Before the town, we stopped off at a small lake. There we went to a handmade wooden boat make by Stig’s grandfather. The boat spent its winter on the shore, but during the past month it was immersed in water so that the dried out wood would swell up and float. We watched while Stig bailed water out of the boat. We were deep in the woods, much of the ground was covered with lichen. This what reindeer eat when they come south from the Arctic for the winter.
We then went to Stig's Grandmother's home. She had passed away a few years back but the family still had access to the home. The gardens around the house still had a variety of lovely flowers.
We ate lunch in grandma’s old fashioned kitchen. We also got to take a look upstairs to see this true old grandma house.
When we got back to the farm, Dick helped shovel sand and gravel to help with the new porch. He grew up helping out in a farm and does not believe in just watching people work. Stig also went out and cut some hay that he will store for the sheep for the winter.
After a fine vegetarian dinner, (no smelly fish this time) we drove around trying to get a glimpse of a moose. No luck tonight, no moose. But we got to see more of the land around their farm. This included a hunting cabin built by Stig's grandfather. We learned about how many of the forests in Sweden have been farmed and devastated by the paper industry. The complex forests have now turned in monocultures of just one type of tree. There was a feeling of sadness about these trees.
We all sat up late talking about the changing climate and actions that can be made. It was very stimulating, but finally we realized we had to get up very early to catch our train to Stockholm. A great day.
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