Children of Atorox

Pirate day

2010-09-19T14:58:00.003+03:00

Captain Fomalhaut and his trusty crew are planning new adventures. As they already have found a buried treasure, they now decide to kidnap the governor's daughter and demand ransom.

The pirates set off leaving their treasure chest on the shore (now do you think that was wise?)

Soon more pirates appear. Captain Wage and his Ugly crew find the abandoned chest and quickly take off with it. What luck! They did not even have to dig!

When Fomalhaut and his crew return, they are appalled seeing that their treasure is gone.

The pirates promptly set off to chase the thieves...

... except Rastaban who is left to guard the governor's daughter.
Rastaban tries to get more closely acquainted, but the governor's daughter is only interested in playing with her pirate doll. She seems to be too young to be interested in boys.

Fomalhaut, Deimos and Thuban soon catch the thieves who took their treasure.

It is Captain Wage, and his Ugly crew, Icy, Jeero and Babo. They are examining their loot when they notice the approaching pirates.

They take off immediately and run for it! They have no intention to stay and fight for the treasure. They think it is much safer to run to the kitchen and raid my cookie jar instead.

So the Ugly pirates raided my cookie jar and Fomalhaut's crew got their treasure back. And what about the governor's daughter? The governor refused to pay any ransom because Lumi was not her daughter at all, but an impostor. So Lumi decided to join the pirates instead. And to celebrate that the Lati pirates joined the cookie jar raid.

In the end no one was hurt except a few cookies that got muched by all kinds of pirates.

Droids vs. ninjas III - The Empire Strikes Back

2010-08-31T10:29:00.003+03:00

It seems that Deimos has not given up yet...

Deimos: Spark, are your turtles ready for another match?

Hikaru: Any time! Just let your puny droids do their worst. My turtles are not afraid of them!

But it looks that this time Deimos has a new secret weapon...

Deimos: Charge!

Hikaru: What???

The machine starts to advance...

The turtles look stunned for a second...

... and then they suddenly turn and run.

Hikaru: Stop! Cowards! Come back and fight! You'll get no pizza today!!!

Deimos: Yesss!!! This time the victory is ours!

Deimos: Admit it, Spark, this time my droids beat your turtles.

Hikaru: Stupid turtles... Turned yellow... OK, but it's still two to one for the turtles.

Deimos: Well done, guys, you'll get an extra portion of lubricant tonight.

Hikaru (muttering): Stupid turtles... They sure will get no pizza today...

Droids vs. ninjas II - Rematch

2010-08-25T11:23:00.004+03:00

Deimos has not given up hope that his droids can beat Hikaru's ninja turtles.

Deimos: Spark, are your turtles ready for a rematch?

Hikaru: Any time!

But it looks like this time Deimos's droids have a new formidable weapon!

Deimos: Charge!

Hikaru: This requires new tactic... Cowabunga!

The turtles start pushing the droid walker - all from the same side!

Deimos: What is this...

Hikaru: That's the way to go, turtles!

It does not take long before the walker crashes to the ground.

Deimos: Oh, no, not again...

Hikaru: Well done, boys, time for pizza!

Deimos: Those turtles are way too destructive. I need an even bigger weapon...

Droids vs. ninjas I

2010-07-25T13:13:00.002+03:00

Deimos and Hikaru are arguing about whose minions are better.

Deimos: My assassin droids can beat your ninja turtles any time!

Hikaru: No way. Shall we put them to test?

Deimos: Definitely!

Deimos: Charge!

Hikaru: Cowabunga!

Deimos: Oh, no, this does not look good...

Hikaru: Yes! Go, turtles, go!

Deimos: Oh, no....

Hikaru: The victory is ours!

Hikaru: You guys did well, I think you have earned some pizza.

Deimos: I must get the repair droids...

Deimos: Ok, put these droids back together.

R2-D2: Whrrr beeeeep blp!

C3PO: I'm a protocol droid, not a mechanic!

Deimos: Shut up and get to work!

After some time...

Deimos: What is this? You were supposed to repair 5 assassin droids, not to create an abstract sculpture!

R2-D2: Zzp blp beeeep beep whrr!

C3PO: He says there were no blueprints and you told to put the droids back together. Everything is together, isn't it?

Deimos: You are no good. I have to do everything myself...

Finally...

Deimos: OK, this is how they should look. The next time the turtles won't win that easily. I'll have to see to that.

Visiting old places

2010-07-04T09:59:00.004+03:00

Today I took Deimos to see the house I used to live in as a child.

Here's the house from across the street. We used to live on the 6th floor (second from the top, the ground floor was included in the count). You can't see our windows here because they were towards the opposite direction.

Here's the same house seen from the corner. The houses completely enclose the courtyard. The gate to the courtyard is right where the lower part of the house starts. There seems to be a bus coming. No, it is not going to drive over us, this is a T-crossing, and we are on the opposite sidewalk.

Deimos, it is no use signaling the bus to stop, it is going to turn at the corner, it is not coming this way.

Here's the gate to the courtyard in the middle of the block.

The courtyard does not look like a fun place to play in. It never was. We never played here. The house just at the right edge of the picture is the one we lived in. The low building in the middle used to be a movie theater.

It did not matter that the courtyard was no good for playing as the Duck Park was right next to the house. Here is a view from the gate towards the park.

The Duck Park is right in the next block! It used to be my favorite place, and I still go there every now and then just for a walk.

Deimos: This was interesting. I have been in the Duck Park before, but I have never examined the houses.

Local life forms

2010-06-28T16:35:00.004+03:00

Spock is studying the local geology.

Spock: This smooth rock is interesting.

Spock: My tridorder indicates that these parallel grooves have been left by the Ice Age.

Spock: My tricorder registers life form readings. They must be some local life forms.

Spock: Oh, it is you two... Well, you are local life forms.

Naks: We sure are low-cal. Nothing but troll skin and bones.

Niks: We sure are low to the ground...

Spock: And what are you doing here?

Niks: We are collecting mosquitoes and other ingredients for our patent medicines.

Naks: This sure is a good mosquito year. Zillions of them everywhere!

Spock: Zillion is not a number...

Niks: Zillion, gadzillon, googolplex, whatever.

Spock: The Zumikloxians are not native life forms, however.

Niks: They just followed us.

Naks: They thought we came looking for honey puffs.

Niks: They are constantly looking for honey puffs, you know.

Spock: Yes, I know, but there are no honey puffs in the forest. My tricorder readings confirm it.

Naks: Well, we can as well go home then.

As there is no Scotty to beam up the landing party, they just have to walk home...

Zyp: ojrngre fjfwen dnfnf kjfdsk fkjdkjdddweuhr!

Niks: Great idea! As we found no honey puffs, we'll raid the chocolate cake when we get home!

Naks: That we'll do for sure!

Lilacs

2010-06-10T09:30:00.004+03:00

The lilacs are now blooming. And the little vampire wanted to go out and see. I had a bit hard time keeping her out of direct sunlight, but Niks's and Naks's sunscreen seems to be working well.

Lumi: Aaaaahhhh...

Lumi: They smell so sweet...

Lumi: What a pity we cant' photograph the smell...

Lumi: Aaaahhhh....

Lumi: You must just imagine the smell...

Lumi: It's soooo sweet!

These are a bit different shade.

Trolls and vampires

2010-06-06T12:54:00.005+03:00

The littlest vampires are sleepy in the daytime...

... or maybe they are not...

Lumi: I am not sleepy!

Rastaban: Ummm.... What?

Lumi: This is not fair! The sun shines all day and almost all night! Are we supposed to sleep all the time and to be able to play only for the couple of hours when the sun barely sinks below the horizon! I don't want to miss all summer and wait for the winter when the sun does not shine!

Rastaban: Don't worry. I'll get Niks and Naks. They have a remedy. Just wait here.

Niks: We heard that there is a new vampire here...

Naks: ... who is in need of our help...

Niks: We are the local patent medicine experts, you know.

Naks: We prepare patent medicines for all purposes.

Niks: Here is a bottle of excellent extra strong sunscreen. Developed specifically to keep little vampires safe from sun.

Lumi: It smells good...

Naks: It's made of toadstools, bat eyes, frog spit, spider guts and lots of other powerful secret ingredients.

Niks: It has kept Rastaban perfectly safe and healthy all year.

Naks: But it only works for little vampires who still have their milk teeth.

Niks: If or when you grow up, the sunscreen will no longer be able to protect you.

It's good to have local patent medicine experts to keep my vampires safe. I don't think they will ever want to grow up...

Marigolds

2010-05-30T09:46:00.003+03:00

As our begonias are red this year, I had to promise that Eggie will get something yellow later. It seems now to be safe to plant some marigolds (they are sensitive to frost). As usually, Sampo is in charge of my balcony flowers, but as these are yellow, Eggie wanted to help.

Eggie: These are soooo pretty...

Eggie: This flower is bigger than my head...

Eggie: And as it is yellow it is all mine!

Masher Attack

2010-05-22T11:40:00.005+03:00

Deimos: What are you doing with the potato masher?

Thuban: I am practicing my magic. I have managed to make the masher fly.

Deimos: Really?

Thuban: See for yourself!

Deimos: Cool! Let's scare Algol and Rastaban!

Algol is showing his archeological finds to Rastaban.

