May brings new life to everything

There are only a few small patches of snow left in permanently shady areas. But even those will soon disappear, as we now regularly enjoy double-digit midday temperatures. Visually, the lake already invites you to swim, but that's deceptive... not long ago, the last remnants of ice were still floating in the water, so we're still avoiding the cold water – and the dog pools aren't set up yet either. We don't want to exaggerate... But with sunrise at 4 a.m. and sunset at 10 p.m., summer is definitely on its way. The first delicate green foliage can already be seen, the first yellow early bloomers are also here; it won't be long now before nature explodes once again!

Due to the lower amount of snow last winter, we only experienced a very slight rise in the water level this spring, far from previous high water levels. Our rowboat had its "feet" in the water for only two short days, then the water began to recede again. And the atmosphere on the lakeshores is now beautiful again. Whether it's morning or evening light, the beautiful Finnish summer is now revealing itself.

We've now put away all our winter gear and taken inventory. Next up are the SUPs, kayaks, and canoes. But... let's  get a little warmer first! The dogs are already in summer mode and are enjoying their resting places in the sun. Although a wave of dogs in heat is currently sweeping through the kennels, it's surprisingly quiet and peaceful. We're also enjoying the warmer days here, spending lots of time with the dogs, taking care of small repairs right away, and tackling bigger jobs together. Lena joined us this weekend as the last summer employee and today she had her first day in the kennel. So, in May, there are now five of us, and we're amazed almost every evening at how quickly the kitchen is tidied up again :-) Bianca and Antti can now also be found in the kennels from time to time, so you can meet them if you happen to visit us here.

We tackled one of the major projects mentioned before on Mother's Day. The lakeside of the New Kennels had sunk over the fall/winter, and the floor of the compartments had warped too much. Therefore, we installed a new substructure with supports and a new kennel floor. Julian was in charge of the planning and construction management. Anne, Nicolas, and I worked diligently. If we'd had two more pairs of hands, we could have finished it in one day. But as it was, it took two days. Julian and Nicolas finished building and hammering today, and now the dogs are all back in their familiar homes. To celebrate the first completed major project, we'll light a barbecue in the evening and enjoy the evening with a view of the lake. And maybe we'll talk about the next big project... There's still plenty of lumber left...

We wish you all a wonderful spring!