summer medley, of nature

it's summer. well, it was, only for a brief moment, it seems. the temp this morning was 12C and it will rain today. anyway, during the few very warm days the dog got to go under the apple trees to enjoy the shade.







he also got to smell the flowers! just kidding, he's eating grass...







this bunch was the lovage growing in a huge planter. it was getting out-of-control-big, so i decided to cut it down. all this went to the compost heap.







i did leave a few sprigs to be used in soups, etc...







...and what do you know, a week later the bugger was already this big! yes, i was warned that lovage would take over everything else. i now have a plan, next time i'm going to the cottage, i will dig all of it up, place it into a bucket and take to the cottage. let's see how it survives semi-arctic conditions!







ah, the peonies. my biggest worry every summer is that i miss their blooming. this summer it seems to take for ever for the buds to open. could it be all the rain...







back at the cottage, the lingonberries were blooming, looks like they will be plentifull again this year.







the blueberries were starting to ripen and to tell the truth, the nature at the cottage was crying for some rain. it was cracking dry and any careless spark would have spread furiously...







a bad shot? hmm, i was trying to get a close-up of the lily of the walley and the dog thought there was something interesting and got his nose in...







it started as a warm and sunny sunday, the lake was nice and calm. then the winds started to pick up volume and clouds gathering into huge pillows. at this point i was sitting on the deck admiring nature's play in front of me.







thunder storms don't usually hit the cottage, the hills around it steer the strom away, which is something we, as kids, didn't like, we thought thunder storms were fun...this time i thought that i'd miss yet another storm, but no, oh no...this hit right on us! the rain started very suddenly and by the time i had run from the deck to the cottage porch (50 meters), i was wet...







i got the full show, lightning, rumbling thunder, icy hail and it lasted for a good few hours. the downside with the storms is that the electricity goes very easily. a tree falls down on a powerline and there you have it, luckily, no fallen trees this time.







back at the shack, certain someone has got a new tenant...right by the door, right in front of your eyes when you open the door. while we were away for a week, someone had built a nest on a sill by the door (on the dog's toy-rope...)







the someone is a spotted flycatcher (muscicapa striata), notorius for making its nests in unconventional locations (shoes, hanging planters...) we think there are eggs in the nest and that the birds don't seem to mind us, or the dog, that much. we are concerned that once the babybirds hatch and start screaming for food, the dog will show a loud interest in them...will keep you posted, the birds don't seem to mind posing for pics!