Algol: These are artifacts from ancient troll culture...

Algol: What is that???

Rastaban: It appears to be an evil potato smasher...

Rastaban: Stay off!

Algol: Help! Spark! Where is my body guard when he is needed!

Hikaru: I'm right here. Have no fear... I'm protecting you from all evil spirits. Including potato smashers gone berserk.

Hikaru captures the evil masher with his ninja scythe.

Rastaban: I'll bite him to make sure he is dead...

Deimos: Don't bite the masher!

Deimos: If you turn the potato masher into a vampire, it will eat all the potatoes instead of mashing them. And then we'll never get mashed potatoes for lunch.

Thuban: I'll just remove my magic, and the masher will be harmless to everyone - except the potatoes, of course.

Outsider: What are you doing with my potato masher? You are not supposed to play with kitchen utensils. Give it back immediately! - Or you will never get mashed potatoes for lunch...

Deimos: Well, so much for the fun with the potato masher...

Deimos: Mashed potatoes taste better than mashed vampires anyway...

Rastaban: Mashed potatoes with fly kebabs... mmmmmmmm.....

Balcony Flowers 2010

2010-05-15T09:34:00.002+03:00

It's time to start putting out balcony flowers for the summer again.
Sampo is my resident gardener - hobbits are good at growing things.

We are having red begonias this year.

This one goes up to hang from the hook in the ceiling.

Closeup of my gardener.

Ninja Training

2010-05-13T09:50:00.004+03:00

Deimos: Hi, Spark, what are you doing?

Hikaru: I'm training my minions to be good ninjas.

Deimos: What can they do?

Hikaru: I'll show you... CHARGE!

Turtles: COWABUNGA!

Deimos: Ooops...

Turtles: ¤#*?!!§§$£**;!

Deimos: A bit clumsy, aren't they?

Hikaru: Ummm.... They'll have to learn how to fall without hurting themselves before they learn anything else...

Turtles: #¤&!*?$£**!!!

Deimos: Sure, right, and what about that one? He seems to be a bit slow...

Hikaru: That one has not mutated yet...

Deimos: It looks like you have a lot work before that bunch is fully trained.

Hikaru: Training nijas sure is hard work...

Hikaru: (sigh)

The littlest archeologist

2010-05-06T14:08:00.004+03:00

Algol is ready to go out on an archeological expedition.

Algol: I have a bag for any finds, a compass to find my way, and a lantern to see in dark caves or temples. But I still wish I had a gun and a whip. One never knows when one might need them.

Algol: Some of the branches fallen off the trees because of the heavy burden of snow are really huge...

Algol: ... really huge.

Algol: Looks like I found a cave entrance that looks promising.

Algol: Can you see it? I must go in and investigate.

Algol: I's a good thing that I brought the lantern along.

After some time...

Algol: Whew, I found some artifacts, but no booby traps. In any case it's harder to get out than it was to get in. The slope is rather steep.

Algol: Now I must use my compass to find the way home.

Algol: Home appears to be that way...

Algol: The others will be thrilled to see my finds!

Algol: This is a strange phenomenon. A tree has grown over a rock, and the weight of the tree has become so big that it has cracked the rock!

Algol: It appears to be an ants' nest. There are about a million little black ants crawling around. They appear quite sluggish because it is still rather cold. But I still wish I had a whip to keep them at bay. Fortunately they are not able to bite through my thick shoes.

At home Algol uses a magnifying glass to examine his finds.

Algol: Do you think these are troll artifacts?

Niks: The metal objects definitely look like troll artifacts.

Naks: But the blue pearly thingy looks more like fairy or elf manufacture.

Algol: Maybe it is a proof of early trade between trolls and elves. I must go back later and try to find more objects. There seem to be a lot of caves in that forest, so there may be enormous buried cultures lying under the surface.

What becomes of a dragon tooth?

2010-04-28T09:41:00.009+03:00

Algol demanded that the Easter grass be kept even after the decorations were removed. I thought he just liked a green patch but he had managed to slip in something besides the grass seed. He had already thought nothing besides grass would grow in the tray, but today he sees something else...

Algol is quite surprised...

... something is coming out of the grass patch.

Algol: It worked! I grew an armed warrior!

Deimos: What is this???

Algol: This is my body guard. I slipped a dragon tooth into the Easter grass patch, and it grew into an armed warrior, just like the old myths tell!

Deimos: He is kinda small.

Ninja: Nnnnngggh.....

Deimos: And a bit clumsy, too.

Ninja: *!#¤/*?§@&&*!!

Thuban: The dragon tooth must have been a milk tooth. Those are not very efficient, you know.

The ninja is getting tangled in his weapons...

Ninja: **?&%¤#!!!*@?&!

Deimos: Let's untangle him before he hurts himself...

Ninja: *"=&¤!%*!!!

Deimos: OK, I'll keep these just to be sure no one gets hurt. Fomalhaut, take his mask so that we can see his face...

Even without mask and weapons the little ninja looks rather fierce.

Deimos: Do you have a name?

Ninja: I'm called Hikaru.

Deimos: What does it mean?

Ninja: Something to do with light. Maybe it could be translated as "The Shining One"

Deimos: "The Shining One"? OK, we'll call you "Spark"

Ninja: Nooooo...

Deimos: Would you rather be called "Sparkplug"?

Ninja: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Deimos: OK, "Spark" it is.

Ninja: Nooooooooo....

Algol: You were supposed to be my body guard, but Deimos took all your weapons...

Ninja: Not all of them. I still have the swords left!

Well, well, well, I sure wonder what this pair will do in the future...

Eggie finds spring

2010-04-25T12:45:00.004+03:00

Eggie has seen pictures of spring in other parts of the world, and she claimed that we must have spring, too, and find yellow spring flowers. It is actually still a bit early, but we did find something.

Eggie: A coltsfoot! It is yellow...

Eggie: Therefore it is mine...

Eggie: ... Everything that is yellow is mine!

Eggie: There isn't much other color here anyway.

Eggie: Even most of the grass is still dry and dead and yellow.

Eggie: The sun is also yellow. It must be mine, too!

Eggie: These hepaticas are not yellow. You can have them all.

Setting up Easter decorations

2010-04-02T11:00:00.003+03:00

Eggie: My yellow bunny can play with the Easter bunnies and chicks in the nest of eggs.

Algol: Humpty Dumpty can babysit some chicks and the rest of the eggs.

Thuban: Here is a very big and special egg. This chick is trying to hatch it.

But wait - where is Rastaban?

It appears that Rastaban, Niks and Naks have found where the chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs are. I should have guessed that, Niks and Naks can always smell where there is any food.

Well, now they all have fetched chocolate bunnies - except Eggie of course who wanted a yellow egg (who would have guessed that?)

Eggie, Algol, Rastaban & Thuban: Happy Easter!

I wonder if Humpty Dumpty would want a chocolate egg, too? Better not ask. He might consider it cannibalism!

Seed

2010-03-22T10:16:00.002+02:00

Eggie: ALgol, get your gear ready. It is time to sow the Easter grass.

Rastaban: Grass is boring, let's sow some dragon teeth!

Thuban: Stop! You can't do that! Do you know what you get if you sow dragon teeth?

Rastaban: No. More dragon teeth?

Thuban: No, you get armed warriors! You would not want that! Give me the teeth.

Eggie: I think it's better to stick to the grass seed. Algol, get to work.

Algol: I have always to do all the work... Maybe I should sneak in one dragon tooth and grow me a ninja body guard...

Where did the spring go?

2010-03-21T10:50:00.002+02:00

It rained yesterday (first time this year) and we thought that the spring is finally coming.

But the temperature dropped below freezing again and it is snowing today.

Algol: At least we are not snowed in any more...

Deimos: Big deal. It still looks like winter outside.

Grounded

2010-03-20T13:02:00.002+02:00

Rastaban: Hey,Thuban, spread out your wings and fly around a bit. I want to see.

Thuban: I can't...

Rastaban: Because Deimos said that you are not allowed? Never mind Deimos. He will not notice anything, he is busy making drawings for his perpetual motion machine.

Thuban: It's not because of Deimos. The wings are magic, and I dropped my magic wand and it broke, it won't work any more, and I can't fly.

Rastaban: It does not look broken to me. But anyway, I know where the glue is stored. I'll get some, and we'll fix your wand in no time.

Thuban: I found the glue already and tried to fix the wand. But a magic wand cannot be fixed with glue, it must be fixed with magic. And I'm too little to know that kind of magic. You must transform into a bat and fly around. I'll watch.

Rastaban: Ummm.... I can't transform into a bat.

Thuban: Because Deimos has said that you're not allowed to?

Rastaban: No, I'm not afraid of Deimos. I can't transform into a bat because I'm too little. I've still got only milk teeth. But wait here, I have a solution.

Soon Rastaban comes back.

Rastaban: Here, take this blankie. It will allow you to fly.

Thuban: Are these some kind of flying carpets? How does it work? What must one say to start it?

Rastaban: They are not flying blankets. You just wrap yourself into one and take a nap.

Thuban: What? You always want to take naps.

Rastaban: Vampires get sleepy in the daytime, you know. Just wrap yourself into the blanket. When you sleep, you can dream of flying.

Thuban: That just might work...

And so the little ones soar high above the ground in their dreams...

