From autumn to spring

Just outside our kitchen entrance, for several years, it has just been autumn. 

Our railing just kept dropping leaf after leaf, especially during the worst storms. 

Overview over the railing

Rusty details

We have lost a couple of leaves, or around 30. We had though a small jar that had fallen as well.

It was time to take action!

So, of course, we are not blacksmiths as well, hence we hired one for the job (http://ferrumkonstsmide.se/).

First he came and remove the railing to bring it to his forge. 

Naked stairs

Then, he made something very temporary to avoid to have kids enjoying jumping or falling dangerously on the stairs to the basement.

The temporary basic substitute for a railing

Finally, at this forge, he did remove all the paint, started to attach the leaves we had and produced new ones and filled up all the holes where the rust had been eating the metal.

At the forge: the work has just started

He also removed the wooden details, sanded them and oil them. Sadly, there is some little work to be done with the wooden details. One piece is missing (!?), one is not screwed, one is not mounted properly and there is some hole that I think needs some minor fixing. I will check with my master carpenter what can be done here.

The missing piece of wood

It was then time to paint it and after a protective double layer of Isotrol, he applied some linseed oil.

Ready to be mounted 

Where wild roses grow...

And now, the roses are actually blooming properly :) So, no more falling leaves but red roses in bloom!

Just mounted restored railing. Pictures of Martin Hansson 

Eternal spring at Bellevue. Picture of Martin Hansson

Too many trees

One of the biggest issues we have is the garden maintenance. For how lovely it is, already when we moved in, there were billions of plants and trees scattered everywhere needing our attention.
During the past four years we have tried to take care of sum at least, and I think slowly one can see an improvement. Considering, still, that this is absolutely not the appearance we would like to have our garden, since going back to some more of "turn of the century" garden is our objective (for when we will finally retired, I guess).

This year I decided to put some effort in cutting down trees. Few of them (about 5) with the aim of having just a little stub leftover. For about 5-6 more, it was mostly about cutting them in height.
Now, if the first operation turned out quite ok, the second at the moment is possibly aesthetically speaking, awful.

I am THE lumberjack

As most of our beloved house projects, we had a good start. Everything was done in two days. Then, some adjustments to the logs took few days more. Then all the leftovers where put on the trailer for few weeks (!?!) until our neighbor, that wanted to borrow it, was kind enough to empty it (chances are that everything could still be there...).

Finally. The trunks need to be chomped in smaller pieces, that we will have somewhere (define somewhere) to dry (for few decades, I guess...) for then becoming firewood.

Post production, or better, cutting down trees.

Two months have passed and noone has come and fix it yet!!! How is it possible :)

At the same time, while the logs are beautifully resting for better days, we have hired an arborist to cut down one of the highest trees which sadly was not in a good state.
Let's say that the green areas are getting tidier ;)

That's the tree that won't be there anymore

Up on the top!

The tree was not very stable, so I guess one need even more to be careful here

The end result!

Shelves and hangers

Well, we have done few things in the spring and in the summer, but they are almost all half completed.
Among few projects, although very tiny, that finally saw completion we have two items: a coath-hanger and a shelf for the kitchen.

In our kitchen entrance, which is the entrance we use the most, we have had an hanger some time ago. Sadly, it fell miserably since it was not mounted properly on the wall and it was too heavy. The place is quite narrow, so fitting things is a bit hard, but we thought then to use the wall over the stairs to the basement which seems more sturdy than the first one.

The coat-hanger

With some luck, since the space is quite limited, I managed to buy something from the 40s that we thought it could be practical in that tiny area.

It is just on the stairs to the basement

While cleaning the attic (operation that has not yet been completed), we found an old plate rack. I wonder where does it come from.

The plate rack 

Anyway, it looked beautiful and after some adjustment, we manage to put it up for holding a dynamic collection of recipes books.

A nice detail