Saturday, May 19
Benitas, 15:00
This morning the weather was dry and warm with no wind. We got up, had breakfast and started doing things outdoors.
Auo and I spent a couple of hours cleaning the ditch that we fantasise is a river. We madr a noticeable diffence. Clearing dams made from old twigs, rotting leaves and older rubbish made the water flow. Outside the house where two huge rocks narrow the ditch the water started gurgling loudly.
We drove to the village shop for butter and, to our surprise, Garda herself was in charge – making a return guest appearance.
Now we are at Benita’s cafe where Marita and Benita are celebrating its thirtieth birthday. There is coffee and cake, and a photo album documenting its growth from a tiny kiosk. We are sitting with an artistic couple that we met here three weeks ago, after seeing them in the middle distance on and off for the whole of last summer.
Soon we will return to some more gardening, after which I will walk to the ferry and the shop at Tirmo while the girls get dressed up. The shop has undergone radical change during the winter.
Once back I will get dressed and we will all walk to Mikael and Camilla’s house where we will spend a long evening celebrating Ann-Sofie’s fifteenth birthday, with salads, cakes and pies.