Rastaban & Thuban: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

Dragon scale magic

2010-03-16T15:00:00.003+02:00

Deimos: It is cold here. Who has left the balcony door open even though the temperature outside is still below freezing?

Rastaban: I had to leave the door open so that Thuban could fly in.

Deimos: And who is Thuban?

Rastaban: This is Thuban, my dragon friend who has been missing. I have been searching for him since last Easter. And now he has found his way here. These dragon scales have powerful magic, you know.

Thuban: Rastaban promised that I can stay here.

Deimos: Yeah, anybody who manages to get in stays here. Nobody seems to ever leave. But you are not allowed to fly around here, it is too dangerous. Even Rastaban is not allowed to transform into a bat and fly around.

And so another weird creature came to stay. I hope Rastaban and Thuban don't have too much dragon scale magic in store...

Deep snow

2010-02-24T14:31:00.004+02:00

It kept snowing all night and by the morning even Fomalhaut could no longer see out over the snow drift on our window sill. So he declared that he must get out to see that there still is such thing as outside.

The garden swing on our back yard is well padded - with snow!

The snowy forest is beautiful.

Fomalhaut: The snow is really too deep for me...

Fomalhaut: I can't get anywhere and I have snow in my boots.

Outsider: It was you who wanted to get off the plowed road. And I have snow in my boots, too. Even I sink up to my knees here.

Fomalhaut: I can't escape the snow even by climbing a tree - even the trees have a thick covering of snow!

Fomalhaut: Look! Animal tracks. I think this has been a squirrel.

Fomalhaut: The snow on this tree is really thick.

Fomalhaut: I found a tree that is small enough so that no snow stays on it!

Fomalhaut: But on the ground the snow is still too deep for me to get anywhere...

Even though it has been very cold, the winter swimmers' hole in the ice is open. They have some sort of contraption in there that stirs the water and keeps it moving so that the hole stays open so that they can swim all winter.

Accumulating snow

2010-02-23T16:08:00.002+02:00

Another snow day...

Fomalhaut: It is snowing again...

Rastaban: Not fair, I can't see out any more, there is too much snow on the window sill!

Rastaban: This should help...

Rastaban: This is better. Now I can see. There is an awful lot of snow everywhere.

Rastaban: Do you think the spring will ever come?

Fomalhaut: I'm not sure...

Nap Time

2010-02-20T09:49:00.005+02:00

Eggie has decided to take a little nap...

... but it appears that the boys are sleepy, too.

Eggie: What!???

Rastaban: Lend a bit of the blanket this way.

Algol: We want to take a nap, too.

Eggie: Stop pulling at my blankie!

Rastaban: Surely it is big enough for three.

Algol: Maybe we can stretch it a little...

Outsider: Stop the fight! You can each have your own blanket.

So all three settle in...

... or not quite all...

Algol: I'm not sleepy!

Algol: Pillow fight!

Rastaban: Ummmph...

Eggie: What???

Rastaban: OK, pillowfight it is!

Eggie: Here's what you asked for!

But finally:

Algol: I'm tired.

Eggie: Me too.

Rastaban: Nnnnngh...

Eggie, Algol & Rastaban: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

Runeberg's Day

2010-02-05T11:34:00.004+02:00

Deimos: Algol, what are you doing with that funny hat and a rake?

Algol: It's Runeberg's Day. I'm Sven Dufva defending a bridge against the Russian attack all by myself!

Deimos: Sven Dufva had a flintlock and a bayonet. That's a rake!

Algol: Oh... Maybe I can rake the Russians off the bridge...

But Sven does not notice that the enemy is right behind him...

Algol: Who turned off the lights?!???

Rastaban: Sven Dufva was killed in the battle. I'm the Russian who shot Sven Dufva! You are sooo dead now!

Algol: I don't want to be dead.

Rastaban: You can't change the history.

Fomalhaut: Sven Dufva is a fictional character, not actual history.

Deimos: Enough culture already! Let's go and eat the tarts.

Fomalhaut: That's fine with me.

Rastaban: Mmmmmmm... Runeberg's tarts...

Algol: I don't want to be dead. I want tarts, too!

Fomalhaut: Don't push, there's enough for everybody!

Everybody: Mmmmmm....

Rastaban: The best part about Runeberg's Day is the tarts...

Fog And Frost

2010-01-10T14:06:00.007+02:00

After a long period of temperatures around -20 C (-4 F), -10 C (14 F) feels actually warm. The rising temperature has brought with it moisture that shows as fog and frost. Niks and Naks wanted to go out and see for themselves.

Frosty park

Frosty park

Niks and Naks in the harbor. You should be able to see the buildings across the bay, they are rather near, but fog hides them almost completely.

Niks: Here the ice starts.

Naks: I hope there is no longer water beween the ice and the snow.

People walking on the ice. The picture is taken towards downtown, but you can't see it because of the fog!

Niks and Naks are testing the thickness of the snow.

Niks: I found ice!

Naks: No water on the ice, that is good.

Here you can see the nearest shore through the fog.

Each single branch and twig in each tree is covered with a thick layer of frost

It is so foggy that you can't see the horizon and tell where the ice ends and the sky starts. The little tree is standing on the shore, everything behind it is supposed to be snow covered ice and sky - but you can only see the fog.

Even spruces are so thickly covered with snow and frost that they look black and white - not green at all.

Niks: The rose bush behind us looks quite dead.

Naks: But is will probably bloom just fine next summer.

A birch and a pine.

Niks: The grasses are pretty dead, too.

Naks: Definitely no green patches in sight.

Niks: This bench is quite soft

Naks: Yes, it is padded with snow!

Niks: Would you like to have a couch like this in the living room.

Naks: Yes, but it would probably melt.

Niks: Not if the living room is in the deep freeze.

Naks: There is only food in the deep freeze, no couches there.

Niks: What a pity. We could lie on a snowy coach while eating all the food in the deep freeze.

Fog and frost

Frosty bushes

Frosty grasses

More frosty trees in the park on our way home

Frosty trees and bushes in the park

Frosty bushes in the park

Frosty trees in the park

Niks: That was beautiful!

Naks: Are you getting soft in your old age?

Warm and yellow

2010-01-09T12:13:00.003+02:00

Eggie: Aaah... soft and yellow...

Outsider: Eggie, what are you doing in my kitchen?

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Outsider: Those are my potholders! I need them. Give them to me.

Eggie: I want a yellow blankie.

Outsider: OK, you can get a yellow blankie if you give up my potholders.

Eggie: OK.

Outsider: Here's your blankie. Now surrender those potholders.

Eggie: Aaaah... Yellow...

Eggie: This is soft and warm and yellow. And this one does not smell of onions, either.

Snowed in

2010-01-07T10:27:00.003+02:00

It's another cold day and Niks and Naks have climbed onto the window sill in my kitchen to see out.

Niks: Help! We are snowed in!

Naks: And this is the seventh floor!

Niks: There must be a huge amount of snow...

The noise Niks and Naks are making alerts Spock and he comes to check the situation with his tricorder.

Spock: We are not snowed in. Everything is normal outside. The snow has just accumulated on the window sill.

Niks: We don't believe it....

Naks: Because we can't see out!

Spock: I shall assist you...

Spock: Now you can see that everything is quite normal - for an arctic location.

Niks: Cool! can we go out?

Spock: Not likely. The temperature is currently -23 C (-9.4 F).

Naks: We are not afraid of cold!

Niks: But the camera would probably not work...

Gingerbread house project VI - demolition time

2009-12-31T16:46:00.002+02:00

Spock: This house has definitely not been troll proof. It is in quite bad condition already.

Spock: I think it is logical to test it. (Crunch, crunch) It does have a pleasant taste...

Naks: The house does not appear to be Vulcan proof either...

Spock: It is not logical to leave the whole demolition task to you two alone.

Niks: Don't worry, all the little demons and hobbits have been helping...

Naks: But their tummies appear to be quite full of gingerbread by now...

Niks: So you are welcome to nibble all you like.

Gingerbread house project V - demolition time

2009-12-27T15:27:00.002+02:00

As Christmas is over, nibbling the gingerbread house is now legal. DEMOLITION TIME!

Everybody: Nibble, nibble, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

Fomalhaut and Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T13:14:00.004+02:00

Today is the Winter Solstice, and as Fomalhaut is the Guardian Of the Winter Solstice, he declared that it was important that he gets to go out around noon to check that the sun is at correct height and everything is proceeding as it should.

Unfortunately it was cloudy, so Fomalhaut could not measure his shadow, but the clouds were thin enough so that he could see where the sun is and ensure that it is at the correct position.

Noon sun at Winter Solstice.

Noon sun at Winter Solstice.

Fomalhaut: Now that I have checked the sun, I can play a little in the snow. It is nice and fluffy, but it's too cold to make a snowman, the snow won't stick together.

Fomalhaut: It's not too deep, but it is good that I borrowed Mr. Spock's boots because Sampo's boots are too low and the tops are too wide, they would be full of snow by now!

Fomalhaut: Hey, here the snow is getting too deep!

Fomalhaut: Can we take this spruce home for the Christmas tree?

Fomalhaut: What do you mean, this is a city park and felling trees is not allowed???

Fomalhaut and Winter Solstice sun.

Winter Solstice sun.

