she has eaten all straws it is said that she will come out and bring about the end of the world. Danish crossing on the frozen lake In 1568, amidst the Northern Seven Years' War, a Danish raiding party led by Daniel Rantzau managed to escape back to Denmark by crossing over the frozen lake, avoiding Swedish defences to the west and east. The escape made it possible for the raiding party to burn down Eksjö further south along their retreat. Age of log driving and barges During much of the 19th and 20th century the lake was used for log driving. This activity peaked around World War I and declined as the road network around the lake improved. Wood and coal from various charcoal piles near the lakeshore were also transported in large wooden barges. By 1945 fifteen barges were operating in the lake as were the steamboats Boxholm I and Boxholm II that served as tugboats. At present only one barge survives at the naturum Sommen museum. In 1973 log driving ceased for good. Sommaskep revival The lake is known for its unique wooden boats called sommaskep. Sommaskep are for rowing, and differ from ordinary small traditional wooden boats in Sweden for having a longer stem. An explanation for this design is that it makes boats easier to navigate in the typically short-wavelength waves of Sommen. The tradition of building sommaskep has been kept alive as Gunnar Gustavsson, a local carpenter, was tasked by the local history society of Torpa with building sommaskep in the early 1990s; he made a copy of an antique sommaskep in Malexander. In recent times sommaskep boats have been built in Malexander (2007, 2016). Climate and vegetation Relative to other areas of southern Sweden, Sommen stands out for its low precipitation and low humidity. The rainiest months of the year are September followed by July and August. Each of these months have a precipitation of around 70mm. The driest months are February and March, with around 35mm each. The hottest months are June, July and August averaging 14–15 °C. The coldest months are January and February with an average temperature of about -4 °C. The climate is expected to become warmer and drier in future. The growing season around Sommen is of about 216 days with 2614 degree days. The vegetation around the lake is mostly dominated by pine and spruce forest. Broad-leaf