I think Rastila is my favorite campsite so far. I'm coming back here in the spring for sure. I don't want to leave, but the cold weather will eventually decide for me. I like it here 🙂⛺️

Monitoring conditions and solar panels from my trail-cam. Too yucky and rainy to be outside 😐⛺️

I get the best sleep in a tent ⛺️ 🙂🐾

The Metro is just steps away from Rastila campsite. Such a nice refuge for people in Helsinki and surrounding area. Wished I'd known about it before ⛺️🙂

Gorgeous early evening at Rastila Manor ⛺️🌞🫠

Really good kitchen and laundry facilities at Rastila. This is one of at least three facilities like this around the Rastila campus 🙂

There's a dragon with matches that's loose on the town

Takes a whole pail of water just to cool him down

Fire! Fire on the mountain

That tree in the middle wasn't orangy-red when I got here lol. I like it here 😊⛺️🌞💫

Love to see a properly shiny solar panel 🌞🫠

PERFECT sky at Rastilan Kartano 😊⛺️☀️🫠👨‍🌾🚜

Nothing like shiny solar panels and sharp shadows. Photon Pharming 🌞👨‍🌾🚜🫠⛺️😊

Funny casual example of how Deadheads consume literally everything about the Grateful Dead and what they do. I was watching that Jerry interview that I posted yesterday. Jerry briefly mentioned something about their "lighting designer" and as he said that, the thought "oh Candace Brightman their lighting designer" instantly popped into my head lol. Deadheads are such huge fans of this band that it's totally normal to know the name of their lighting designer lol.

Glorious day for solar 🌞 at Rastilan Kartano 😊⛺️

Dead & Company visited MSD High School in Parkland Florida after the school shooting there to help comfort them and later performed "Throwing Stones" in their honor. 

Dead & Company with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti playing the folk song "Cold Rain and Snow" (Jerry used to sing on this one). I think John Mayer did a beautiful job pouring his passion and talent into continuing the musical journey that Jerry started. I think Jerry would be seriously impressed with Mayer's chops.

This very indepth Jerry interview has everything. It's a gem. Evolution of the Grateful Dead, the "Acid Tests", the legendary Neal Cassady, the dynamic in the Grateful Dead, the influence of Bluegrass, Jerry's psychedelic birthday cake surprise before going on stage. I didn't mention everything. There's a lot. Jerry interviews have a way of getting more and more interesting as they progress. He was a wonderful thinker and mythologizer.

I guess I'm not going back to Kaikuva afterall. No matter. I really like it here at Rastila. Very beautiful and peaceful place. It's a refuge for the Helsinki folks. Wonderful place to decompress ⛺️☀️🌻

I have to post this elegant tune again. Peggy-O. Jerry soothes my soul ⛺️🎵🎶✨️

Barely left my tent today. Jerry sooths my soul ⛺️🎵🎶

Tent life ⛺️

The fall 1990 MSG, NYC shows are legendary. Here's Jerry playing "Ramble On Rose". Watch for the moment during Jerry's guitar solo where he gives Bruce Hornsby (to the right on grand piano) a mischievous look before switching to MIDI trumpet. Jerry loved playing wind instrument sounds on his guitar. Jerry's father who passed away when Jerry was very young played clarinet among other winds.

Glorious morning for solar ☀️ So bright I couldn't see to keep the camera not crooked ⛺️📸☀️🫠

Rastila Sunset ⛺️☀️

Sunny day at Rastila ⛺️☀️

The Solar Totem 👇

I set up my panels in the "Solar Totem" shape this morning ☀️⛺️

Watched documentary on Netflix. Wow, such a moving survival story. Incredible. 

Sunset at Rastilan Kartano ⛺️☀️

Looney Toons! Never grown out of them 😊

The birds at Rastila are like an effing mafia.

Still stranded at Rastila with car problems. Beautiful day ☀️ Magpies broke into my last Knorr XXL Mash Potatoes. Otherwise perfect day. ⛺️

To the people I've given this blog address to, I'm literally stranded in Rastila for the time being. Luckily they have a weekly rate that kicks in at start of week two. I wish I had my car and could visit Kaikuva for example but I can't for now. This is where I can be reached until further updates with car 🙂⛺️✌️

I just found out that after a week, the Rastila per day fee drops to under 7 euros. Makes my car problem less expensive.