Spock On Ice

2009-12-18T13:52:00.004+02:00

Now that Spock has suitable winter wear, he wanted to go out on the ice and take some tricorder readings.

Spock: This is extraordinary. The water is frozen solid and the surface is covered with frost formations.

Spock: Fascinating. I have never seen anything like this before.

Spock: It is actually a bit hard to take tricorder readings with mittens on...

Spock: ... but it is too cold to take them off. This place sure has arctic characteristics...

Spock: The crack in the ice shows how thick it is.

Spock: The frost balls are extremely fragile. They shatter from lightest touch.

Spock: I must get some closer readings of these frost formations.

Spock: Fascinating.

Spock: I have plenty of readings to analyze afterwards.

This is what the ice looks towards the shore. It is like a black mirror, completely spotted with these frost balls.

Winter Noon Light

2009-12-16T13:42:00.004+02:00

At this time of the year the sun stays very low, only a little above the horizon. That gives an eerie lighting effects on clear days. The sky is very pale blue and the horizon looks rosy all day long, even at noon.

It has been cold and clear for several days in a row, and the lake is now partially frozen. But there is still open water in the middle, and you can still see mist rising from it though the water near the shore is frozen and looks like a mirror.

Rosy horizon and ice like a mirror.

Yes, the water is frozen near the shore, and it looks like a perfect mirror.

It is so beautiful that even Niks and Naks were quiet with awe. That is definitely very rare.

Color pictures appear almost black and white. In the low light the dark green spruces look black and closer to the horizon the sky appears white.

Barren birches are of course black and white by default.

Bushes are thickly covered with frost.

Niks and Naks decided that the pictures need a bit of color and climbed onto the bush.

A Frosty Day in December

2009-12-14T13:43:00.008+02:00

We haven't seen the sun in weeks, and when there finally was sunny (and cold!) day, Niks and Naks wanted to go out.

Berries are frozen on the bush.

The forest is not very colorful at this time of year.

Niks: But when we are in the picture...

Naks: ... it is always colorful.

Niks: A nice sunny spot, by the way...

Naks: And nice soft snow, too.

Mountain ash berries are also still colorful.

Niks: The lake is starting to freeze.

Naks: This is thick enough for little trolls...

Niks: But I would not recommend this for humans.

Naks: Well, the water is so shallow here that it is frozen all the way to the bottom, so even a human could not fall through.

Niks: At least the lifebuoy is colorful.

Naks: Even if it is frosty.

Niks: The teeter-totter is also frosty and forlorn.

Naks: We have it all for ourselves.

Niks: The slide is ours, too...

Naks: But it is covered with snow...

Niks: If we had skis, this would be perfect for ski-jumping.

Naks: Definitely.

As the lake is not frozen yet, but the air is cold, mist rises from the lake.

Misty lake.

A fish on dry land.

Jaws.

Naks: HELP!

Niks: He's got us!

Niks: The lake is starting to freeze at the shores.

Naks: It's like a thin mirror!

View towards the far shore.

View towards downtown.

The harbor is empty.

Naks: We had fun!

Niks: Even if it was quite cold.

Niks: Have you ever tried to take pictures with woolly gloves on?

Naks: By the way, these pictures were taken between noon and 1 PM though it looks like dawn or sunset!

Gingerbread house project IV

2009-12-03T10:12:00.004+02:00

Gluing the house parts together with melted sugar is rather messy and the result is somewhat crooked, but Niks and Naks are proud of their finished house.

Niks: This house looks great.

Naks: And it will taste great, too.

Niks: It has one small porch...

Naks: ... and one big porch.

Spock: Fascinating. According to my tricorder this building appears to be made of some kind of cookie dough. And the shape is strange, too. The structure is hexagonal, not rectangular like regular houses.

Spock: The material does not appear to be very weatherproof.

Niks & Naks: Nibble, nibble...

Spock: And it does not appear to be troll proof either. Excuse me, is it logical to keep nibbling at the house corners? It would appear to weaken the structure and make the house susceptible to collapse.

Niks & Naks: Nibble, nibble...

Haitula: Shoo! No nibbling until after Christmas!

Niks: Don't have a cow, man...

Naks: ... we are going already...

Spock: It would seem logical to post a security guard by the house until Christmas, then.

Haitula: I am the security guard.

Spock:You?

Haitula: I have a red shirt, haven't I?

Spock: Very well, then. Just make sure that you keep your phaser on stun, not on kill.

Haitula: Aye, aye, sir.

Haitula: I'll stun everybody who will come and try to nibble the house.

Naks: But we still have our sled.

Niks: No security guards around this one.

Naks: We can nibble this all we like.

Niks: I have a better idea.

Niks: Here are the candies that were left over from the decoration. We can put them into the sled.

Naks: Great! We can nibble at the candies.

Niks: And the sled will still be intact.

Gingerbread house project III

2009-12-02T10:58:00.002+02:00

The next state in the gingerbread house project is decorating the parts. It is easier to do before the parts are glued together.

Niks: Here are the walls.

Naks: They look pretty fancy.

Niks: The roof parts look fine, too.

Naks: They definitely do.

By the time all the house parts had been decorated, the tip of the paper cone containing the icing had got rather soaked and stretched so the line produced had become rather thick. As a result the decorations of the small cookies got rather crude, but Niks and Naks did not mind, they thought the taste is the most important part, and sugar icing always tastes as sweet, no matter how it looks.

Niks: Now the small cookies are decorated, too.

Naks: And they will taste very sweet!

Niks: We also made parts that are supposed to fit together to become a sled.

Naks: It was supposed to be Santa's sled, but I think it will be a troll sled.

Niks: We can't take it out, though, it is not weatherproof.

Naks: No problem. We'll just load it full of candy and keep it inside. It will be a good Christmas decoration, too.

Gingerbread house project II

2009-12-01T14:41:00.004+02:00

Now the gingerbread dough has be sitting in the fridge overnight and it is hard enough to be rolled to thin sheets.

Niks: We have the molds and a rolling pin...

Naks: And some dough...

Niks & Naks: READY TO ROLL!

Niks: This is how the raw walls look...

Naks; Pretty tall walls, I say...

After quite a bit of time everything has been finally baked.

Niks: Do you think we have enough parts for the house?

Naks: If you followed the instructions accurately, we do.

Niks: Well, if we forgot something we'll just have to improvise.

Naks: We must decorate the parts tomorrow.

Niks: Yes. I'm much to tired to do it today.

Naks: Let's just taste some of the small cookies we made from the surplus dough.

Spock: What are you two doing?

Niks: Tasting the cookies we baked.

Naks: Do you want a gingerbread pig?

Spock: I'm a vegetarian.

Niks: Have a gingerbread spruce, then.

Spock: I suppose it is logical to count a spruce as a vegetable.

Niks: These taste pretty good.

Naks: But we must decorate these, too, tomorrow.

Niks: Yes, then they'll taste even better.

Gingerbread house project I

2009-11-30T13:26:00.003+02:00

Niks and Naks (and others) liked the gingerbread house last year so much that this year they want to build a bigger one, a real moomin house.

Niks: Here is the box that holds the forms for the house.

Naks: It will be a big one, 36 cm tall!

Niks: The recipe is printed on the back of the box. Do we have all the ingredients?

Naks: I believe we do...

It takes some time to make the dough as the syrup, sugar, butter and spices must be cooked first and then cooled before other ingredients can be added. But finally the dough is ready.

Naks: Does it taste good?

Niks: Yes, but it is rather mild, not very spicy.

Naks: It will do, is it hard enough?

Niks: Not yet. It must sit in the fridge overnight. Tomorrow we can see if it will work or if we must add more flour.

Naks: This is a fun project.

Niks: Definitely. I can't wait to see the finished house.

Naks: I can't wait to get to the point when we can start nibbling at the house.

Niks: Unfortunately that won't happen until after Christmas. Then it will be demolition time!

Naks: It will be the best part of the whole project!

Dead Month

2009-11-15T13:13:00.006+02:00

It is marraskuu, the Dead Month. Only little demons love this month.

Deimos: We still have leaves on the ground - but they are wet and rotting. No fun to play in.

Deimos: All snow has not melted but it is quite wet.

Deimos: This fern is called "dead man's hand" - even when it is not as dead as now.

Deimos: Wet snow everywhere...

Deimos: More wet snow and dead ferns.

Deimos: Of course the evergreen trees are still green.

Deimos: Lingonberries are evergreen, too.

Deimos: The track is getting a bit too slippery for jogging. Maybe they can lay the ski tracks here soon...

Deimos: Not everything is frozen. Running water freezes slower than stagnant water. This ditch smells quite rotten, though, the bottom is covered with mud and rotting leaves.

Deimos: The fireweed are getting quite limp and wet and rotten.

Deimos: You can still find some color if you find a mountain ash!

Deimos: The big lake is not frozen yet, but the pools above the water level are frozen - though quite thinly.

Deimos: The lake and sky and the rocks are all gray. And so is the horizon, it is barely discernible as a gray line between water and sky.

Deimos: A lichen covered birch. The lichen feels wet. too.

Deimos: The bear moss looks like little stars. Mosses are evergreen, too.

Deimos: The forest is still green, but it is the deep green of spruces and pines.

Deimos: Hey, this is no longer fun, it is starting to rain, lets go home!

Deimos: I said this is not fun any more. The moss is wet, the leaves are wet and it is raining! I want to go home! NOW!

