Estonia – insects, lakes and log cabins

April 2019 Massiaru, Estonia

dav — This little critter looks as if someone has been doodling on her in a bored moment – a V shape here, a straight line there, 2 half tear drops with black dots inside, colour that in black, leave that bit orange!

I could not get a photo of the big peacock-coloured beetle. He spent all his time negotiating the grass and falling over at almost every blade. He must have been used to it because he flipped himself over and just carried on.

rhdr

Hawthorn was watching a moth which had got caught inside the double glazing, so he couldn’t get to it, but he spent a long time watching and trying, bless him.

Like a battlefield – you could almost see people picking through bodies looking for coins. It seemed strewn with sadness

The new leaves have come out next to the pussy willow which now look like they are bursting with excitement at the feel of the sun.

Spreading their leaves to get every particle of warmth

These wood anemones have taller stalks than the ones from 2 weeks ago, now the air is more benign

As I stand facing the rising sun to do my morning exercises, the sunshine gleams through the dandelion leaves at foot level.

Made in the old style with interlocking logs

The bus passes through mile after mile of forest with the longest straightest tracks dissecting them. Some are dense pine and others are deciduous, more spacious with a matching green floor. Occasionally they have been cleared for agricultural purposes (in the centre of one huge one were 2 storks lazily pecking), or for motorbike racing.

Along the rivers are clumps of bright celandines

I am picking up a few words of the notoriously difficult Estonian language : thank you sounds like aita; tee is street without the s, r and second t; kohvik is coffee shop ; kool is school – you can see why I know those ones!

Everywhere forest is being cleared for agriculture

oznor — Overhead is heard the constant honk of geese and squeak of swan

One evening’s walk I was accompanied by herds of cattle with calves on both sides of the road, lowing loudly

Really unusual pink flowers growing straight out of the ground as if someone had half buried them

We ate these maple flowers, battered, deep fried and sugared

One of my favourite morning spots for ‘standing like a tree’

Dandelion half plays, half delights in the day

All those trees mean that of course the main house building material is wood and they are usually painted beautiful colours which shine in the evening sun.