We were visiting P's mum in Pargas yesterday so stopped here on the way back to do some gardening and tidy up before the snow comes.  It is cold out but gloves and a warm sweater are enough to deal with it.  I cleared all the textiles out of the log cabin, as the mice will be coming in soon and it does get a bit damp in there if we don't have the heating on. We went up to the farmhouse and lit the fires to warm the place up, meanwhile I folded up all the rugs and runners and we will wrap them in plastic and cover the furniture.  We have mouse traps in all the rooms and have managed to catch a few mice already which the birds are happy to deal with. I have no problem with them staying in the loft but mouse pee destroys the furniture and stains the walls and window sills, they are everywhere! 

In the garden I dug up all the leeks and Peter helped me to dig up the artichokes.  I also picked some sprouts and we put a pile of manure and straw on the rhubarb and the asparagus.  The problem with mulching this time of year is that the mice and voles just love nesting underneath and it's also a safe place to scuttle around out of sight of hungry birds.

  

Didn't have time to look for mushrooms and the locals were elk hunting on the back field anyway.  But we had a sauna in the evening and saw three deer (a female and two young ones) nibbling sprouts in the vegetable garden: I had left the fence open! 

P's brother, sister and three dogs are coming to stay for a few weeks.  

Peter brought me back some leeks and the rest of the beetroot.  Now all that is remaining in the vegetable garden are the brussels sprouts and the jerusalem artichokes and a few more leeks. 

The wind has come from the north-west (unusual) and moved the telegraph poles - and in fact the whole side of the tunnel - inwards by almost 30 cms.  Oops. Luckily none of the structure was damaged but it's definitely time to remove the plastic.