Uncle Henry´s Universe.

We have a
beautiful winter, enough cold and just enough with snow so far. Have long been
able to trudge in snow when I track wolves, especially in dense forests, but
now the snow depth is starting to become troublesome, so skis become a better
choice.

It is a
pleasure to work in harmony with the seasons, where light and weather control
the work. Being almost daily in nature, in good weather or in bad, is a
privilege. It really makes you feel present in the moment, in life.

Weather
feels on the skin; the light feels in the soul. All the senses interact.
Fragrance in winter is usually subtle, perhaps just as a clue about an
approaching snowfall. The taste of hot broth, on the other hand, is highly
evident, it gives pure joy to a cold and tired body. In the extension of the
wolf tracks, ravens are heard from a distance, a life has ended as food for
others.

The
evenings lately have been seductively beautiful. Ending a successful working
day is pure euphoria, if it happens to the sound of rustling skis and in the
direction straight into the sunset.

Friday
night at Bar Teatral in Karlstad, lots of good beer and live performances by
Monte Nour and Jennie Abrahamson. Monte Nour was first out and a whole new
acquaintance, feeling unsure of what I liked about his music, probably needs to
listen more to grasp it.

Jennie, on the other
hand, I’m absolutely sure! Great as usual! It’s the first time I experience her
alive and was not disappointed. She started with – To the water! A song about fanaticism of all sorts – and
unfortunately very current in our time…

The first time I saw Jennie was on
television. A lonely girl with some instruments and a very unbelievable vocal
voice. She played her Snowstorm! On Friday I heard it again. Still loving it.

Jennie is sometimes compared with Kate
Bush, something she herself, for many years did not really agree with. We
received a long story before she performed – Running up that hill, as a tribute
to Kate Bush. The song was taken from a tribute concert she performed together
with Gothenburg Symphony.

In Sweden, Jennie is not particularly
famous … strange! But it seems to be a girl who wants to decide most of
herself, not so commercial, independent. I like that! However, she has made 5
world tours with Peter Gabriel. Not so bad. Not bad at all!

The cold is
spreading rapidly across the country and the landscape is adorned with frost
work. A wonderful time to work in the wilderness. No mosquitoes or other
nuisances, only cold that bite you a little bit refreshing in your nose and
ear.

The
landscape is almost silent, only filled with weak subtle sound of falling frost
stars, crunchy thin ice, a calling raven on long distance or the delightful
small silver bells from a passing flock of waxwings from the north.

Time is
changing from summer – so infinite much to catch up with – to
calm and reflection. Take care of time, enjoy, for Christmas is soon here with
all that it means of twinkling candles, Christmas songs and ho ho ho’s.

Monday
morning. A few degrees of minus, the winter knocks on the door.

The
calendar shows October 1 and a new thoughtful saying. This week; Better a bird
in your hand than a gull shit in your hair … hmm, that was wise! …

It has been
almost two years since I last wrote something on the blog. I lost my desire,
lacked inspiration and was frustrated by developments in the world. Both
environmentally and politically. We all live on a truly wonderful amazing
planet, yet we manage to do so much to destroy it. The madness is rude!

At a time
when the fires burn again in Mordor, it’s hard to be happy and to be positive,
but deflating does not make any difference either! We must find power to fight
and, in between, have as much fun as we can!

When I look
at my newly purchased key ring, I’m feel happy. The experiences of amazing days
in Grenoble, Lumbin and St Hillaire du Tuvet have recharged the batteries with
new power. Coupe Icare is a festival for anyone who enjoys flying or flying
things.

On
Icarnaval won the “chat perché” in the paragliding solo class. If I understood
correctly, Chat Perche is the French name for children’s play, catch up.
Clever!

Now autumn
is here – with high clear air – Enjoy and take care – Good things happen
everywhere…. Okay, I should stop now … I understand … Yepp… Ends here!

https://player.vimeo.com/video/277974532

We spent a
week in October at Malvarina Agriturismo, an organic farm that also has cozy
accommodation and a fantastic restaurant. The farm is run by a family and a few
employees; it is really genuine and breathes calm and peace. (No TV in the
room!) It is a wonderful oasis on the slopes of Monte Subasio, where a brisk
walk through olive groves takes you up to the Mt Subasio national park and a
wonderful panoramic view over Umbria.

The kitchen
offers genuine old-fashioned Italian diet, completely built on their own
organic products, adapted to the seasons and availability. Their prosciutto crudo is heavenly, mouth watering just
thinking about it! And their freshly pressed olive oil, early pressing, emerald
green and smooth as velvet! An experience which should be on everyone’s bucket
list.

Dinner is
served at 20.00, then you eat and socialize, drink good local wine (the best
was the one who actually had no name), dish follows dish, one tastier than the
other. The meal lasts until towards midnight, when you rounded off with a cappuccino
and a little grappa. After a week of partying on the Mediterranean diet, I have
lost more than 1 kg! (Try to do so at a hamburger menu!)

