rid of the "hot spring".

 

Of course this happens just as Gaffsie is using the "hot spring" for her shower. Her reaction: "Oops, now the hot water ran out here too! ... But perhaps the shower is working again? ... Providence must really like me!"

I'm sure there are more examples of similar attitudes to life to be found in the Moomin books and comics, but this is a favourite of mine that for some reason I keep coming back to - like when something I've been used to changes, and I need to find new routines... 

Thankful Thursday

 

 

Hydrangea, also known as hortensia, on a stone wall in the cemetery

Yesterday was the first day of the new policy of locked entrance doors 24/7 where I live; and today was my first experience of putting new routines for receiving the home deliveries from my supermarket to the test - the locked entrance making it even more important than before for me to keep track of their ETA (expected time of arrival) and watch out for the actual arrival, as I now also have to go downstairs to open the entrance for them - and just have to hope that they'll still understand that I also need help carrying the bags up to my flat. 

Thankfully, when entering my digital order (on Tuesday), after some "head-scratching" I did finally manage to find a space to enter extra notes concerning deliveries. I had feared there would only be room for an entrance pincode - which would be no help in my case, since my building does not have that system. But they had actually allowed enough space for a somehwat longer message.

So everything went smoothly, after all. I kept checking ETA on my phone, looked out for the van, and was able to go down and open while the guy got the bags out. The guy also turned out to be of the "angelic" kind (writing that with a wink to Sandra). He was nice and polite and had probably read my instructions, as he obviously had no problem understanding that I needed help all the way up to my flat. - Before I opened the entrance I had also pressed the button for the lift, so that was already on the ground floor, and we both smoothly went up with that, and he waited for me to open my own door, and carried the bags into the hall for me. I told him on the way up that the locked entrance is a new routine and he just said something like well, probably safer that way - one never knows these days!

So I guess I can now relax a bit about future deliveries probably continuing to work out, too; and for that I'm thankful, as I really don't know how I'd cope without them! (I've been using this service for over ten years by now, twice a month - and it's literally "a huge weight off my shoulders"...) 

 

Skywatch on a Wednesday

 

From the same bridge today, the first photo looking north, and the second one south.

And why not "wrap up" with this view at the eastern end of the same bridge...

I suppose just some renovations going on here; but it made me think of the works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude - artists famous for wrapping various kinds of famous buildings and other landmarks in fabric...  For example the Berlin Reichstag building (1995); and an installation of 7,503 gates made of saffron-colored fabric in Central Park in New York (2005) - and many more examples can be found in the Wikipedia article linked to above. I also see there that Christo died in 2020, though; and his partner already in 2009. So I suppose I can't blame them for this one... ;-) 

Paradise?

 

I'm not sure of the name of these flowering bushes, but my Google Image searches indicate that it's pobably what you call Beauty bush in English, while in Swedish it is known as Paradise Bush (paradisbuske). Anyway, there are lots of these in bloom in the old cemetery just now; and that's as far as my walks took me over the weekend. Heat + grass allergy had me rather tired, and uninspired for longer outings.

On Saturday, I made the discovery that there now seem to be at least three hares living in the cemetery, because first I spotted the two I already "knew" to the left of me, but disappearing into a hedge before I got the camera out - but then when I turned my head, there was this one sitting on the other side of the path... 

(Little fountain in the cemetery)

Today the midsummer heatwave broke. I haven't heard any actual clashes of thunder nearby, but we had some torrential showers, and the temperature has now dropped considerably. I optimistically thought I'd manage a short walk to a convenience shop 5 minutes away before the worst of the rain... But ended up in one of the worst downpours - and even if if somewhat protected by my umbrella, that does not help much against additional sudden flooding on the ground... My shoes (supposed to be fairly weatherproof) and socks got thorougly soaked in just a couple of minutes... 

As I was so close to home, no major disaster, though! ;-)