We're back!

Well, what can I say.
It's been a long time since I last posted anything on here (about three years I think) so I thought it was about time I did!
We've been married twenty five years this year so we decided to go all out & have three months at Munch's Hideaway fishing, eating & (for Mrs Labrador) jam making.
We also started with lots of good intentions to get fit, the NHS Couch to 5K running program beckoned until I fell by the wayside with shin splints after the third outing & Mrs Labrador ended up like this after her fourth!

 

Lots of campfire cooking resulted in some amazing meals, here,

 

 

here

 

 

 

& in the garden too!

 

The most spectacular location for "grill-a-korv" was by an abandoned ski slope with a view to die for!

 

 

At night the view was equally breathtaking.

 

 

Had a few trips out fishing, this is the view from my float-tube on Valasjon...

 

 

& here's the best fish of the trip caught by none other than Elizabeth Mallett!

 

I also found this abandoned cabin close to one of the lakes I visited.....

 

 

It was Mrs Labrador's birthday whilst we were there & she had her heart set on a picnic table. So, I borrowed a chop saw, bought a load of timber & made this for her!

 

 

Lots of visitors this trip.

Victoria & Elizabeth Mallett joined us for a week then we had my sister & brother-in-law, Debbie & Mike visit (huge thanks to Mike who sorted a problem with the electrics).

 

Debbie really took to berry picking in the forest........

 

 

as did Mrs Labrador now her knee was better!

 

Rasberry picking in the garden, all of this resulted in a mountain of home made jam!

 

 

There is a story behind this picture, Mrs Labrador likes being photographed by giant "things". In Minnesota it was a giant Paul Bunyan, here in Sweden it's the world's biggest knife!

 

 

The one good thing that came out of Mrs Labrador's injury & subsequent recuperation was that I had no excuse not to paint the outside of Munch's Hideaway in shiny Stugrod paint.

 

 

And finally for all of Murphy's fans out there in internet land......

 

 

 

 

 

February 2013 Murphy's First Real Snow

Well for the second time I - that is Mrs Labrador - have been allowed to post on this blog ! I think it may have something to do with my love of the snow and all things snowy......... oh and as you will see from most of the pictures my love of a certain "furry friend"

 

Well first things first someone told us there was quite a bit of snow at Munch's Hideaway

 

 

One or two icicles

 



and a strange "fringe" on our roof.....

 

Perhaps Martin should get on our roof and clear some snow........

 



 

Mmmmmmmm the observant readers of this blog will note that of the 3 people in the picture only 2 of them are on the roof and they are NOT Martin... Big thanks to Tommy who after seeing Martin "walking" in the snow obviously decided that it was not a good idea to send "The Englishman" up the ladder onto the roof !

 

NOW FOR THE FUN...........

 

 

Me and Murphy in the snow !

 

Me playing with Murphy in the snow

 

 

Murphy in the snow again

 

Murphy searching in the snow

 

Murphy deeper in the snow

 

Murphy covered in snow

 

Murphy trying to swim in the snow

 

Guess who in the snow - OK I will stop with the Murphy in the snow pictures now I am becoming a "baby bore" 

 

Murphy alseep after a day in the snow 

 

A Swedish person told me I could catch some fish for my supper.............

I think this is a trick they play on all "foreigners".............

 

Even Ninja and Murphy knew there was no point waiting for me to feed them !

 

Thankfully we had a back up plan - Grille Korv with Tommy, Ewa, Daniel, Monica and Linus

Thanks for another great day guys !

See you in June (well not right where we are in the picture as we may get a bit wet)



Raising lots of lovely wonga for Cancer Research UK & the Nottingham City Hospital Special Care Baby Unit!

The Beeston Big Band played two gigs last autumn to help raise money for some very worthy causes.

 

On the 28th September 2012 we "Struck Up The Band" at the United Reformed Church in Sherwood, Nottingham & helped them raise some much needed cash for the Nottingham City Hospital Special Care Baby Unit.

