Midsummer

Things have slowed down at work. There are still quite a few returns to deal with but our temporary workers have done a good job of shelving. We now have five extra people here in the stacks part-time. They also man the information desk but it's only open five hours a day. There are always projects to do, for instance replace old boxes with new ones, review collections and move books.

Recently I received a newly produced book where my name was mentioned in the preface. I had helped with references, so it was not a big job.

Last week we had a nice AW under a tree in the botanical gardens. Last Monday our new department head started. We had an online meeting with her (we have to do this even though most people are in the same building). I really haven't seen her much, she has been busy with a lot of meetings. She has a lot to learn about the house and us.

The Midsummer weekend was spent at the summerhouse. It was a quiet celebration. We had the traditional herring for lunch and (very expensive) strawberries for dessert. In the garden there is a nesting box in a tree. It was occupied by a starfinch family. Just this weekend the parents decided to kick their kids out. It was intriguing to see the four small chickens fly for the first time. We watched from the deck only a few meters away. This weekend I went for a dip in the ocean for the first time this season. I'm not saying the water was warm but it was tolerable.

The weather forecast said lots of rain, thunder and lightning but we only saw a little rain. The weather is now sunny and warm. It's the time of year I suffer the most. I really can't stand hot weather.