It's early morning and it's raining and cold but we're ok with Lucy who's keeping us dry and warm.

After a two-night stay at a friendly and inexpensive campsite, it was time to continue north.

We are well-rested and in sunny weather, we got on the road around 8 am.

This time we were heading to a different waterfall where Mom never had been but halfway there she almost regretted it since it was about 40 miles of gravel road, and this picture shows the best part.

Lucy hated it, Mom thinks she got a lot of dust in her lungs because she really slowed down and lost power.

We need to clean some kind of filter Mom thinks. .............but around here help is very sparse........

Hällingsåfallet is a waterfall and a nature reserve in Jämtland County in Sweden. It is part of the European Union-wide Natura 2000 network

This fall is quite impressive, not like the size of Niagara falls but much less scary.

There were many restrictions on where to go here too, but they were working on building safe paths

Again I had to be on a lead because of wildlife? but I haven't seen any wild animals to disturb yet?

I kept finding great paths to go, but Mom didn't always agree to follow me since she's so scared of heights

The fall is 140 feet and the ravine very steep so you better be careful where you step

The next night we stayed above the treeline and I couldn't believe my eyes there were white balls that disappeared when Mom threw them ???

Wilderness Road is a tourist road stretching from northern Jamtland to southern Lapland.

 Part of the road is closed during winter at times because of heavy snow, which can reach up to 7 meters (23 ft).

we are now above the treeline.

Mom says I have to stop for now because we need to save battery which is sparse now since we have no sun to charge the panel on the roof...................  she promised to help me to tell the rest of my story tomorrow.

All is well, but it's freezing cold

icy kisses Henry

Yesterday morning we left my favorite place and my favorite friends and it was sad, but Mom is ready to continue our adventure and where she goes I go.

We didn't drive very far before Mom stopped for fika at some people's house she knew from before. We sure did get fika, (fika is a thing everyone in Sweden do, and they do it a lot, it's coffee and cake or Mom's favorite cinnamon buns)but we stayed so long we got dinner too, and it was great. I did get a plate on my own for being so good.

And then Alice showed up with her Mom and a guy with pretty good ears

After our bellies were full of very tasty meat rolls, we kept on driving in the forest going North. I felt we were driving forever but Mom said it wasn't that long, it just felt that way because it's only forests to look at.

But then all of a sudden? Santa's reindeer had escaped?

Mom said they live here and so does Santa but they have a vacation in the summer month..............hmmm not sure it's the truth.

This area where we are is known for a lot of bears hibernating and there's a children's song about Olle picking blueberries in the forest and met a bear and he gave the bear his berriesi....hence this statue are in many places

Mom's finally getting sleepy, so we looked for a nice place to park for the night.

The parking lot to this place looked promising at first, but we soon discovered it seems to be a spot the youth comes at night to make figure eights with their cars in the gravel

We didn't want to disturb their driving so we kept on to a town called Mörkret (Darkness) and found a great spot for the night. This is how the sky looked at 10.30 when we turned in.

TUESDAY 6/7

It's now lunchtime on Tuesday, Mom fell asleep before she finished my story and today she has been cleaning Lucy and doing laundry, so I have been hanging out on my own all morning. It's ok we are at a very nice campsite in a small town called Lit and there are a lot of dogs here and very relaxed on rules about being tied up.

The sun is going down at 11.35pm and up at 2.18 am which is pretty cool if you ask me.

Yesterday morning we got up very early because Mom had planned a 5mile hike to a waterfall.

Mom had been to this place about 45 years ago and told me it's a rugged path through the woods......Hmmm her memory has been pretty bad lately. There were several little resting stops and wooden boardwalks built, she still insists they weren't there last time.

Mom said you have to admire the carpenter who took his/her time to create this pattern on a wider spot on the boardwalk made for lookout. 

The waterfall Njupeskar has been declared to be the tallest permanent waterfall in Sweden with a reported cumulative height of 93m of which 70m is free fall.

The reason we went so early is that Mom remembered how the morning sun hit the falls just right.

It's only in a very small period of time out of the year, that the falls could catch the morning light. The rest of the time, it would pretty much be in shadow. 

It was a great hike and here I was forced to be on a lead which meant I have to stop often to wait for Mom.

I wanted to know why I couldn't run free as I've been doing in other forests? Because there are a lot of wild animals here and it's a national park............

here's an old forge set up on our path, I guess there will be demonstrations during high tourist season

Unfortunately, the path to the falls was closed due to a kestrel nest on top of the falls and they are protected so we couldn't go to the foot of the fall. It's of course the right thing, but we couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

We didn't stay long and on our walk back we met several birdwatchers with their binoculars and long-lens cameras

Why is that thing on the tree staring at me ?................

here's a walking stick?

on the way here we stopped several times and Mom filled the fridge with food.

At one place we stopped, I saw this giant construction? what is it? 

supposed to look like a bear that can't hold his head up on his own.

 the same town had a very cute house and an American car living here

Swedes are really good at building shelters at their rest stops. No wonder since it's raining so much...........this place even had PC charging and wifi.

This moped cracked Mom up because it made her remember when she was a puppy and many boys got their first job using these as delivery vehicles. How come no girls drove them I asked?............. "Good question," she said

It's now lunchtime and Lucy is scrubbed clean inside so the rest of the day will be relaxation time, do nothing just look at the gorgeous sun, and listen to hundreds of chirping birds.

I'm good with that.

wet kisses to ya all

First thing in the morning we went to the vet and I got my passport so all of our papers are now in order and we're ready to cross borders in Europe.