Here's a picture from our rehearsal & sound check the night before in the church,

 

On the 2nd November 2012 I became promoter as well as band leader! For quite some time I had wanted to raise some money for Cancer Research UK - a charity that does so much.

 

Well as they say pictures speak a thousand words,

 



 

 

 

& with the help of this fantastic bunch of musicians & singers, everyone at the Sherwood United Reformed Church, everyone who bought tickets & my lovely wife who sold tickets on the door & helped with the teas we raised a whopping £530.14!

September 2012, Murphy's first fish!

I know, it's very remiss of me to leave blogging for so long but it's been a strange year full of change & I have been rather busy therefore I'm afraid this entry will be somewhat more pictures than narrative! We took Murphy back out to Sweden last September so he could enjoy some of the fruits of a Scandinavian Autumn - he rather took to the blueberries & especially fresh perch.

We had a trip north to Sveg where we saw a giant bear,

& Murphy decided that he was a very well mannered young gentleman & sat nicely at the table with his Mummy for his lunch at Hamra National Park!

There were plenty of Roe Deer about again wherever we went but this was the only photo we got this trip,

Daniel helped us with the last of the timber that fell in the winter storms, this time with Doris who, at the time was new to shafts but is now shaping up to be a fantastic horse,

Murphy had lots of fun with Ninja in the woods too,

We had a trip to Simmesjon both to fish & to Grillekorv with Daniel, Ewa, Tommy & Ylva. Daniel & I fished & I even got Daniel to try a float tube! We both caught - mainly perch although I did get one small trout which we grilled for Ewa.

 

Daniel's first float tubing expedition,

Murphy & Ninja enjoying a snack,

Murphy's first taste of Sushi,

& finally some atmospheric shots of Simmesjon in the evening!

 

 

 

 

June 2012 - kitchens, logs & Murphy!

Well folks I feel that I must apologise to my readers for not posting - I could say I've been busy but that would imply I've been working hard!!!!

June saw us in Sweden again with Murphy this time & lots of work to do following a winter storm. We were joined by my Mum & Dad for a fortnight & they helped us with our chores & of course Dad sign-wrote Daniel's vans!

 

 

Not long after we arrived we visited Nordvik agricultural college where Daniel learnt his craft as a farrier

 

 

and we also helped him driving a prom!

 

 

Our first job was to install Sarah's new kitchen - with lots of help from Tommy & Ewa who performed the opening ceremony

 

 

we also jacked up a corner of the cabin to try & level it a bit!

 

 

The big job of the summer was to clear a number of trees that had been felled by the wind in a storm the previous winter. Sarah bought me a chainsaw

 

  

& with Dad's help stacking & tending the fire for the brashings
 

we were able to get everything ready for the "horsepower"!

 

And here's Sarah moving logs with Lilleman!!!!

 

 

Ewa, Tommy & Daniel invited us to join them for Grillekorv at a local lake

 

 

& they took us all out for an evening to try & spot bears - as you can see we did see one!

 

 

 Ewa & Daniel also took us to Faboden, a summer farm that opens it's gates to the public

Mum, Dad, Sarah & me had a day at the coast. We stopped for a picnic at a shelter in the forest on the way but didn't stay long - the insects were eating us alive!

Daniel decorated the carriage for Midsummer & took us for a trip around the village although first Sarah had to wash Fia in our garden!

 

One of the things I did with the some of the timber that blew down in the storm was to make some log seats to go around our camp-fire. We got some foam mats (there are some places you DON'T want splinters) & invited Ewa, Tommy & Daniel to a "cowboy cook-out" to christen them!

Sarah started to get Murphy used to "Nice Beaver", I had to push & steady the canoe. I think next year he'll be OK & we'll be off for some overnight trips in the canoe!

I did get one afternoon's fishing at Simmesjon on my own - no fish but a gratuitous pic of my tricked out Sparton float tube!