Niks and Naks in Duck Park

It is a beautiful day so Niks and Naks insisted it's their turn to go out. As they had threatened to pick pine needles and glue them all over my computer screen we went to the Duck Park - there isn't a single pine there!

There is a fountain in the middle of the pond. (Click the picture to see larger version.)


Two trolls on the fence.

Niks: It is more beautiful when two trolls are in the picture.

Naks: We sure add beauty to any landscape.


View of the fountain from opposite shore - between silver willows. (Click the picture to see larger version.)


And of course Niks and Naks want to add to the beauty of the scene...

Niks: Nice and shady on this side...

Naks: And we are making the scenery twice as beautiful again.


The old silver willows are bending so low that their branches reach water. (Click the picture to see larger version.)




Niks: Take the picture quick before we fall down!


Some flower on the side of the street. These are serving dual purpose: Adding beauty and blocking the cul-de-sac from cars (they are not supposed to drive over pavement).


There is a nice flower box at the entrance of our house.

Nask: Pretty flowers and pretty trolls, right?


And I don't think you have seen how big the begonia on our balcony has grown.

Niks: It is big enough for two little trolls to hide in it?

Demon on Devil's Mountain

After Deimos heard that there is a place called Devil's Mountain (Pirunvuori) nearby he absolutely definitely insisted on making a hiking trip there.


Deimos: The way seems to be rather long. It's a good thing I found a toadstool big enough to sit on. I can rest here a little bit.

Finally on top of the Devil's Mountain.

Deimos: Not much of a mountain, I think. The darn ice age has worn it down. The white veins are harder stone than the grey, the white veins look like they are running on top of the grey matter. You should see the lake in the background, just a little bit of water and trees on the opposite shore are visible between the pines.

Demon on the Devil's Mountain

There are little black ants running around, but I could not catch them...

Beware!

Deimos: Look! There is a warning sign! It must warn about devils and demons on the top of the Devil's Mountain! I'm famous! I have a sign warning about me!

Outsider: Actually that sign is warning skiers about a very steep downhill...

Deimos: There are no skiers here in the summer. In the summer the sign warns about little demons.

The pines don't have branches low enough for Deimos to climb on, so he climbed on a lonely stick that must be the last remnants of a little pine that has died young.




Closeup of my little demon

Deimos: Are you done taking pictures? I want to come down now!


Deimos: The mountain is not quite barren, there are heather and lingonberry and lichen and moss growing here even if there is very little soil.

Here is a tree that has grown its root down a steep slope.


How on earth did Deimos manage to climb there?

Deimos: I'm good at climbing anywhere...

Here is another steep slope. One would not expect to find anything interesting here...

Deimos: I'm seeing something red! I'll climb up and see...


Deimos: Look! A wild strawberry!


Deimos: And it is ripe, too! And I can see some more! These are better than toadstools...

Finally Deimos wanted to examine an ant hill. He wanted to have his picture taken on the low branch just above the ant hill, but could not balance there and the ants did not like it either. After a couple of them had bit Deimos he agreed to sit a bit higher in order not to disturb the ants.

Deimos: I think this is enough for today. We can go home now. I'll ride in the camera bag, you can do all the walking...

Deimos in the forest

Today Nemo caught one little demon and two trolls. Niks and Naks don't mind being caught, nothing makes these two unhappy. But Deimos does not like being caught, and he struggled until he got free.


After extricating himself from Nemo's grip, Deimos followed me into the forest.

Deimos: Why does everybody have to pose with stupid flowers?


Deimos: Do you really think people like to see pictures of little demons holding flowers? Bah! Humbug!


Deimos: Shall we take this path? No? Upwards? OK.


Deimos: Climbing is hard, I must rest a little.


Deimos: Look, I found a dead leaf to play with!


Deimos: Look, a broken tree. But I did not break it!


Deimos: Honest, I didn't!


Deimos: A little demon sitting on two crossed trees crossing a path, that must mean something... No, I have no idea if it means something good or something bad.


Deimos: No, I did not break these either!


Deimos: This is a pretty big flower, strong enough to carry my weight!


Deimos: Look! An alien life form. I wonder if this flew all the way from New Mexico or outer space...

Rainbow

Umbriel has a habit of collecting intangibles. Today he managed to collect a beautiful rainbow. It is half past 10 in the evening, and the sun is setting. It is raining, but there is a break in the clouds somewhere in the west, and that produced a beautiful rainbow:


Actually it is a double rainbow, but the outer one is rather faint and hard to see in the picture:


Towards the north the whole sky is covered with red haze:

Sampo in a tree

Even if it is cloudy today Sampo insisted that it is his turn to go out. It appears that he has not got enough attention lately and really wanted to show off...


When we got to the forest, he found a tree and did all the antics he could think of. It was a good thing that the ground under that little tree was covered with soft grass and moss. Sampo did not fall down, he proved to be quite a little monkey boy or an acrobat.













Sampo: Hello everybody! Did you see everything I did?

To calm him down a bit I made him pick some flowers and pretend to send them as greetings to all his big and little friends all over the world.

Sampo: Are you done photographing?



Sampo: May I throw these stupid flowers away now?

Well, well, well. My little hobbit is as crabby as ever. I think he had a good time, however, though he does not want to admit it.

Umbriel on the balcony

It is a cloudy (but warm) day again, so Umbriel could play on the balcony without fear of getting too much sunshine (and turning yellow).

He wanted to show what the farmer's market looks like on a nice summer day. There are flea market and crafts sellers at the left end and farm produce sellers on the right - lots of fresh berries and vegetables.


Besides doll clothes I have been sewing things for the house, I made patchwork covers for the balcony chairs. The loose covers can be easily thrown into a washing machine when they get dirty (there is plenty of dust and soot and pollen in the city air).

Umbriel is testing the smaller chair. He has noticed that the plaid patch next to his head is the same fabric as Nemo's shirt!


The bigger chair has a similar coverlet.