Every house has its story. What's yours?

The weather has improved, the snow melted away and the temperature risen enough that flowers have finally poked their way out of hibernation, branches are budding, and the grass is once again rather green. I thought I'd celebrate the arrival of spring with a little photographic stroll around the periphery of my home.

Here's the house as seen from the front walk. Some yellow flowers that my horticulturally stunted brain want to identify as tulips have made their appearance, and will soon be followed by matching lines of various varieties of roses. Flanking are a brace of apple trees, with another half dozen or so out of frame.

The house itself was originally built in 1930, but renovated and expanded at a feverish rate over the subsequent decades. Luckily, the several generations of green-thumbed and handyman-elbowed previous owners already got everything pretty much just the way we'd like it, with the one exception of a flavor of wallpaper in one of the rooms that we'd like to change. Our rigorous schedule demands that happen by year-end, 2010.

Here's a bit of the yard to the left, as seen from the same vantage point. Every apple tree is of a unique variety on a slightly staggered fruiting schedule, meaning that, in theory at least, harvest will be spread over several months.

The house as seen from the southeast. The white chimney leads from an outdoor fireplace on the porch, handy for chilly Swedish evenings. There's a little swimming pool tucked into that porch as well, handy for sweltering Swedish summers. (OK, so there aren't that many of those yet, but give global warming a little more time...)

Here's one of the many quaint old lamps scattered around the house and the grounds (this one still containing a traditional incandescent lamp, soon to be swapped for something a little more environmentally friendly).

The guest house, off the northwest wing of the house, also containing my office, with a little greenhouse on the left. We planted a variety of seeds a couple of days ago (carrots, basil, rucola and dill) and are anxiously awaiting the first little sprouts. We're also eager to sample the grapes growing on a couple of mature vines in there. Maybe we'll produce an extremely limited edition (say, half a liter) of our own wine.

The guest house needs a lick of paint, but who doesn't?

A closer look at the greenhouse and the sundial. Handy to have a sundial if, for example, the power were to go out for more than a couple of years.

A sort of alley between the main house (to the left and straight ahead) and the guest house (to the right).

It's a neat house, we think, and not just because we were suckered into buying it. The main house is shaped like a large U, with the kids at each extremity, so sibling rivalries as expressed in stereo volume can be kept to a minimum.

Another snippet of yard, with a little table at which one can sit and enjoy a little evening sun. In the background, a little fish pond and well.

The fish pond, containing 10 frightened invisible young goldfish (probably hiding in a little crevice or under one of the rocks) and a fake duck intended to frighten away birds of prey, such as condors or bald eagles.

A charming old well and pump in the front yard. It presumably works, although to be perfectly honest we haven't yet tried the pump.

Interior pictures to follow at some point, once we get a few more moving boxes cleared away.