Lingering Light

We celebrated Midsummer last weekend – ‘we’ referring to whole Finland. For me Midsummer is more or less a sacred thing and I like to spend it quietly, taking long walks in the nature, being outside at night, abandoning reason for a while letting myself believe there is more in this world than that we see and sense.

This year Midsummer felt even more significant than usually; perhaps due to Shakespeare’s 400^th anniversary. I must admit I haven’t read Shakespeare all that much: I’ve only read some of his best known plays but shamefully his sonnets are still a new thing to me. However, the proper way to celebrate Midsummer this year was obviously to re-read Midsummer Night’s Dream. Oh how I love that play! Since I’m a devoted fan of Tolkien one might say I cannot embrace both Shakespeare’s and Tolkien’s version of faerie – but I do. As different as they are they’re both dear to me and very fascinating. In July I’ll go to Suomenlinna open-air theatre to see the play. Suomenlinna is a former sea fortress which nowadays is inhabited and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a part of Helsinki and consists of several islands. If you ever come to Finland it’s worth seeing.

As much as I enjoyed the most magical time of the year (also great time for spotting bats, I saw quite a few of them) there was something missing. I think I’ll write more about it later since it will be quite a lament.

This cloud kind of looks like a galloping horse. Or then it's just

my inner horse girl dreaming once again.

Meetings Ere Twilight

A few nights ago I got company on a walk. Dusk had already fallen and suddenly I heard strange noises from the woods. Then I saw them: two adorable fox cubs, staring at me curiously. I think there were more of them; the entire little forest was ruffling softly. It really was one of the most pleasing encounters I’ve had this summer. I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures – I only had my cellphone with me.

It was summer solstice last night. It was full moon, and magically beautiful too: it was barely above horizon and seemed very large. There is something very peculiar about summer solstice, as well as midsummer. The latter is yet to come and I’m looking forward to it.

A moment of blossom

It’s been shamefully long – again. Making excuses is never good but I just started a summer job. I also try to write my master’s thesis as much as possible (which isn’t very much right now; I don’t work that many hours a week but there is quite a lot of preparing to do at home before each day). I’m also stuck with Faerie Queene. I’ve only read a bit more than 100 pages and am completely in love with it. Whether I’ll ever finish it or not I know not but it’s a wonderful book, as difficult as it is. The language is lovely and the Spenserian stanza really sinks into your spine after a while. I hope some day I’ll be finished with it – not anytime soon, though.

Those three or four days are here though passing already – those days when apple trees and cherries are in their full blossom. There is no fairer thing in our spring if not the fresh and verdant mornings.

"The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day..."

… if only it would have stayed a little longer.

Now, tell me who was it that took away my beautiful winter; who was it that turned frost into water; who dimmed my bright and clear sky? I’d like my frost back, please. I’m not ready for spring yet. It’s January and this simply will not do. Do I have to go back to Svalbard where they have proper winter?

Although, I’m sure my car is relieved.

It's possible I've posted some of these pictures before, they're old ones. In that case, sorry for spamming.

Diamonds of frost and sun

–27 in the morning and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t even feel sorry for my feet or fingers. Let it be cold.

Spring term begins on Monday and I’m terrified. Again.

There isn’t much more to say right now; northern weather and panic about studying as always. Clearly I’m such a multidimensional person. In literary studies they talk about flat and round, static and dynamic characters. That classification is also useful when talking about real life people, and I can find my place in microseconds – flat and static, someone whose personality is built on simple stereotypes and who never changes no matter how many years pass by.

Nothing new under the sun. (Sun must be considered figuratively here since it cannot be seen at the moment.)

7.1.2016, 07.30

Perseus; Pleiades star cluster

Orion (constellation + nebula M42); Hyades star cluster

Ash and flow

Yesterday we (’we’ being my mother, my aunt and I) spent the entire day cleaning up the ruins of our summer house. Basically that meant sifting through a huge pile of coal and ash trying to separate all the metal, combustible waste and asbestos (it was an old house, thus the asbestos). In some very odd way I rather enjoyed the work; the weather was nice, the lake was beautiful and I didn’t even mind all the ash eating into my skin, clothes and lungs.  However, the best part of the day followed after the scouring. (Yes, I’m using the word ’scour’ intentionally.)

Swimming. That was the one thing that really made my day and actually was the very best thing about the whole summer thus far. Yesterday was the first time I’ve been to the lake this year and despite the sentimental undertone I swear there is no other lake like that one. There is something deeply soothing and enchanting about that place and it always gives me an extraordinary feeling I’ve never felt in any other place. I’m not really capable of explaining how I feel when rowing or swimming in that lake or just sitting on the rocks and looking over the water. It’s a weird mixture of happiness, tranquility, energy, wistfulness and something I have no word for.

I reached that feeling again yesterday evening as I was floating with my eyes closed and arms stretched, just listening to the water. All of a sudden I felt as if there were no thoughts left in my head, something that is really alien to me. I was either perfectly aware or not aware at all. (Even though the logical impossibility of that slightly annoys me; sometimes I have odd feelings that are complete opposites and yet precisely similar at the same time, I have no idea how to make that understandable. It sort of feels like having two things so far from each other that they actually start to seem close. I don’t know, I guess I’m not making any sense – and perhaps it’s not even necessary to.)

I think I'll add some pictures later once I manage to get them out of my camera (which not playing nicely with the computer at the moment).