bicycling

Just realized, you haven't seen my new bike yet.
TADAA!!!
It's a Trek with double sealed "gear box" so it should survive winter better than others. A removable basket and then of course, pup :)

And here is D's brand new bike. Now the whole family is rolling :)

Splish-splash

 No granny, I don't wanna....

 I DON'T WANNA!!!

 and sudenly it was mighty fun, so fun one toppled over from laughing =)

Splish-Splash and granny is drenched =)

Daddy is home

And yesterday both pup's grandmom and his dad returned to the island.

 Need I say my puppy is excited and happy? =)

Kulturnatten 2012

As last year, me and pup strutted our stuff in the fashion show =)

Excited and waiting for the show to start

Martha's of today (kind of modern Martha Stuarts)

All the polka dots in this picture makes my eyes dizzy =)

Strutting my stuff

Slug-hunting 

Spanish forest slugs (aka Murderslugs)
are a big-and-growing problem here

Oh yeah ;)

The number shown to the song "Drottningen av Åland" (Queen of Åland) was all pink and fluff =) Pup's cousin A rocking it out in her tulle skirt =)

Euforia

And look who decided to join us on stage...

 ... to steal the show completely =)

Not the best picture of A, but I love the movement in this one =)

Good reads

I don't know if I told you, but the priciest thing on my shopping spree with the mother in law was two books (three if counting the Stephen King one on the ferry). Now I've finished them both. I know. Pup has been at home, but I just couldn't stop reading :)

First one was "Pretty Little Liars", yup, the ones inspiring the TV-series. It was an easy read but I was really dissapointed to learn there were at least 12 books in the series. Because there isn't very much content in book one, and I'm pretty sure it would be possible to cram at least one more book into the same binding. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky? Oh well, for me to pursue that many books, they'll have to be far better than just an easy read.

The second one however, "Under the Never Sky" , captured me, thrilled me and has me waiting eagerly for January when the sequel is due. It has a nice round "voice" to the story, it feels like soft cotton :)
As always when I like something, I have problems doing a review, because I don't wanna spoil it for anyone, but anyhows, thumbs really high for this one! Go read it!

Muminworld

The in-laws invited me and Pup for a 4 day trip to the main land, more precisely to Naantali and the Muminworld, which happened to celebrate it's 20th birthday this summer.

We started out on the Arcipelago "road", that is highway between the islands and islets that make up Åland. There Pup and his granddad made raccoon-dog traps... 

Mine and pups bedroom at the family hotel where we stayed. It was made up of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with a small kitchen. Perfect for us.

The living room/kitchen. To the right, just out of sight, is the kitchen and to the left, opposite the entrance, was the bathroom.

It wasn't wow, but got the job done.

Another angle of the livingroom. Entrance of in-laws bedroom visible, ours was on the other side of the sofa.

Ready for adventures =)

We took the mini-train that left from the spa hotel, which was also owner of our hotel.

Excited!

Come on train, get moving!

But when the train did get moving, someone got a very concerned look on his face.

The pretty blue Muminhouse.

Knock, knock, anyone home?

Finally seeing some Mumintrolls!

Though they were mean, vicious, terrifying and surely, pup-eating...

... someone squealed with joy and laughter if one of them would touch him =)

At the very top of the Muminhouse there were mighty funny toys.

And we could even see Granny waaaay down there.

We took the spiraling stair down, all the way to...

... Muminmom's jam cellar. Yummie!

When we came out all the Mumins, Little My, Snusmumriken and Filifjonkan was dancing and singing. Pup was amazed.

at the fire station, there were an old fire engine.

Pictures of some great firefighting hemules, but what is Stinky doing there?

Equipment.

Pup is manning the Alarm Central, pressing all the buttons at once =)

Checking the water pressure, or something like that.

On the story path there was a labyrinth.

Some didn't dare go inside it =)

And some raced joyfully up and down, fro and back, here and there...

Hattifnatts.

Mumintrolls.

Mårran.

Around the rocky mountain...

... and over the wild (but at the moment dried out) river on a rope bridge.

The swimming cabin.

A fair mermaid was found.

Edward the Dront. To my knowledge a Dront is an extinct branch of bird belonging to the pigeon family. This is a big freaking pigeon...

After lunch, double cheese burgers, it was nap time for some.

I think it was self defense so he wouldn't have to see this.

or this for that matter...

The Mumin train, don't know from where it went, but it stopped just outside of the gates of Muminworld, whereas ours stopped aboult half a kilometer away from them.

Our train from the front.

The last night was spent in a "real" hotel, and pup slept like a baby =)

On the ferry home they had a Lightning McQueen. I had a happy puppy =)