September 3rd

Dear Heidi,

Even though it has been just a few days since I saw you, it was so good to hear your voice today! You sounded so much more settled than the last time we spoke. When you rang, I was hurtling across the field in the car to get to the valley before I got in the way of the tractor. I had to park and let D drive so I could deal with the phone! I had stolen him away from the grain dryer to accompany me on a quick mushroom hunt, but even though we were quick, Pappa rang to tell him to get back to work!
There weren't many chanterelles anyway, but we got enough to put in an omelette for breakfast. The hens are slowly starting to lay again, I took 5 eggs this evening!

Pappa and T are harvesting the barley in Fallerdalen today. Pappa has his red Massey Fergussen out and it is going well, for all that it is vintage! All the straw bales on our front field are being gathered as I write, and I suspect that the tractors will work late into the night as the weather is due to change again.

I spent a peaceful hour watering everything once I got home again. The pots on the balcony were very dry and so were all the roses. The sweet peas in the front yard are fully out now, and smell lovely when I water them. I have picked a vase full for my bedroom, and a bowlful of strawberries too! Now I have a pot of tea and a slice of banana cake on the balcony in the evening sun, as I write to you and watch the tractor loading the bails onto a trailer. I think that there will be 20 bales on it if it is full.

Now I need to make those men some supper, and put the dog out...she is trying to eat my gladiolus leaves!

Lots of love to you,
Mamma.