During the
week there were only two things that did not taste me, and it was not due to
the kitchen, it was because of me. I hate liver! It did not help that it was
cooked in a pear; it just tasted even more liver.

And then
the thing with the snails. I love French snails in garlic but the herbs in the
Italian did not suit me. Or size, fully grown specimens, giant monsters who
must be forced out of the shells. As large recalcitrant arionidae, who must be
cut into slices to be swallowed. But this is like saying a parenthesis; Malvarina
is fantastic and well worth a visit. Try it!

My ambition
to develop proficiency in English continues. I have previously read; How to Be
a Woman by Caitlin Moran, and loved it. When I strolled around in a bookstore
in Windsor, and discovered that they had her latest book; How to Build a Girl,
I could not resist buying it. And I do not regret it, it was hilarious.

Roughly
told, but with insight, warmth and great love, both in terms of everyday,
working-class, urban neighborhoods and teen years. It was a fantastic trip,
although I must admit that the language was different than what I’m used to.

Cunt, twat,
wank, hymen and knackers not belong to my everyday language … And if I would
put it in Swedish, I would fucking blush like a baboon’s ass! So I do not. (But
in English I might dare and then it enriches my language) You have to dare, or
as Caitlin writes at one point in the book, and I have not yet managed to find
the meaning of … Go on! Stuff it up the cow!

Sometimes I
do not understand everything I read. I do not have full control of the concepts,
“Poxy bunch of suites” or “They’ve gassed The Hive”.
Although I might have a clue. However, it is extremely interesting for a
Swedish ornithologist to hear about the gloom that probably comes from
Hebridiean ancestors with puffin – strangling DNA!

Maybe not a
Christmas present tips for your gift for grandma or grandpa, or eh heck, why
not! If nothing else, read it for yourself.

Time flies.
We had a wonderful time in Italy, in mid-October, and I was about to write a
blog post about it, when suddenly it was the first of November and the snow
pouring down! Life goes so fast sometimes.

Tracking season got a flying start, suddenly needed miles and miles of gravel roads to be searched over in pursuit of traces of wolves and lynxes. Being first
on the road, with a new yet untouched snow, is a great satisfaction that I
think I share with all my colleagues. It’s exciting. The day is still a blank
slate.

After a
good tracking day, with a lot of tracks and samples collected for DNA analysis,
ended the day at Bastutjärn. The freeze begins on the little lake and the track
of the wolf pack disappears towards the Norwegian border.

It was midsummer.
We ate our herring with new potatoes, chives, sour cream and everything else
related to the weekend. We enjoyed cold beer and schnapps. Then swoosh, the
autumn was here! What the heck happened?

I remember that
long beard lichen was inventoried, and we actually found a new location, which
is quite unusual. That was nice.

And I know
that the haymaking was good, we had perfect weather throughout the mowing
season. (I forgot to photograph this year, the picture is from 2015.) Do not
worry if you forgot the knife to the snack bread, it goes equally well with a
scythe.

It was a
great summer for strawberries, flower meadows, butterflies – and gnats. I
remember them very well! Gnats and other biting insects are really a plague
during work in the forest during the summer, as terrible as butterflies are
gorgeous. The biting should I forget but the memory of the butterflies is to be
cherished and enjoyed on cold winter days. I had the most, nearly a hundred
butterflies swarming along the spice garden, where I sat and tried to think
wise thoughts.

We have had
the first frost, the leaves have begun to change color but the heat persists.
It’s still summer warm during some days. Perhaps it will be a long and warm
autumn, which in recent years. Beautiful, but it can easily become too much of
a good thing, both nature and wildlife trackers have to get a real winter to
feel good. But why be in a hurry! We enjoy autumn’s high and clear air, the
rich scents of everything that has matured, melancholy strophes from migratory
birds and heat as long as it is offered. Have a nice autumn everybody, enjoy
life.

We have stayed at
many peculiar places around the world, Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg in Longyearbyen, is
definitely one of them. Old miners’ barracks assembled into a small hotel, with
mining tools, coal and driftwood lying in the corners and images of half-naked
ladies on room doors. And with a polar bear in the corridor which reminds you
of the importance of being able to defend yourself in the Arctic.

Polar bears
rarely freeze ass off, neither this one. It has its rear end in a wonderful
conservatory, also the dining room, where you can have breakfast with the whole
nature panorama outside the window. (Maybe you will see a drooling arctic fox,
a glowering Svalbard reindeer or any other exciting thing …)

If you suddenly
need a beer (Longyearbyen has the world’s northernmost brewery) or any other
strengthening, the pub has open until 02:00. It’s just tiptoe away in stocking
feet (No shoes indoors in this village!) sneak through the kitchen, say hello
to the chef if he is there, pass slugger bear and swish you’re there.

The beer is very
good! The place is quite charming and the style really relaxed! Go there, be cool.