Sunday, July 13

Sunshine woke me up at about 2:00 and I found it difficult to get to sleep again. Eventually I did, but that meant that I didn’t wake until almost 10:00.

I got up, changed the bedding, had breakfast, and went to write. I ended up doing more organising than writing, but since I need Part Three to tie up all the loose plot threads, this may have been no bad thing. Naa phoned to say that she was feeling better and we talked for some time about her, Sampo, Irma, Auo, life and how we are managing.

I had promised that I would help with the hay again, and at 14:00 I saw I tractor full of hay arriving. I put on my hayworking clothes and went to join them. This time there were more people. I worked mainly with Björn and Nette on their quadbike and trailer. At 16:20 we finished.

Now I am on my way to the sauna house to wash all the straw off me. I am looking at a plant on an outdoor table in front of a wooden swing chair. In fifteen minutes all the hay and sweat will have gone and I will be clean. I will wander over to Camilla’s house for the promised lamb soup, but nobody will be there.

There have been a few spots of rain, and there is a likelihood of thunder later this evening, which will ruin the ramining hay. Mika has therefore decided that we will carry on working. I will go back into the house and put on my hay clothes again.

At about 19:30 we will finally have finished for the day, and I will go and wash again. This time we will sit down to a fantastic home-made soup in which everything, including the lamb, comes from the farm. The table will be much fuller than yesterday. Kaide and Maurits will be there, with Ella, Marie Kellgren, two girls I don’t know (and whose names I never learn, unless one of them is called Tanya), and the usual gang, including Marina and Liisa.

Dinner will be a long drawn-out affair involving coffee and cakes, and eventually I will leave happy and full. If it does thunder it will be after I am asleep.