First snow day

2009-11-05T13:50:00.005+02:00

Actually this is not the first snow this winter, but there is a bit more than the thin sprinkling we got earlier. Niks and Naks wanted to go and investigate.

Niks: This is not logical...

Naks: ... we no longer match the landscape!

Naks: We don't even match the dry grasses...

Niks: ... but we can pretend we are a couple of the last fallen leaves.

Naks: Hey, have you noticed that this snow is wet.

Niks: Definitely wet enough to build a snowman!

Naks: The first snowman of this winter!

Niks: Cool!

Naks: Even our favorite swamp is covered with snow...

Niks: The snow monsters are hibernating under the ice until next spring.

Naks: The ice is not very thick...

Niks: Thick enough for two small trolls.

Niks: Don't go too near the edge!

Naks: Why?

Niks: If we fall over the edge, the ice may break and we may wake up the swamp monster!

Naks: There is still a lot of beauty in the forest.

Niks: We add beauty to any landscape!

Naks: These are the delicate grasses...

Niks: ... that Algol called fairy dust.

Niks: Look, there are still mountain ash berries in the trees...

Naks: ... even if all the leaves are gone already.

Naks: We'll take these home!

Niks: Definitely!

Niks: Here are some grasses...

Naks: They are for Eggie though they are not really very yellow...

Niks: It's hard to find anything yellow in a winter forest.

Trick or treat

2009-10-31T10:58:00.005+02:00

It looks like the little demons are up to something...

Deimos: OK, everybody, grab a bucket or a basket and we can go trick-or-treating...

Umbriel: You can't go trick-or-treating, it is not a custom in this country.

Deimos: Not fair. We are all dressed up. What can we do?

Umbriel: Well, you can just go around and try to scare people. Like this. BOO! What are you dressed as?

Deimos: Fomalhaut is of course the pirate captain and I'm his trusty first mate. Arrrrr!

Rastaban: I'm a vampire!

Deimos: Not fair, you are a vampire anyway.

Rastaban: Am I not scary enough?

Deimos: Yes, but...

Rastaban: But nothing! BOO!

Algol: I'm an escaped prisoner. Ni!

Deimos: You are supposed to say BOO.

Algol: I'm one of the knights who say Ni!

Deimos: You just said you were an escaped prisoner.

Algol: I'm an escaped prisoner who says Ni!

Eggie: I'm picachu. Pica, pica!

Niks & Naks: We are trolls, of course.

Deimos: Not fair, you are trolls anyway. And throw away that bag, we are not supposed to go trick-or-treating.

Niks: But we are...

Naks: We think we know where we can get something...

Niks & Naks: TRICK OR TREAT!

Spock: I beg your pardon...

Niks: Give us some treats...

Naks: Or we'll do some dirty tricks....

Niks: Like maybe bite your toes...

Spock: Are you some kind of local mafia?

Niks: We are no mafia!

Naks: Just go and get us something good to eat!

Spock: Oh, I see, you are just hungry. Why did you not say so in the first place. Give me your bag and I'll get you something to eat.

Niks: It's better be good...

Naks: Or else...

Niks and Naks return to the rest of the gang with a bag full of ... something.

Deimos: Did you get anything?

Niks: We sure did.

Naks: A bag full of something.

Fomalhaut: Let's see what you got!

Algol: But these are veggies!

Eggie: Definitely no candy!

Fomalhaut: Well, the carrots aren't so bad.

Eggie: and the corn cob is OK, too.

Rastaban: And whad do I get? A cabbage? It is not even blood colored!

Deimos: The Vulcans have green blood. Imagine that it is a Vulcan head...

Rastaban: A Vulcan head... mmmmmmmmmmm......

Deimos: And what is this?

Niks: It's a Vulcan plomeek.

Deimos: But it is rock hard. How are you supposed to eat this.

Naks: You don't eat it raw. ..

Niks: You must make plomeek soup out of it...

Naks: First you have to learn to cook...

Deimos: Not likely. Listen, guys, this will not do. Grab some tools, and we'll go and raid the chocolate cake our person made!

Deimos: Algol, you can't cut a cake with a rake! A spade and a saw are a bit better, but I think it is better if I cut the cake with my sword...

Outsider: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Well, I prevented the raid and gave each a small piece of cake. A very small piece. A bunch of demons and trolls with tummy ache is more than I can handle.

Trolls and fall colors

2009-10-06T13:43:00.009+03:00

After a couple of rainy days today is sunny with no cloud in the sky (though it is rather cool, there was frost on the roofs and car windows in the morning).

Niks and Naks wanted to go out and see how well they match the landscape.

Here are some pretty maples on a nearby street.

More maples.

And a few more. The colors look so intense when the sun is shining.

A mountain ash in a nearby park.

Naks: Look, we match the fallen leaves!

Niks: We sure do!

Naks: Except your hair!

Niks: But my hair matches the sky!

Golden birches.

More birches.

Fallen leaves and fallen trolls.

Naks: Maybe we'll rest here a while.

Niks: Yes, We can sunbathe a little.

Niks: Mountain ash berries!

Naks: Pass some to me, too!

Niks: These are easier to get at.

Naks: Excellent! Mountain ash berry jelly tastes good with pickled flies.

Naks: The blueberries have turned red, too!

Niks: What a pity that there are no berries left.

Naks: Never mind, the leaves taste good, too.

Niks: Yes, they make good herb tea.

Niks: Peekaboo!

Niks: The fireweeds have gone all dry.

Naks: Now they would burn well.

Another golden birch.

Niks: Wonderful rotten leaves.

Naks: These will make wonderful vegtable soup!

Niks: Better than cabbage soup.

Niks: It is rather windy on the shore...

Naks: But the lake sure is intensely blue today.

Niks: Hey, who tilted the horizon!

Naks: This is how the shore looks looking upwards from the water's edge.

Niks: Soft moss and fallen leaves...

Naks: We'll rest a bit here...

A very bright bush.

This is the same bush from another direction.

Niks: See, we do have sunshine here sometimes!

Naks: Even if the sun does not rise very high any more.

Niks, Naks and the maple

2009-09-20T14:26:00.002+03:00

Niks: Our maple has turned quite red already.

Naks: And we have changed our outfits to match.

Pirates

2009-09-19T16:49:00.010+03:00

It is the Talk Like a Pirate Day and the little pirates seem to be on the loose

Fomalhaut is the Captain.

Fomalhaut: First Mate Deimos, do you have the treasure map?

Deimos: Aye, Captain, right here. Arrrr.

Fomalhaut: And the crew, Rastaban and Algol, do you have the spades for digging up the treasure?

Rastaban: Aye, Captain.

Eggie: I want to come, too!

Fomalhaut: No wenches on board. It's bad luck. And you're not even dressed like a pirate.

Eggie: I can be the parrot. Pirates must have a parrot.

Deimos: I have never heard of a yellow parrot!

Eggie: I have some green feathers, see? Now I look like a parrot. Arrr, Eggie wants a cracker! I can tell if there is gas in the mine...

Fomalhaut: Canaries are used for that purpose, not parrots!

Eggie: I can be a cross between a parrot and a canary. I have a yellow dress and green feathers in my hair.

Fomalhaut: No, and that's final!

But while Fomalhaut and Deimos are studying the map, something is going on behind their backs...

Fomalhaut: Now we must plan the course to the treasure island...

All pirates are boarding the ship.

Fomalhaut: OK, crew, unfurl the sail, hoist the flag and draw in the bridge. Then we can weigh the anchor and sail to the treasure island. Arrrr.

Rastaban: Aye, aye, Captain!

Officers on the bridge.

And the crew on the foredeck.

Sailing.

Finally the pirate ship approaches land.

Rastaban: Land ohoy! There's the treasure island! Arrrrrr!

Deimos: OK, take the spades and we'll find the right spot.

Rastaban: Aye, aye, Captain!

Deimos: This seems to be the right place. Arrrrr!

Fomalhaut: Are you sure?

Deimos: Aye, Captain. The X marks the spot.

Fomalhaut: Fine. Start digging.

Deimos: Algol, that is a rake! You can't dig with a rake!

Algol: ?????

Rastaban: Here, you can borrow my spade.

The others watch while Algol is digging.

Algol: I found a chest!

Fomalhaut: Arrrr! Let's open it and see what it contains!

Deimos: Arrrr! What a shiny treasure!

Fomalhaut: There is a fine silver cup fit for the Captain.

Deimos: And a crystal ball! I wonder if this can tell the future...

Eggie: And rings big enough for a giant!

Fomalhaut: Hey, how did you get here???

Eggie: In your ship. Arrr, Eggie wants a cracker. Any old port in storm. Arrrr.

Fomalhaut: Arrr. We can't leave you here, I suppose. You must come back with us. I suppose the pirates now have a parrot. Algol, fill up the hole.

Algol: Aye, aye, Captain.

Algol: It's filled up nicely, and raked flat. I even put the X back in place so that the next treasure hunter can find the spot.

Deimos: Stupid, we took the treasure already. The next pirate crew can dig a hole all the way to China and find nothing.

Algol: Maybe they'll find some Ming vases in China. Or at least a few Chinamen.

Finally the ship is on it way back again.

Fomalhaut is sitting on the treasure chest to make sure it gets home safely.

