I love the snow falling down. I'm looking out my window at the moment and it is like living in one of those snow globes. Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved shaking those glass globes to make the “snow” within swirl and dance. And today I was able to see it in real life.

It had been a sunny morning, then suddenly the sky turnded grey and the bitter, chilly air became very soft and still. Quietly, from some invisible blossoming tree, millions of cool, white petals rained down and muffled everything. It is as though a giant has opened his feather pillow and shaken it over Nynäshamn. I watch in wonder, then as suddenly as it came, the snow flurries vanished and it is now blue skies again, with bright sunshine and glittering snow all around.



The sun really does sparkle off the snow and it is now lying around in drifts all over town, no doubt creating a headache for some, but looking quite beautiful. It's not very good snow for making a snowman as it is too fine and powdery, so I just look and admire it.



The colder temperatures have ensured that the shallow bays are icy again, though the ducks don't seem to mind at all. I told Lars-Göran that we used to have a wine in Australia in the 1970's called Cold Duck (it was a ghastly, sweet combination of cheap red wine and champagne.....*shudder*) and he laughed, as the only cold ducks you can get here are these ones...



It still amazes me that they stay here all year and seem to thrive very well. We had an American friend who now lives in Stockholm come over last weekend and she was astonished to see the large number of ducks crunching their way through the icy waters here and the family of graceful white swans that live among them down at the harbour. I wonder how they find enough to eat and how they stay warm in winter? Not like some other birds I know...



Yes, that's my very nosey cockateil, Bruce, checking out the groceries to see if he approves. Luckily I had bought his parakeet mixture, so he was happy. As soon as I walk in the door with my shopping, I'm mobbed. Before I get a chance to take off my hat, gloves, scarf, coat, spikes and boots, Lambi has checked out the bags for any sign of something she might like to help us eat and now Bruce is joining in. It's like a zoo here at times.

In news around town, you can see that the fallout from recent events will result in at least 800 people losing their jobs here. That is 20% of the workforce in this town and is quite catastrophic. In response, we seem to be flavour of the moment with the media and Nynäshamn has been full of journalists, tv cameras and politicians all week.

On top of the reported job losses by those employed by Ericsson, there are many others who work at the plant but not directly employed by Ericsson who will also be jobless. These include a large number working there under contract via places like Manpower as well as over 100 employed by a local firm, Coor, who supply them with switchboard operators, receptionists, administrative staff, security guards, maintenance personnel, kitchen staff, gardeners. And the manager of Ericsson was reported as being surprised about the strong local reaction to the closure! Hello? What planet are you living on?

We know of a family where the father, his two sons and one of the son's wives works there. That is a whole family affected and unable to help each other out. There are others where both husband and wife are unemployed. The main anger and bitterness has been because people feel that they were lied to by management at the plant. There was not a hint that anything like this was going to happen. Over the last couple of years, workers here have endured cutbacks, less people doing the same job and introduction of large scale contracted labour. They have helped push the company to a record profit and their thanks is to be sacked.

I've heard from some that there was talk only last week to the union that it was going to be busy here with the chance of a lot of overtime after summer. A woman who has been on contract for four years was told that she would be offered a permanent position and the management has been having regular monthly breakfast meetings with the local government without letting anyone know what was really going on.

It's hard to know what is going to happen. I'd hate to see this become simply a characterless, touristy summer town. But I do know that I'm glad my mobile phone is a Nokia!