Dead imago

Unfortunately, it seems that the imago that hatched didn't make it very far...last week end we found it dead underneath the pupa casing...most likely scenario: a dragonfly had it for dinner...it's nature, I know, but it's still a bit upsetting that the butterfly in the pupa we watched over so carefully didn't make it...

Easy peasy soup

I accidentally made some delicious toddler friendly pea soup...it's a bit dark in the pic but the actual colour is a pretty, bright green...

200 g frozen (or fresh) peas
1 tin big white beans (or boiled dried ones)
creamy coconut milk
1 small bay leaf
soy sauce
1 wing of a star anise
marjoram
salt
garlic


Chop garlic and fry gently in oil with the peas and beans. Add coconut milk, soy sauce and marjoram. Simmer for 5 mins. Add star anise and bay leaf. Let simmer for another 5 mins. Add salt to taste. Remove bay leaf and star anise. Use a stick blender to mix the soup. Serve! My 1-year-old LOVED this. 

A miracle - the imago

We got to witness a miracle this week end - or two, really. Our pupae hatched! Obviously it only takes a second or two for the pupae to split open and we missed that, and also the moment when the imago (the actual butterfly) took off, but seeing them rest on their pupae casings was magical! Here's the series, from larva to pupa to imago...and the casing...

Thrifted treasure

A bit of thrifting...a whole bag of Brio blocks (105 pieces) for 8 euros...and on a stand in amongst 90's Barbie dolls with matted hair, scratched, filthy plastic cars and tacky, glittery dolls house furniture at atrocious prices I found this  - a beautiful, heavy wooden car for 1 euro! This is what I call treasure! 

Life is a bubble...

I've rediscovered soap bubbles. Little man loves them, and so do I. Not just because they are pretty but because they are a metaphor for people...they all come from the same place, they all have their own journey and they all meet the same end. But how different they are! Some are big and colourful, others are smaller, not as shiny...but all of them are unique. 

Hopes for the future

I found this old photo and it hit me: it is like a symbol for all that I want for my son. I want his soul to be as open as the wide ocean and as strong as the ancient granite, because that is what you need to be brave, independent and kind. 

Plop and splash...

...and the child giggles and laughs as the stones hit the surface. 1, 2, 3, many...he never tires of this game. His pockets are full of spare stones. I wish more grown ups could take such pleasure in such little things...

An elk, a cow or just a tree?

This tree grows close to our place...it's funny in daylight and a little bit spooky in the dark. I'm always amazed by nature and by how things resemble other things...by how our minds can see things that aren't really there. Shapes, textures, colours...

The wild larder

Late summer always has this melancholy feel about it. It's still warm enough to be summer, but the sky is a slightly brighter shade of blue and the wind feels cooler. The sun sets earlier and dusk seems to last for hours. But all the wonderful delicacies which can be found in the woods and meadows make up for it. It is time to fill your stomach - and the freezer - with chanterelles, wild raspberries and blueberries...and to savour the very last wild strawberries!

Tadpole to toad

So much is happening in nature at the moment - late summer is a hectic time. For some it is now time to leave the pond and see the world...

Change can happen overnight...

...and it does, at times. This little larva, a future Camberwell Beauty - or Mourning Cloak - was resting in our garden one day, climbing up a flower stem the next, and when I went outside to have a look at it the following morning I found a pupa...some would say it's only biology, but I think it is one of life's little miracles.

The beauty of wood

Sometimes nature imitates itself. Wood often has little secrets - secrets which can only be revealed if the tree or branch is cut. I see a starfish in the first pic and a cobweb in the second...

Butterfly, flutter by

Butterflies are a little bit mysterious, I've always thought. I was reminded of it this week end when I saw these ones. They flutter by and always seem to be in such a hurry, yet so relaxed about it. They seem to know something you and I don't. And for me personally, they have always brought news in dreams. News, or maybe I should say guidance. Maybe one day I will write more about that.

Signs of summer

These little creatures only appear during the summer...it would seem that they are all the summer we get this year. Watching a toddler watching a dragonfly for the first time was a pleasure in itself. His amazement and joy were written all over his face. I really do hope I can protect him from losing interest in the simple things -it seems to be such a  prevalent phenomenon in children these days.

Toys for boys (and girls)

Little man's grandmother found him some cute wooden friends from Anamalz...down from 8 euros a piece to 3 in a cheap and cheerful shop in the countryside...I try to avoid plastic toys as natural materials feel nicer to the touch and also give better weight to objects than plastic does. Grandma also found some nice shovels for the sand pit...

Toad vs frog

Why is it that when someone says toad most people think lazy, slow and ugly, but when someone says frog most people think of words quick, sleek, cute and quite possibly also prince?  

New life everywhere

I have been observing today. Mainly the woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) family in our forest. Imagine having 5-7 little ones at once...HUNGRY little ones...

I am considering climbing up and having a look at the nest. Once the little ones are out, of course...

A beginning of sorts

Maybe summer is the perfect time to start a blog. There is so much life everywhere, so much to see, to do, to enjoy and to share.  Like the boat I made for my son yesterday - it seems like a good first photo. As a child I used to make several each summer - hastily and probably not very well. This one took a good few hours to finish - but then, I put a lot more thought into this one, and a lot more love as well. This is my son's first hand carved boat, so it is special. A boat, a journey...a beginning of sorts.