The ship arrives home again.

And the pirates take their treasure ashore.

Fomalhaut: The treasure hunt was successful.

Everybody: Aye, that it was, arrrr!

Fall is coming

2009-09-14T16:43:00.003+03:00

It is a beautiful day, but there is already fall in the air...

Niks: Look, the maple is changing color.

Naks: We must change our clothes, too. Soon we no longer match the landscape!

Eggie and begonia II

2009-08-20T12:54:00.003+03:00

In the spring my little Latis graduated from the Garden Gnome Trade School. Eggie of course claimed my yellow begonia as her charge. I think she has done well, the begonia has grown quite a bit!

Eggie: The begonia has grown very big!

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Eggie: Do I have a green thumb or a yellow thumb???

Frogs and toadstools

2009-07-26T13:59:00.004+03:00

As others have recently been finding aliens from outer space on their lawns, Niks and Naks declared that it was probably the right time to go to the forest to try to find some toadstools to make more potions. I think they are running out of fly poison when there are so many frogs to feed...

And the frogs wanted to see the swamp. Oh, well, 6 little companions are manageable at one time - just barely.

The frogs loved a swim in the swamp.

And warming up in the sun on a soft moss path afterwards.

There was a very thin layer of water on dead leaves at one edge of the swamp - and it looks like the frogs are walking on the water! Actually they are quite heavy and sink deep into the water as you can see in the earlier pictures.

It seems to be a bit too early for the alien life forms, but Niks and Naks did find a few.

And as it is a toadstool, of course the frogs want to try sitting on it.

Here is another one, but someone has taken a bite off it!

Konna is trying to look innocent.

There was water on the path in one place. Of course the frogs wanted to swim again.

Some more small toadstools.

Niks: This is too small...

Naks: You can't sit on it...

Niks: Don't even dream of it...

Niks: Here are some small alien life forms...

Naks: Where is your mother ship?

Niks: They don't answer. I think they are of the strong and silent type.

Naks: They don't look very strong to me.

Niks: Better just leave them before they phone home and their mother ship comes to pick them up.

This looks like a troll or a monster but it is actually the roots of a fallen tree.

To prove that the scary looking thing is totally harmless, Niks and Naks used one hanging root as a swing.

Niks & Naks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

Froggy brunch

2009-07-26T09:56:00.003+03:00

What can you do when your pets start inviting their friends over? Well, just give up and arrange a nice Sunday brunch for them...

The frogs are amusing themselves on the trampoline and in the pool...

... while Fomalhaut is tending the grill.

And all frogs love fly kebabs and fresh ditch water.

I don't think the new frogs are going to leave for a long long time if ever.

What is low to the ground and hops?

2009-07-22T13:44:00.004+03:00

Fomalhaut has found his frog friends practicing a new sport...

Fomalhaut: A trampoline seems to be a suitable equipment for frogs. They like to hop anyway.

Fomalhaut: But what is this? Frog did not have spots a while ago!

Fomalhaut: And Toad was not blue! There is something strange going on!

Fomalhaut: It looks like Frog and Toad have invited their relatives over!

The new ones are called "Sammakko" which means "Frog" and "Konna" which means "Toad" or "rogue" or "villain". I'm not sure if Konna's name refers to his species or his character...

I think I'm addicted to the Littlest Pet Shop frogs!

Algol and grasses

2009-07-19T14:41:00.009+03:00

I have figured out why Algol needs those surprised looking eyes. The little thing is full of wonder, he looks at everything as if he saw it the first time - and mostly it is true. He has not seen much yet. But I hope that sense of wonder never wears out. We all could use some.

On our way to the forest we stopped on the overpass. Algol wanted to rest a little.

This is how the path looks when we enter the forest.

Algol wanted to examine the grasses on the side of the road more closely.

Algol: No one ever pays attention to grasses. They just want to mow the lawn and think that grass is short and green. But in the wild the full grown grasses have the most wonderful shapes. Not as colorful as flowers, but still very pretty.

Algol: Some grasses are very delicate...

Algol: ...like a sprinkling of fairy dust on the side of the road.

Algol: But some are much more robust...

Algol: ...and some have reddish color.

There seems to be a snail invasion in the damp part of the forest.

And of course Algol wanted to touch one...

Here's a view of the forest in the place where spruces take over.

There are huge boulders left in the forest by the ice age.

Though the forest is mostly in natural state, some fallen trees are removed and only stumps remain.

Algol: This could be used as a troll castle, I think.

Algol: But I would not want to live here alone.

If you remember the bench on the side of the road where Deimos posed with the flowers, this is the view from the bench. Unfortunately the trees block most of the view, but you can just see the lake between the trees.

Of course Algol wanted to go down to the lake. It is quite blue this time.

There is some kind of stone pillar with an iron rod sticking from the top, and another one further away. I suppose they must have held some kind of sign long ago.

One more delicate plant. But this is not a grass, it is spore-forming kind.

Here's a view of the path in a place where there are lots of birches.

Algol: This flower smells very sweet.

And on the way home near the overpass we saw some stonecrop that had quite colorful leaves.

Only two stonecrops on this moss patch - and one is green and the other one red!

Algol: That was a long hike. I saw a lot of different things. When will we go the next time? Today or tomorrow?

Clouds

2009-07-18T08:38:00.004+03:00

We had more beautiful clouds on Friday evening. The pictures were taken from my balcony at about 11 PM.

Pilvi went oooh and aaaah over the clouds. Her name means "cloud", you know. No wonder pale blue and pink are her favorite colors.

Clouds

2009-07-16T22:28:00.003+03:00

There is a thunder storm rising. We can hear the thunder and see occasional lightnings. But it must still be at a distance because there is no wind at all, and the sky is only partially covered. It's 10:30 pm and it's not dark yet.

View from the balcony towards North. The sun is setting and the clouds look rosy.

View towards south. Here the sky between the clouds still looks light blue.

Picnic

2009-07-16T15:56:00.005+03:00

As it is a nice warm day, Eggie, Rastaban and Algol decided to take advantage of the Frog Garden and have a picnic (without frogs).

Rastaban is checking the grill and Eggie is decorating the frog pond with some flowers.

Rastaban: Algol, we need more coal, go get some.

Eggie: Algol, did you remember to bring the basket of food?

Algol goes away and returns after a while.

Algol: Here's the coal, this is all I could find.

Rastaban: OK, it will do.

Eggie: What about the basket of food? You were supposed to bring it, too!

Algol leaves again and returns a second time.

Algol: Here's the food. Whew, this is heavy.

Eggie: Are you sure everything is there?

It looks like Algol has brought everything. Eggie sets the table.

Rastaban tends the grill.

Rastaban: Good, fly kebabs for me and yellow corn cobs for Eggie. What did you bring for yourself? Carrots?????

Algol: If I eat a lot of carrots, I'll be as strong as Popeye the Sailor Man!

Rastaban: You'll be about as strong as Bugs Bunny. Popeye always eats spinach. But suit yourself.

So everybody has something to eat.

Yellow corn cobs for Eggie...

Fly kebabs for Rastaban...

And carrots for Algol.

Algol: I WILL be as strong as Popeye, just you wait...

Green And Gray

2009-07-04T13:29:00.005+03:00

It is a gray and windy day, so it was Deimos who volunteered to go out. Actually he claimed he has been badly neglected recently. (That was a hint that I should do something about his pirate costume).

A gray demon in green forest.

Green and gray.

Tangled roots.

Deimos: It looks like underground tunnel network starts here.

Deimos: Shall we go in?

Deimos: I wonder if there are trolls and orcs and mafiosos down there...

Deimos did not go underground. I think he is more afraid of mafiosos than orcs, but anyway... Next he found some abandoned woodpecker nests.

It's a real condominium!

Deimos: Do I look like a woodpecker?

Deimos also agreed to pose near some flowers by the trail - just to prove that there still are flowers.

But summer is not always sunshine and flowers. It can also be gray and windy.

A gray demon on a gray shore by a gray lake with a gray sky above.

Frog Garden Party

2009-06-27T13:22:00.004+03:00

The Frog Garden and Toad Hall are ready and Frog and Toad are having a garden party. Niks and Naks showed up with flies to barbecue.

Frog is taking a refreshing swim before eating.

Toad is setting the Boom Box on the top of Toad Hall so that they have music at the party.

Niks is tending the grill.

Barbecued flies are a favorite dish of everyone present. And they have fresh ditch water to drink.

Niks wants to try the pool, too. It is a bit small...

Niks: Do I look like a frog?

But wait! What is this? Deneb Kaitos and a very small green frog have climbed on the table! They want to taste the flies, too!

And the pool is attracting frogs, too! It looks like Deneb Kaitos and his minions have crashed the party. No problem, the more the merrier, and there are enough flies for everyone!

It looks like a successful party!

Sunny side up

2009-06-24T14:10:00.002+03:00

Eggie: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.... sunny.... But I must beware or I'll become one fried Eggie... I hope that that bumble bee does not think I'm a flower, too.

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Eggie: These are mine, too.

Algol goes out for the first time

2009-05-31T14:29:00.002+03:00

It is a very warm day today, too. Algol reminded that he has never ever been outside, so it must be his turn today.

Algol and tar flowers

Algol: I'll pick that one and take a closer look...

Algol: It does not look very tarry to me...