Photon rich shiny area moving closer to tent so now catching first harvest of that with one of the small panels. Photon Pharming is phun 😊🌞👨‍🌾🚜

My daily cat and mouse game with the Sun 😊🌞🐁🐈

ChatGPT may have altered this photo a little. The car can be fixed cheaply but the part won't arrive for two weeks and I may need to tow it out of here so I'm not stalling every 20 minutes driving from here. Dammit. I want to visit Kaikuva again soon. I'll see if I can borrow my Dad's car for a few days. 

Floor to ceiling windows. This tent is like a mansion lol ⛺️🙂

So sunny today that I only need the two small panels to keep the system topped up until sunset 🙂🌞⛺️✌️

I love solar so much 🙂⛺️🌞✌️

My sister's boyfriend knows how to fix cars and probably stopping by today to look at the engine. I didn't fully fix the issue earlier and it's just not reliable enough for the road anymore, which means I'm stuck at Rastila until it's fixed. Topping up the starter battery before he arrives just in case. My tent is visible in the background 🙂⛺️✌️

The activities and picnic field next to the restaurant always gets the last rays of sunset ⛺️☀️

One of my Kenya scarfs got damp too. Looks nice ⛺️🙂🇰🇪

Drying one of my wall hangings from India. Also looks nice as a tent decoration ⛺️🙂🇮🇳

Two people enjoying the sunset at Rastila Manor 🙂

Enough just hanging out. Mobile tent studio is back in action 🙂⛺️🎶🎵🎸🌞

Mobile tent studio lesson number 54: Setup the pedal board outside the tent before bringing it in. A lot easier and less tangled wire hassles. ⛺️🎶🎵🎸

Crime scene photo: 🚨 I found a group of magpies stealing my chips. They even opened my cheddar dip.

One of the caravan people is obviously a time traveler from the past.... they're using a satellite dish for TV. Dead give away 🤔

Still at Rastila campsite. Just relaxing and thinking about life 🙂⛺️💫⚡️🌞🌻 I'm here at least until Wednesday 3pm. Will try to add another day to that.

Good morning! 🙂 Overcast and rainy? Hakuna matata! 🙃✌️🌻🎶🎵

Finally going to be sleeping outside in a tent again. I can't stop camping Kai! Lol. ⛺️🙂

My car made it to Rastila. I can't sleep indoors anymore so here I am ⛺️

About to drive final few kilometers to Rastila campsite in east Helsinki. Making sure engine is cold to start with so it doesn't stall on the road lol.

Car started in the morning, but dog walker just informed me that this spot is not the public campsite. Luckily I was stuck in the car last night... would have been not nice to find that out in the middle of the night. Didn't get very far with tent set up. Good that they told me 🙂

Sleeping in.the car tonight next to a community garden. Could be worse 🤷‍♂️ Don't want to experiment with the engine at night. 

Made it out of the traffic lights after a delightful chat with a Tunisian man who stopped to discuss my car problems in the middle of the intersection lol. Wonderful man! Anyway, my car died again 3 minutes short of the public campsite next to a really pretty community garden 🌼🌻

Car died at a major traffic light intersection 7 minutes from public campsite. I'm here for at least 20 minutes to let the engine cool enough to restart. Holly crap.

Pulled off the main road to wait for rush hour traffic to be over. Less safe to have engine trouble in rush hour. I might sleep in my car tonight if it's too dark to set up tent.

Letting engine cool down before heading to a public camping spot east of Helsinki. Tried sleeping indoors last night... aaaahhh couldn't take it lol. Have to be in the outdoors camping 🙂⛺️✌️🎵🎶

One more perfect sky as I pack to go back to normal life again for the winter. Car fixed, beautiful vibes enjoyed... now time to handle some responsibilities back home. Thanks Kai for this beautiful place and wonderful experience. Kaikuva Campsite is the best! ⛺️🌞🙂

Solar Totem 🌞 was graced with a perfect sky at Kaikuva 🙂⛺️🎶🎵✌️

The Solar Totem 🌞🙂

Solar totem embracing The Sun Chariot once again.

My B&B guests have been enjoying my towel all morning. They look very relaxed 🙂⛺️

Good morning... Ok that's just... wow ⛺️

Beautiful clear evening sky at Kaikuva Campsite ⛺️🙂

Letting engine components cool off after completion of this heroic gas station quest 🫡 I fixed a short circuit in the engine's electrical system with a little brown biodegradable fork 🍴 Seems to work 🤷‍♂️

Made it to gas pump without stalling 🏆

Pretty morning sky at Kaikuva Campsite ⛺️🙂

🔧🪛🛠🔬⚓️🏹✂️🤷‍♂️

And so it begins. ChatGPT walking me through fixing a broken CPS sensor located underneath the engine. Car will soon be on blocks with me underneath 🙃