Mom's friend taste very good and I totally attacked her as she was resting on the couch.

I really like to sit in her lap and sleep because she pays 100% attention to me and also has some good stuff in her fridge

After the vet. Mom and Ove went to the Ostrich farm and picked up some steaks for the BBQ primarily because of curiosity because Mom never had it. It turned out delicious and yes I did get several tastes

Their eggs are gigantic and they had made some very pretty lamps of them. Mom was surprised they were so heavy and thick. 

In Sweden, almost every supermarket has candy in loose weight but this is a separate candy only store with meters and meters of candy, Mom is happy we don't have these everywhere in the USA

So what if they did I say, no one forces you to go inside and buy ...............

True she says, but that takes willpower ..............

these are some chewy gators. Mom bought a large bag of mixed candies but she discovered they aren't really very good candy.

After shopping, we drove back to the country cottage, which is my favorite place in Sweden so far. Here I'm free as a bird and I get lots of attention.

It's not modern with running water but has a well, and an outhouse. The outhouse has three holes? I asked why, but nobody seems to know, maybe the families all went together in the old days?

It's a very nice outhouse with great views and music from birds chirping. 

As an old custom, there should be a picture of our king and his family on the wall

This picture seems to belong here but Mom doesn't think it's very pleasant to look at. Luckily we haven't seen any live ones although Mom says she's pretty sure they're around somewhere 

There's also a paper with the names of the different consistencies of the stomach fluid leaving the body........I don't want to experience any of those and neither does Mom so we're careful about what we eat and drink

Hämnd means revenge

The ostrich supper was great and didn't cause any of the above ailments

For dessert, we had rhubarb cobbler with ice cream and whipped cream ..........and being the well-behaved pup as I am I did the dishes.

The following day I stayed home with Elvy While Mom and Ove went fishing That was a good thing because it started to thunder and I still find that very scary.

Mom is in training to become a fisher girl, but so far she isn't doing very good because this is not supposed to happen. and it happened twice.

Ove caught a small brown trout 

This is a typical shelter in the woods where many people bring their food and BBQ and listen to the peaceful sounds of the forest. This one is particularly well done and it's an unwritten law to clean up after yourself, and if you used wood for the fire you chop up some new logs and leave it for the next visitor.

 Their outhouse was made handicap accessible as was some of the boardwalks, quite impressive thought Mom

Breakfast in Lucy is great and I make sure I get a taste of the liverwurst which is yummy.

It's now 8 AM and it's sunny................I heard I'm getting a haircut today? and tomorrow we are supposed to keep going North. I believe that when I see it because my Mom has not followed any preplanned path as of yet.

All is well 

wet kisses to ya all

Henry.   

This morning we're back in the town where I after the long flight finally got to get out of my bag and see my friends. We now have my papers Mom forgot in the suitcase, and later today I'm going to a veterinarian to get my passport.

My buddy Ove took my picture and if I may say so I'm very handsome.

Yesterday we parked under a gorgeous chestnut tree at a camper park. These are not the kind of chestnuts we eat, they aren't even related to real chestnuts, but are called so because of the similar seeds and fruits.

It has become more challenging to park boondocking in Sweden now. Despite the "all man right" law that Mom always praised so highly there are signs like this everywhere now.

Mom says it must be because too many people have taken advantage of that right so now you see signs and rocks like this to stop you from parking for the night. 

Oh well, parking at campsites gives you all kinds of service and it usually doesn't cost more than between $20-40 a night.

We stayed here because we wanted to see a friend of Moms that have classes to teach dogs to find mushrooms in the forest.

This clown is following us everywhere we go in Sweden, he sells icecream

Mom's friend Helena came with her Wilma, a very well-behaved lady and a not as well behaved Basse.

we went for a nice walk together and Helena had treats in a tube? it's a soft cheese and it's yummy. I'm hoping Mom learned something and buy it for me.

In the evening we went for a walk around this very small town which looked deserted. The population is 1900 so maybe that's not so strange. we took a walk through the town to see the many beautiful buildings from the late 1800s.  The town hall on the square in Malmköping is a beautiful landmark building from that period.

I had to run and check this out, it looked like one of Mom's paintings, it wasn't

In the morning we continued North and stopped to see a lady Mom knew from a long time ago. Mom knew Margaretha loves this fermented fish in a can, so Mom stopped and bought a can and all of the stuff that goes with it,

Let me tell you how that fish stinks.................nope I can't it's absolutely gross  so gross I decided to stay in Lucy

Well, that wasn't entirely true, I had to stay in Lucy because Margaretha has a cat that does not like dogs............What's wrong with Swedish cats????

After that lunch, I and Mom kept driving North and it was pouring rain all day long, but we made it to the city and our friend's place.

In Sweden when there's roadwork they put up a temporary light instead of guys standing around with a stopsign.

high tech huh?

They had fish for supper here too, but this one didn't smell bad and I did get a small taste, not bad but not a favorite. I was happy to see beer on the table but not as good as at Kevin's house........this beer was too strong tasting for me.

Mom says I shouldn't have any because I'm seeing the vet for my passport.

HA ha, what is he going to say about it? 

It's still raining and it's really becoming tiresome. Looking at the weather rapport it looks like it's going to get better closer to the weekend. We sure hope they're right about it because June 6 is Sweden's national day and a day to celebrate outdoors. 

Mom says if this keeps up we'll head down south as soon as I have my passport in my little paw.

Wet kisses to ya all

Henry