Algol: Here's a nice mossy spot, a soft resting place.

On the beach

Algol: I think I can go and swim a little...

Algol: Hey, this water is icy cold. I'm not going to swim here!

Algol: Here's a little moss covered tree stump. Just suitable for a little one like me to sit on.

Algol: This rock has been split into two...

Algol: ... and a secret passageway underground has been created...

Algol: I wonder if there are lots of trolls and ghouls and ogres in there... I'm not going there alone!

Outsider: Well, I'm too big to fit in.

Algol: Well.... I guess we must go home then...

Pilvi and forest flowers

2009-05-30T13:40:00.005+03:00

Today is a beautiful, warm day and Pilvi declared that it is her turn to go out and look for pretty flowers.

Apple blossoms

Dandelions are still blooming, but coltsfoots have gone to puffballs.

Coltsfoot puffball

Strawberry field

Strawberry flowers

Most dandelions are still in full bloom...

...but Pilvi has found an early puffball...

Blow it!

Pilvi: Can I blow the seeds all the way over the Atlantic?

Pilvi: Pooooooooooooooooooooofffffffffffff....

Pilvi: All gone...

Pilvi: I wonder where they went...

Pilvi and mountain ash flowers

Veronicas

Veronicas

Lily of the valley - but just buds, no flowers yet...

Forget-me-nots

Now, what is this...

Pilvi: I think I'll take this loose branch home. Maybe Fomalhaut and the trolls can use it in their toad garden project...

And last just a general view to show how green the forest now is.

Eggie and eggs

2009-05-27T16:40:00.003+03:00

Eggie has found some eggs...

And she wants to help me fry them...

- Careful, Eggie, you don't want to end up as a fried egg yourself!

Karelian Maiden

2009-05-22T14:47:00.003+03:00

We had a hail storm yesterday, but today it is warm again. I decided it it the time to get a hanging plant for my balcony.

Sampo is helping to hang it up.

Sampo: Is it about right now?

This type of Begonia is called "Karelian Maiden"

Sampo: The color is very pretty, but not yellow, so Eggie won't claim this one.

Sampo: One flower fell off, so you can see it up close.

I hope Sampo's thumbs are as green as his outfit so that my flowers will stay pretty and bloom well all summer.

Garden gnome trainees

2009-05-16T12:41:00.004+03:00

The seven little Latis have graduated from Garden Gnome Trade School (they have all got garden gnome hats to prove it) and now they want a summer job as garden gnome trainees.

But first I had to get a nice graduation picture. You would not believe how hard it is to get seven little Latis into one picture. There was a lot of showing and pushing...

Algol: Rastaban! Don't push!

Fomalhaut: Eggie, keep that rake down...

Pilvi: Rastaban, put your head down, nobody can see my pretty face behind your cap!

Rastaban: Wait!!!!!!!!! I'm slipping down...

Rastaban: Is this better?

Pilvi: Keep your cap down!

Algol: Rastaban, leave my cap alone

Eggie: Do you think those two will ever settle down?

Outsider: OK, I give up. This is the final shot. Say Cheeeeeese!

Eggie: Cheese is yellow and everything that is yellow is mine!

Fomalhaut: Shut up and put that rake down!

Would you hire these seven to work in your garden???

Hobbit and green

2009-05-10T13:50:00.004+03:00

It has rained on and off recently, and that has helped to finally turn everything green again. Today was a sunny day (though a bit windy), so Sampo wanted to go out and see how green the forest now is.

Sampo: Blueberries now have leaves - and buds, too!

Mountain ash.

Birch.

Closeup

Sampo: the swamp is no longer frozen. Now Deimos has to start fearing the swamp monster again...

A thoughtful little hobbit.

Sampo: Here is a good hollow under a tree root. I must recommend it as a summer residence for Niks and Naks.

Sampo: It's too low for me, I can't stand straight there.

Sampo: The hollow is under the root of a big pine.

Sampo: Here are some more pine roots.

Sampo: They are really crooked!

More swamp pictures.

Don't fall into the water!

Sampo: Here are some early dandelions in a sunny spot. Eggie would like these!

Sampo: This tree is totally dead.

Sampo: Fungi are growing all over it!

Eggie and the begonia

2009-05-10T09:12:00.004+03:00

Even though the danger or night frosts still exists, we got a flower for our balcony. We just must watch the weather forecasts and take the pot inside if frost threatens.

Eggie found the new flower interesting...

Eggie: Yellow...

Eggie: I must see closer..

Eggie: Aaaaahhh... yellow...

Eggie: Beautiful...

Eggie: So much yellow...

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Eggie and spring flowers

2009-04-30T17:15:00.002+03:00

Last Sunday the weather was nice and Eggie insisted that she must get out to see if there are any yellow spring flowers to be found.

Eggie: These are nice but not yellow...

Eggie: Coltsfoots are yellow!

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Niks, Naks and spring?

2009-04-18T13:16:00.006+03:00

The wind is in the north and the weather was quite cold last night. When we looked out in the morning everything was white!

Naks: Can we soon plant something in this flower box outside our balcony?

Niks: Do you know something that grows in the snow?

After lunch Niks and Naks wanted to go out to see if there are any signs of spring.

Niks: This is what spring looks like here...

Naks: Patches of snow and dry grass...

Naks: But we found a bare spot...

Niks: And there are some new shoots...

Naks: I think these will become daffodils...

Niks: But in the forest where the sun does not shine the blueberries are well covered with snow.

Naks: And the swamp is still frozen solid...

Niks: ... the ice still keeps the swamp monsters at bay...

Naks: But we can't swim in the swamp now.

Niks: Here is a nice tree stump to perch on...

Naks: It's a high one, we have a good view over the frozen swamp.

Niks: This is a picture of the snowy forest. We are not in this picture because there was no good spot for us to sit on.

Naks: The beach looks quite deserted.

Niks: I can't even tell where the sand ends and the water begins. I think we are very close to the dividing line.

Naks: But we can't swim in the snow...

Outsider: But there is the winter swimmer's hole in the ice just behind the sauna building if you want to go for a swim.

Niks: We would rather swim in the swamp.

Naks: We'll wait until the swamp melts.

The big lake is still frozen, but the ice is quite rotten by now, it is no longer safe to go to the lighthouse. Maybe again next year.

Easter egg hunt

2009-04-12T09:43:00.005+03:00

It is the time for the Easter egg hunt, and Deimos is organizing the search.

Deimos: Now where do we start... I think we should divide into pairs.

Fomalhaut: That won't work, there are five of us...

Niks: No need to organize any search party...

Naks: ... we found the Easter bunny nest!

Everybody: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Eggie: Everything that is yellow is mine!

Rastaban: Not fair, I want a chocolate bunny, too! The chenille chicks did not taste very good...

Deimos: Eggie, you can't possibly eat all the yellow chocolates by yourself.

In the end Eggie was not too greedy. All the little ones get a chocolate bunny.

All: mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Rastaban: This tastes better than the chenille chicks...

There's plenty of chocolate for everybody, even to those who did not participate in the hunt. After all, even little demons can't eat their own weight in chocolate.

Stealing Cattle Luck?

2009-04-11T10:47:00.003+03:00

The time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a time when dark forces are loose. The night between Good Friday and Saturday is especially bad, witches are supposed to try to steal cattle luck by stealing hair or pieces of skin from animals.

So this is not a good time for the littlest vampire to be missing. It is little wonder that Algol is worried. (I am not even trying to question where Deimos and Fomalhaut have been, they are old enough to take care of themselves - even if Deimos seems to be afraid of everything.)

Algol: Was Rastaban not with you? I can't find him anywhere!

Deimos: No, we have not seen him last night. He must be out on his own.

Fomalhaut: That's not good, he is too small for that...

Deimos: There Rastaban is!

Fomalhaut: He appears to be hiding something...

Deimos: What have you got? Let me see...

Rastaban: Nooooooooooooooooo!

But Deimos is bigger and stronger and he soon makes Rastaban drop what he is holding...

Deimos: What is this? Dragon scales!

Rastaban: I was just trying to follow the tradition and steal some cattle luck...

Deimos: Cattle luck for dragons? But you don't even have a dragon!

Rastaban: I do have a dragon, but he is missing. Can I keep the scales anyway?

Deimos: Of course, I don't think you can go and glue them back on the dragon. But be careful. Dragon scales can contain powerful magic.

Rastaban: I just hope they contain enough magic to help me to find my dragon...

Algol: I'll help you. We'll find your dragon.

Easter Grass - decorated

2009-04-10T09:51:00.003+03:00

I cut the Easter grass a bit (it is growing too fast) and then let the Eggie, Algol and Rastaban decorate it. Eggie is in seventh heaven because there are so many yellow chicks and yellow eggs. She even put some yellow feathers into her hair pretending to be an Easter chick herself.

Eggie: We proudly present our decorated Easter grass.

Rastaban: Hmph..

Eggie: I invited Humpty Dumpty to serve as a decoration because he is an egg. The chicks seem to think he is their daddy.

Algol: I set up a nest for all the Easter Bunnies to lay their eggs in. Eggie even let her yellow bunny to sit in the nest with the rest of the bunnies.

Rastaban: I don't know anything about decorating anything, I just scattered the chicks all over the grass. I wondered if they are good to eat, but others say chocolate eggs taste better, so I guess I'll just wait a bit.