Jerry lost his right middle finger in a wood chopping accident when he was little, but he went on to become an accomplished banjo and guitar player 🙂

Sauces 😋

Some swanky lake properties around these parts 🙂

Head of security 🐾

I saw Jerry perform the Belafonte calypso classic Matilda, Matilda in 1994 I think. I can post the audio from it later. The one I saw I thought was more elegant, but this one from 1995 on video is beautiful as well 🌹✌️🙂

Cumberland Blues 🙂

Althea 🙂💃🌹✌️ (This is the song that sparked the interest of virtuoso guitarist John Mayer in the Grateful Dead. He became an instant deadhead, studying their style, adding their music to his repertoire and eventually Bob Weir noticed and they decided to revive the Grateful Dead touring machine naming it Dead & Company. I think Mayer did an excellent job walking in Jerry's footsteps while adding his own interpretation)

Folk Dead, Part III (Starts with Hunter/Garcia tune China Cat and then going seamlessly into the folk song "I Know You Rider"... a deadhead favorite because of one line Jerry sings in this "I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train. I'd shine my light through the cool Colorado rain". They always play these two songs as a pair) 😊

Folk Dead, Part II (this is the best tune for helping to take life's challenges in stride, while dreaming of and aiming towards a magical outcome at the end of one's journey) 😊

Folk Dead, Part I (screen is blank for first 30 seconds until singing starts)

Cassidy 🙂✨️🎶🎵

Ripple ✌️😊☀️🌈

Dylan Dead, Part IV (w/Bruce Hornsby on grand piano) 

Dylan Dead, Part III 🙂🎶🎸⚡️🌹✨️

Dylan Dead, Part II (Jerry got to sing the previous tune so it's Bob's turn, so two Dylan tunes sung by Bob in a row... plans change 🤷‍♂️🙂🎶🎸⚡️🌹✌️

Previous video ended with the start of the next tune "Stagger Lee" (Lloyd Price) so of course that must be the next video. Dylan Dead will continue after 🙂

Dylan Dead, Part I 🙂🌹⚡️🎸🎶

🙂

🙂

Through veils of grey and gilded light, the solar hearth endures. That's Frontier Futurism 🙂☀️☁️⛺️🎸🎶🌱✌️

Totally off-topic: Jack Russell Terriers are the best dogs on Earth 🌎 🐾😊

Car died 🤪 🚗💥

Perfect sky at Kaikuva Campsite 🙂🌞🌱⛺️

🌛🥱

Harvesting the day's last Photons at Sunset at Kaikuva Campsite 🙂⛺️☀️👨‍🌾🚜

I was at both nights of this 1993 RFK run with opening act Sting playing his Police repertoire with his solo band at the time. Here Jerry joins Sting to help close out his set. That was a fun two summer days 🎶☀️🌈

I was at the last Grateful Dead show in Chicago 1995 🌹⚡️✌️🕊🌈 According to Bob Weir, Jerry said to him after the show "Always a hoot!" before they parted ways for the last time.

Eco-friendly Frontier Futurism ⛺️🙂🎶🎸

Special Treat III: Jerry Garcia's last interview in spring 1995. He opens up about his formative years, meeting his song writing partner while living out of their cars, plus lots more Jerry goodness 🌹⚡️🎸

Special Treat II: My favorite Grateful Dead video. A compilation of studio and live performances stitched together. Jerry Garcia was very involved in the production of this video titled "So Far".

Special Treat: Jerry Garcia in Lucas's Skywalker Ranch studio around 1989. 11 minutes. 🙂🌹🎸

Evening tent studio session 🙂🎸🎶⛺️

Having a relaxing evening at Kaikuva in my tent studio. Cool jazz music softly playing outside from campfire area. Very nice evening 😊 🎶⛺️🎸

Overcast ☁️ morning? Hakuna matata. Nothing more panels can't fix 👨‍🌾🚜✌️

Catching the morning rays at Kaikuva 🙂⛺️☀️

Fingers have gotten too soft. Finally getting in some practicing in my mobile tent studio ⛺️ 🙂🎸🎶

Beautiful day at Kaikuva ☀️⛺️

Kaikuva Campsite is a beautiful place 😊☀️⛺️

Awaiting the morning Photon harvest at Kaikuva Campsite ⛺️👨‍🌾🚜☀️

Kaikuva 🙂

This rainbow happened the day after Jerry's birthday 🙂

Note: Flag was only up for a minute so I could film it. Didn't want to be obnoxious to fellow hikers looking for quiet contemplation. Came down after filming this clip :)

Solar Blues, Coming soon....