Yesterday evening was a moment of pure serenity, a fitting farewell before we returned to the flat. We usually spend our weekends at our renovation site, depending on the weather and the work we plan to do. This time, we decided to extend our stay, arriving early on Friday morning and making the most of … More An Evening to Remember Before Heading Back to the Flat
Beautiful misty mornings are here! I love those mornings but don’t like the fact that autumn is coming! And by autumn I don’t mean colorful leaves, sunny days and stunning views! What I don’t like is rainy weeks, muddy roads, blues and sneeze that comes with it… Am I the only one struggling to smile … More Misty Mornings
This year’s first picnic was yesterday! It was windy and not at all sunny, cold and terrible… but I love nature and how it gives us energy! Our picnics are spontaneous, quick, environment-friendly, almost sugar-free and short. I don’t cook for hours and we don’t enjoy sitting in a picnic spot for hours. Also, I’m … More First picnic this year
We found a new picnic spot in the nearest forest. I know it’s not much, but really, what you need if you get there by car!? You can take your own picnic table and stools, right? We love short picnics in forests! Ilze
I was so lucky to capture strange white frozen growths on treas around foxholes. At first, it looked so weird that I didn’t allow girls to touch it! Actually, we didn’t touch it at all! Later I found this article: Mystery of HAIR ICE solved: Strange white frozen growths found on trees are engineered by fungus Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3171935/Mystery-HAIR-ICE-solved-Strange-white-frozen-growths-trees-engineered-fungus.html#ixzz56hkwhlH6 … More Lucky day
Since my mom was there we did all “preparation” for today! In Latvia, you don’t need to invite people to you name day – friends can visit you without invitations. But in real life – they would call to “greet” and you can suggest to “meet” ;). After all the cooking and house cleaning, mom … More Happy Name day… to me!
This might be the last I’m sharing from that beautiful Christmas morning. I bet it can get boring! Forgive me. Previous pictures you can find here and here. I hope you liked it! No more 🙂 Ilze
Remember that spruce cone in the top part of the electricity pole I write a few days ago!? I watched that pole ever since! And guess what I have the answer! I know who put that cone there and WHY!! Glad I watched that pole ever since… It was none other than… Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos … More Spruce cone in electricity pole
This pond is in the Janis parents property. In the spring I love to walk to the pond and sat in the swing and watch how Nature wakes up. Few days ago I took my walk and can’t believe my eyes. It was so dark, so mystery, so unpleasant…. I took the picture and walked away … More Dark & Unpleasant
I’ve been amazed by Mother Nature many times before. This one is something I needed so much! I walk outside to take the picture of snowman – shared yesterday! And saw this! That the only one apple in the tree (this year we had only a few apples, wasn’t a good ear for apples!) made me … More Just an apple!
Good morning everyone! Good morning Mother Nature! The first snow is here! It doesn’t look like it stays for long. BUT the fact that snow is here – is registered here on my blog. With the snow, our friends showed up for the first time this season. All girls staying home today and we will have breakfast in … More First Snow & First Time
I had my walk a few days ago and I took my camera with me! First autumn frosts are here but I had lucky to capture the autumn colors just before it! This was a lovely autumn evening with the sun, clouds and yellow leaves. This is how Latvia looks in autumn. And I love … More Beautiful Autumn Evening
Do you remember this picture from the post a few days ago?! I love it! In that Sunday we had walked in the forest to charge our batteries and I forgot to share more of those lovely pictures. So, here you go! Helmī and Linna were sleeping in the car while Janis was working beside the … More Forest walk
This is funny! I don’t know if you know how to pick mushrooms but I do! And I love those rainy days that brings mushrooms here in Latvian forests. Latvia have forests and forest this year have mushrooms. How do I know? Simply! Mushrooms like boletus type are at the same place every 3 years. … More How to pick mushrooms
It’s hot here in Permaculture Festival! It’s +31 degree Celsius! I don’t want to build walipini or rocket stove. I spent time with my girls at kids tent…. and attended lecture about compost. We painted with all natural colors like curry, blackberries, peppermint, beetroot juice and much more… Ilze
Filipendula Ulmaria or Meadowsweet is an aromatic plant high in essential oils. This gives it a strong and pleasant scent. I’m collecting this plant only for few years to use it in an everyday herbal tea blend. Uses of Meadowsweet For Colds and Fevers Meadowsweet tea, when taken hot, is a relaxing diaphoretic. It promotes circulation and … More Sweet sweet meadow / Meadowsweet
We were on the bike ride and found a field full of Yarrow. The good old Yarrow! It’s been used in our family as a cold treat for ages. I remember how my grandmother collected it in the nearest fields and picked every single flower cause there wasn’t plenty!Since we moved from city to countryside … More Yarrow tea
Winter is still standing behind springs shoulder. It was snowing yesterday! Easter snow?! Never happened before (or maybe I can’t recall…) Yesterday the ground was wet and warm and snow didn’t stay for long. But today I woke up to the white ground…. and it is freezing cold outside! -7C! The lowest temperature on April 18 … More Snow, freeze, and Christmas… I meant Easter!
I should walk to that pussy willow tree again tomorrow… or whenever the sun will come out! This is the first tree, that is blooming here in Latvia…. and one of the first plants that are blooming: snowdrops and pussy willows… what else? I can’t recall. Coltsfoot?! But I guess that’s later. So…the pussy … More Pussy willow tree in bloom
Bird watching is something interesting. And you can do it no matter if you have a whole day or just an hour. This time I took my camera and run out for few minutes to capture the Mother Natures beauty. Spring. I like to run out for few minutes to be alone. These 10 – 20 … More Common chaffinch / Fringilla coelebs
This weekend wasn’t as planned! Definitely wasn’t! So… as you might know, we wanted to start our first small travel trailer trip to visit my mom. We didn’t! Why? Girls were ill but getting better (on Friday morning). So we thought that we will go… We tried our caravans Truma gas heating system for the first … More Our Natural Remedies
Oh! That was a surprise! Something in the apple tree.. jumping… from one to another… squirrel! But wait! It is not a squirrel! What is it!? It is a European pine marten I guess! Can’t see! I stood quietly at the window and looked at the “pine marten”. That was all I can do, had … More European pine marten
I thought of sharing some birds we have here in Latvia in the winter time. We have feeders near a window but in distance, so we don’t disturb them. Mostly tits are coming to our feeder, sometimes woodpeckers. I love to watch them eat and sit in the nearest trees and sometimes we are lucky to see … More Feeder Birds: European crested tit
It’s been a while since I saw a doe in my garden for the last time. Finally, they are here once again! I love these animals. They are so beautiful, majestic, and free animals! The way they are eating, the way they are jumping, the way they are walking. I love it! Our living room … More Visitors
a day in the life of a latvian mom 