More Easter grass

2009-04-09T15:27:00.002+03:00

Eggie: Look how tall our Easter grass has grown!

Algol: We need a lawn mover...

Rastaban: ... or a scythe!

Easter grass update

2009-04-06T15:46:00.003+03:00

Algol: Look, our grass is turning green!

Eggie: I think bunny would like to taste some...

Rastaban: Hmph.

Is this spring?

2009-04-05T13:37:00.003+03:00

As the temperature has been above freezing almost all the time last week, Deimos wanted to go and search for signs of spring again.

- In open spaces most of the snow has melted but there is not much green yet.

- Moss survives under snow and it is green as soon as the snow melts.

- The swamp is melting, too...

- These must be the footprints of the swamp monster...

- I don't want to meet him! He must be huge!

- The path between the trees is covered with water even if all the snow is not gone yet.

- The mud puddle is not frozen this time!

Easter grass

2009-04-01T16:31:00.003+03:00

Easter is next week, and it is the time to sow Easter grass.

Eggie: You guys can do all the dirty work, I'm already dressed up for Easter.

Rastaban: Hmph...

Eggie: Do we have enough seeds? - Algol, do't mess up the seeds with that rake. Rastaban, don't pour the water in before I've finished sowing.

Rastaban: Hmph...

Eggie: Now we just sit here and watch the grass grow.

Rastaban: Hmph...

The littlest vampire in snow

2009-03-29T13:18:00.005+03:00

Rastaban, the littlest vampire wanted to go out to see the snow before it melts. As it is overcast today, I assumed it was safe for a little vampire to go out in the daylight. Rastaban borrowed some clothes (a bit too big, I'm afraid) and went exploring.

It snowed yesterday and last night, so there was a layer nice new snow covering the grainy and icy old snow, and the temperature was slightly above freezing - perfect weather for making snow men - or snow vampires.

And then the littlest vampire wanted to make a snow angel...

Closeup

It does not look like spring yet.

Rastaban, the littlest vampire.

It's overcast, so the sky looks white.

I think the vampire is starting to look sleepy. It's past noon already, so it is probably past his bedtime - or at least nap time.

Motorists

2009-03-28T09:18:00.004+02:00

The littlest scamps have found something interesting...

Rastaban: Look! A motorcycle! Let's take it on a test drive...

Algol: Can you drive?

Rastaban: Sure, it can't be that hard...

Rastaban: Wait! You must push to get this thing started.

Rastaban: Push harder!

Algol: I'm pushing...

Rastaban: Harder!

Algol: nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggh

But the owner of the motorcycle is not far away...

Deimos: What's going on here?

Deimos: What are you two doing with my bike?

Rastaban: We are taking it for a test drive. But Algol is not pushing hard enough.

Algol: Aaauuugh, these socks are too slippery!

Deimos: You are too small to drive. Get into the side car. Algol, too. This thing won't need pushing to get started.

So the little scamps get a ride after all...

Rastaban & Algol: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

Spring?

2009-03-21T13:18:00.005+02:00

It was Spring Equinox yesterday, and we are supposed to search for signs of spring. It is a bit early for spring here up north, but Deimos did his best.

-The most important sign of spring is the increased amount of light.

- Aaaaauuugh! The snow is still too deep for a small demon!

- Help me out of here!

- Look! I found a bare spot!

- There is still enough snow to make a snow demon...

- ... and a snow fort.

- I'm a valian knight who defends this fort with his trusty snow demon (at least until the snow demon melts)

- Mikayla asked for a picture of a mud puddle, but no luck this time. It was too cold last night and the puddle is still frozen solid.

Leather

2009-03-08T14:25:00.004+02:00

Today I went to a craft/doll/doll house fair. The best find was 5 bags of leather scraps for a total of 8 Euros.

Fomalhaut and Deimos are helping to sort the scraps according to color. I selected bags that had plenty of blue as I have completely run out of blue leather.

Deimos: There's enough leather scraps for a whole shoe factory!

Fomalhaut: I think I could use a pair of blue suede shoes...

Deimos: This leather is the same color as the leds on our new computer. I bet Algol will like this color.

Door and Demons

2009-02-21T09:58:00.004+02:00

It looks like the little demons have found a dimension door - and Umbriel's keys

Deimos: We finally found a dimension door so that we can go and save Rastaban from the werewolves...

Fomalhaut: Do you think the door will take us to the right place?

Deimos: This key should take us directly to Transsylvania...

Fomalhaut: Does it look like Transsylvania?

After a while Umbriel appears on the scene.

Umbriel: A dimension door! And I can't find my keys anywhere! Wait... It's already open. I bet the little demons have taken my keys and gone in. I wonder where the door leads and if it will be safe to follow them. But if they come back first and lock the door, I can't get back and I will be trapped where ever is behind that door...

But beforeUmbriel can decide if it is safe to go in, the demons comes rushing back. Or actually Deimos comes rushing, Fomalhaut follows more calmly.

Deimos: Quick! Before the werewolf catches us!

Fomalhaut: It was not a werewolf...

Deimos: Quick! Lock the door! There are 10 werewolves after us...

Fomalhalhaut: It was only a dog...

After the door has been locked it disappears. Umbriel starts questioning the little demons.

Umbriel: I have told you not to take my keys! Where have you been?

Deimos: We had to go to Transsylvania to save Rastaban from the werewolves! There were at least 20 of them.

Fomalhaut: Actually there was only one dog...

Deimos: There were at least 100 werewolves and they were fierce and they were chasing us!

Fomalhaut: Actually it was an old dog. It was quite docile, but it did try to lick Deimos.

Umbriel: It appears that you did not find either Rastaban or werewolves.

Deimos: We found the werewolves but not Rastaban.

Fomalhaut: Actually the old dog told us that Rastaban has been accidentally transported to Lati Land. Rastaban and Algol are causing mayhem in the Lati Land. Algol is infesting their computers with bugs and viruses and Rastaban is chewing their cables with his little vampire teeth. We hope the Lati people catch them soon and ship them out as unwanted aliens. Otherwise we'll have to try to find a dimension door that takes us to Lati Land.

So, the rescue operation was unsuccessful, but the only casualty was Deimos who got licked by and old dog and scolded by Umbriel for taking his keys without permission.

Niks and Naks on the ice

2009-01-18T13:41:00.005+02:00

The lake is frozen solid. Yesterday it was wonderfully beautiful, like black glass, practically no snow on the ice . But it was a bit too cold ( -12 C or 10 F) for taking photographs. Today it is not quite that cold, but it is cloudy and has started snowing a little. Niks and Naks wanted to go and see if we can still get some nice photographs.

Niks: The ice is like black glass...

Naks: We can see ice bubbles inside...

Naks: From the places where there are rifts (now frozen) we can see how thick the ice is.

Niks: It must be about 8 inches by now!

Naks: The snow is starting to accumulate on the ice...

Niks: Here you can see that we are quite a long distance from the shore...

Naks: On the snowy patch we now match the landscape.

Niks: Except your hair...

Niks: We went all the way to the Hedgehog Rock lighthouse!

Naks: There are other tourists here taking pictures, too.

Niks: Most of them seem to have come on skates because there is so little snow on the ice.

Niks: Here is one of the small rocks separate from the big main rock...

Naks: We claim this our own.

Niks: We name this the Troll Rock!

Demolition II

2008-12-28T17:57:00.002+02:00

Niks & Naks: CRUNCH CRUNCH!

Deimos: Demolition of a gingerbread house it hard work...

Fomalhaut: It sure is...

Demolition

2008-12-27T13:05:00.004+02:00

Christmas is over and the demolition crew has attacked the gingerbread house (as you see, the chimney is gone already):

Everybody: Crunch, crunch, nibble, nibble...

Fomalhaut and winter forest

2008-12-26T15:31:00.004+02:00

Fomalhaut is the Guardian of the Winter Solstice, and it is his task to make sure the days start getting longer again after each Winter Solstice.

Unfortunately we have not seen any sun for weeks (because it has been cloudy all the time), so Fomalhaut has found it hard to check the height of the sun and the exact length of the day. Today he wanted to go out, but could not measure his shadow as it is still overcast.

Fomalhaut: It looks lighter because of the snow, but the sun is hidden behind the clouds.

Fomalhaut: Hello everybody!

Fomalhaut: Here is a nice small snow covered spruce. It could serve as a Christmas tree.

Fomalhaut: And I could serve as an ornament. Do I look very ornamental?

Fomalhaut: Haitula gave me a task to check if the swamp is frozen. Swamps must be frozen in the winter to keep the swamp monsters at bay. This looks solid enough - at least for a small demon like me. I hope there are no big swamp monsters hiding under the ice...

Fomalhaut: This is not a swamp. It has rained so much this year that all the depressions are filled with water - and now frozen.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T13:24:00.002+02:00

Everybody: Merry Christmas!

Nibble nibble

2008-12-12T18:22:00.005+02:00

Egghead: So you guys know where there is something good to eat?

nibble, nibble...

Deimos: What is this? I told you no nibbling before Christmas!

Deimos: Shoo!

Deimos: Scram!

Deimos: Shoo!

Eggie: I'm going, don't have a cow!

Deimos: It does look awfully tempting...

nibble nibble...