Still alive?

If counter some oil-based stuff, these kind of concepts might come to handy:
http://speedheater.fi/en/

Tropic here (+81'F), consumption of cooling beer is high water mark, or something



http://youtu.be/WhchdOq63IM
Cheers!

Sure looks piktoresk

Please Joe, more technical details.
Upper part looks like there is brick's of some kinds underneath wooden facade?

With this I mean that here on local climate, brick is quite much only option for maintenance free building (well most least maintenance need building on 100y horizon), so it really goes vice verse.
If here wood hull is used, it is usually will be covered with brick facade, like this way:




Apropoo, some funny stuff.

Local ultralight-brick type invented here on 1930, is called Siporex.
Now if I click Eneglish-article on left, it leads me to page that says that it was invented on Sweden 1920

Funny on that matter that it is part of local culture, like Autrian always claim that Hitler was German and Mozart Austrian

Thank you Joe, so very interesting indeed

Concept of shingles is of course most familiar here, but here it is used more like to create scale armor to building.
On 99% of cases it has been used as roof , so there is really nothing underneath of it, just empty attic space to level temperature difference, a.k.a. both side of shingle scales are on same temperature, so moisture does not get concentrated on those. This way constructed shingle roof will last easily hundred year.

On very rare cases, it has also used on wall covering, like this kindergarten..
Generally it is out of question on new buildings, on zoned areas.

Ou poi, about those woodpeckers. Will those actually nest on houses there or just like to use them as sound box?

Local species here does not nest on wood-houses, but they sure like to use them as drum, because it is they form of singing. So when they get hole through covering, they move feet to some direction and start h*lluva drumming again. And this goes for several weeks on spring time (mating season) and on autumn they start again to strengthen their territory.

What makes it complicated, is that every specie here (nine total) is under protection, so there is no way to take pellet gun and solve conflict that way.
Official instruction teach to take handfull of very fine sand and gently throw bird with it (no it does not work, they have wings so there is no way to get even close to them, sigh I say).
As example, if drop white-backed woodpecker and get caught, need to face criminal charges with fee of it own, then there is also automatic price per bird, on this case 4037€ ($US 5149) per pird. That is something what need to be paid per bird, never the less will court found guilty or anything. If guilty to something like hunting crimes, it will gain of penalties like fees etc.
So these birds have talent to create some funny scenario every now and then, I know couple of cases where woodpecker has start to terrorize tiny village church and only way to handle those, has been get exceptional permit from court to use garden hose to get rid of them

Might sound ood, but sure is local moral code, nature first:
http://translate.google.fi/translate?sl=auto&...himedeen_vala&act=url

Same birds for sure

Seriously, they have been replace singing with drumming, and when they found some metal casing with loud echo, they have time of their life.
It is just their way to sing.

Looks like the challenge has just started...we're not even in the top10 yet. Lets see what tomorrow brings.