Kisses from Tapio

“To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Philajakosken sää tänään : High of 10. Low of 5.

Greetings readers!

...I would first like to say here, so sorry for not updating the blog in the past few weeks. I have unforunately and, utterly lost my camera charger and have been 'wah-wahing' about this for a while. I really wish to provide enjoyable quality photos here, but then I had a realization. Modern technology, amazing isn't it? I have decided to get over that triumph, and continue with using the camera on Teemu's phone...kiitos paljon rakkaus...

Because there is just too much to share about our happenings lately, and you deserve to know! Haha, anyways...

As you can see on our forecast, today has been ridiculously cold. I think, that was Finnish summer everyone. Its over now. Oh my goodness, did it change fast...

A few weeks ago, we experienced 28+ degrees for days at end. It was only blue skies, no wind, and sunshine.

It actually became too hot to sleep at night! Imagine that, just a month ago there was still snow!

Things happen so fast here. The nature bloomed in a matter of moments. One sunny afternoon as I was setting our fish trap, I glanced over the lake and discovered the trees that had been 'leafless' the day before, had bloomed within hours.

All I can see now, is green, until the horizon. It is all around me.

The wild flowers have just started to show their color, the songs of birds fill the silence here, and they never really stop, because it never gets dark here anymore.

It is hard to sleep, not going to lie. But luckily we have finished the Aitta enough to stay there now, and it is literally blackness when we wake up. It is the only way to get a good nights sleep!

But this past week has turned into fall. It has been down to 5 degrees at night, making it hard to be comfortable in our outdoor kitchen. The wind has been so strong it has forced trees down around us, and today it rained icy drops onto our heads.

I now understand why some Finns just travel, their entire lives...

There are very hopeful people here in Finland. If it doesn't snow at all in summer, then it has been a good summer, as they say! The locals take what they can get, and, thank goodness for saunas...

There has been a lot of change at Räntmaki as well. Each day we go there, new flowers and shrubs have grown bigger and more vibrant. The northern air makes everything look HD as well, sometimes it is just too bright and vivid to stare out at the landscape for long!

Summer is in full swing now, regardless of the weather, and we are making the best of it. :)

haha yeah..a few weeks ago...

Teemu has been working tirelessly at the farm with the abundance of plants and projects around. We managed to figure the puzzle out of connecting a few hoses to the spring water, and then Teemu installed a kitchen sink into our kitchen! And it works!

That means, lots of boiled eggs and hot tea in the morning. Teemu has been doing so many things there, where I have been focusing more on art projects lately. I will write more about them later, but this post is dedicated to our new beloved friends...

Meet the latest edition of our farm family! Our little lambs...

And yeah, I know, I feel like a bad mother enough already because I have be-friended one in particular...and I don't really have many photos of them either. (Having no charged camera dilemma does that to one...)

But I will keep posting as we have more fun with the lambs.

Teemu drove 200 km north the other week to pick up these little males. He arrived back from Lappua, exhausted, but happy to have them home. Teemu has had sheep previously, but they were full-grown pushy adults, and he was only looking after them. These are his very first sheep of his own..

The moment I met them, the smallest of the four ran right up to me and greeted me like a family member. It was really special. I have never been around many lambs, or sheep at all in my life, (would love to have some on Haida Gwaii someday...)

This is my first encounter with lambs, other then walking past a few on a hike through the highlands of Scotland. But this little fellow is the only one out the herd that follows us around, and lets us pet him. What a joy to have him at Räntamaki!

We decided to name him Tapio. (It is the name of forest in Finnish mythology.)

An explosion of cuteness on Räntamaki farm...

We joke that these little lambs understand Swedish as well, because the west coast of Finland mainly speaks both the languages.

The lambs have settled in well with Maca and the chickens. They keep to themselves, well, except when Tapio bumps into a hen, or chases them around...

Tapio is such a fun animal. His favorite treat are dandelions, and he loves to stare at the chickens when they eat their grains in the barn. He enjoys following us everywhere, around the kitchen and through the farm, and greeting neighbours that pass by the road.

He is just not like any other sheep we have met! (I know, I am sure many people say that about their sheep.) The other 3, they are like sheep. They are timid, graze all day, don't ask for kisses, and are kind of scared of us, but Tapio is complete opposite.

Teemu thinks he is maybe, well a little, 'off.' Because Tapio doesn't follow his brothers, doesn't really care about food, and does some things that we just haven't seen sheep do before!

Sheep bring such a warm and welcoming feeling onto any homestead. It makes us laugh so much more throughout the day, and it just brings more joy having them around. Of course, there have times where it has been complete chaos, when the biggest lamb discovered chickens get different food then they do, or when they have learned how to head-butt. Which really actually hurts...but they are so worth it.

Now apart from all the cuteness and joy and laughter they do bring us, they are also very helpful in permaculture!

Like chickens, sheep have considerbly low needs, and the pros are plenty...

Sheep, give wool. Yep. That is where wool comes from! ;) One day, when I am skilled wool-gatherer and spinner, I will be able to make many handy clothes and objects with this recyclable and sustainable material. Wool is an amazing natural fiber that has been used for hundreds of years, for a reason. It is warm, naturally flame-resistanet, and acutally helps absorb toxins from our homes! It can be used in furniture, bedding, blankets, clothes, and as a felting ingrediant, the oppurtunties are endless.

This coming autumn, we may request some further assistence to sheer them, but we already have a spinning machine, found in the Aitta.

Sheep, also provide meat for the hard grueling winters in Finland. Sigh...

I don't really want to get into this, even though as a young farmer and also a huntress, I know the value and importance of good, healthy meat. (I am just trying to convince Teemu to find a home for Tapio over winter...because, he is like my pet dog now...)

I have been hunting since I could walk with my Dad, and understand the value of having quality meat in the freezer over winter. If on your area on earth, it is not possible to hunt, then having sheep, is a very affortable, and sustainable way to have meat through the year... (Just don't get attached to them...)

Female sheep, have very nutritious milk. We don't have females this year, but if we had, we could make our own vitamin C and B encriched cheeses, butter, and yoghurt. Yum!

Sheep also fertilize the lawn. They also mow it very silently, and create a natural mulch. They really enjoy their free abundance of food as well. Who wouldn't... ;)

So if you have land, and want either a sheep friend to share the space with and make wool, or breed healthy livestock for meat, then maybe consider getting sheep! They are funny, sweet, gentle (the females are more) therapeutic, and a joy to have around...

...As Khalil Gibran once said, "Yes, there is a Nirvanah; it is leading your sheep to a green pasture, and in putting your child to sleep, and in writing the last line of your poem..."

Apart from our lovely little lambs, we have been enjoying our chickens, the wild herbs, the soon-to-be strawberries, the moikki fish in the lake, swimming and saunas, art and music, and our company. All is well in Finland in summer :)

Thank you for listening, here is a sneak peak of our kitchen right now! Livable to our standards... ;)

Woohoo! Lots of learning, lots of fun! Teemu is doing an amazing job :)

Thank you again,

Kiitos, and have a wonderful summer wherever you may be :)

“Without your sheep, you would have no livelihood, you would die. This dependency creates a sort of equality, doesn't it? Not individually, but collectively. As a group, you and your sheep are at opposite sides of a seesaw, and somewhere in between there is a fulcrum. You must maintain the balance. In that sense, we are no better than they.” ― Yann Martel, The High Mountains of Portugal