Sneak Previews.

Views during my current drive

We are about to enter the first spring month, yet I have absolutely no idea what happened to February. It came and went.
As it slowly concludes this week, the sense of spring hangs unmistakably in the air.
Winter is far from done, still I love those covert sneak previews of what is yet to come.

The first thing I noticed as I set out on my long daily commute this past Monday, after almost fourteen days break - was the increase in light.
Our day has gained over three hours since the winter-solstice, a fact that can clearly be perceived during my drive. It's onset is by now undertaken no longer under the veil of darkens, but with views of breathtaking sunsets, which slowly grow into rainbow coloured skies, turning only to dusk as I arrive at my destination. Additionally, this past week the evening twilight was dispersed by an alluring full moon rise and the silver disc accompanied me all the way home, illuminating the road with its platinum shine.

Detail from our Garden

I love this time of the year, when a certain awakening is about to commence and a hidden joy rises in nature.
This spring once again, a novel environment awaits to make my acquaintance. The garden of our new home is currently tranquil and it comes across as an undiscovered treasure. Having had to leave it almost immediately after our move, it took me almost two weeks before I actually stepped out onto the lawn and took a walk around our house.

As I did so, momentarily I recollected my father, many years back, as he walked out barefoot onto the small yard of my parents first house, in midwinter, just to feel the ground beneath his feet. I recall he was overwhelmed by the feeling of ownership.
I felt the same giddy feeling and additionally I felt as I was about to walk into a secret, locked room, only it was on the outside. Walking about, I rediscovered my old pots left on the side of the house by the movers, surveyed the empty greenhouse, the shed and the multitude of bushes, shrubs and trees I yet have to name. Coming full circle into our garage, where my husband was sorting through the many boxes still waiting to be unpacked, I had to share with him my first impressions after surveying our property. He smiled and put his arm around my shoulders, looking at me with those hypnotic grey-blue eyes that always seem to disarm me. "This will be good..." he said as he kissed me and I felt happiness envelop me like a warm blanket.

The Garage

I love him endlessly and forever.
I love him despite the fact that the last three weeks saw us arguing more then during the whole time we have known each other. Being pushed to our limits, first with an endless move followed by a vacation that was anything but relaxing, we met each others dark sides, those that crawl out of the woodwork when going gets tough. It truly put our affection for each other to the test, but overall I think we passed with flying colours. Being able to laugh and joke about our disputes after they have passed and realizing that the best place to fall asleep is still in each other arms, we know we are exactly where we are suppose to be.

Giving you a sneak preview of my new home, I can conclude that it often reminds me of my old white house on the hill. It lacks the stunning views, yet I find myself smiling constantly as I come across something that brings back memories of my past residence. Even the kitchen sink is identical.
Just as much as I loved my white house, I am in love with our new house and I will only grow to love it more with time.
I love that it feels like our home. I love the way we spend our days trying to decorate the space slowly and respectfully, combining our belongings, making them fit together. Surprisingly, they do fit very well.
I love the vaulted ceilings, large windows and open rooms, which are nevertheless designed to create cozy and intimate spots, such as around the wood burning stove, gathering a family together. I relish in the luxurious inventory, the large walk in closet, the combined pantry - wine cellar, the modern materials and the privilege of two large bathrooms, having no longer a need to rise an hour earlier to enjoy a morning bath.

Old pot in the greenhouse

I have waited a long time, much longer than most people do, to experience certain golden, defying moments in life. Instead, they all happened quickly, leaving me a bit bewildered at times.
In a very short time span I found the love of my life and relocated, very soon thereafter I became a wife and a step mom, a landlord, a property owner and furthermore, I am about to change employment.

While I have enjoyed this roller-coaster ride, at times I am almost waiting to exhale, exhausted and tired, holding my breath, bracing myself for all that is still ahead.
But I guess that is life and as I learn to roll with the punches, passing the points of no return, there is a certain exhilaration in all this accomplishment.
There is a sense of being alive.

Mountain Splendor.

The past two weeks, even though they have flown by, come across in time span rather like two months.
We have been packing, we have been moving, we have been unpacking for days on ends, discarding and purchasing, putting things in place and decorating - until we were simply too exhausted to even breathe.
Then, just when we thought we were done, another kind of packing was set in place.

Before we even got the chance to enjoy our new home, we set out on a sixteen hour drive south, in order to savor the beauty of the majestic mountain range of central Europe, frolicking in sunshine and snow. Our skiing vacation, planned last summer, did not coincide very well with out move - but I guess the best in life is unplanned.

The beauty of the European Alps is breathless and the time we get to spend gazing at the snow covered mountain peaks, priceless.
And yet, once it is time to say our good byes, we will not feel sadness leaving all this splendor behind. Rather we will with joy look forward to return to our brand new home.

All images taken in the Italian Alps, February 2013.

Sugar Coated Trees.

Stepping into the second month of the year, our winter weather is once again cooling down. So far it has been alternating between raising and plummeting temperatures.

It started off very mild, the white precipitation of December melting away, as we greeted the New Year with grey skies. Then the wind shifted and Siberian cold dominated our weather patters, bringing with it snowfall, abundant sunshine and bitterly cold arctic air - my preferred conditions by far.

A few days back, the weather changed again, the westerly winds drawing warmer air from the Atlantic, making the skies grow monochrome, the water surf wild and the weather stormy.

However, just a week ago, nature bore an ivory attire, as winter showed off her covert beauty, creating art of snow and ice against an azure blue canvas. These are fairytale views of the last season, when it is at its best - an alabaster landscape full of sugar coated trees.

Our birch stood frost adorned in all its wintery beauty, as if to say farewell in style, knowing that very soon we will forever part our ways...

Azure And Alabaster.

This is where I am right now, surrounded by the deep colours of azure and alabaster. This thus explains the lack of my posts and visits, for which I apologize.
I am simply just savoring the pristine and snowy slopes, fairytale surroundings and everything else that is part of a great skiing vacation, all in a perfect company.
Will be back soon.:)

Birdwatching.

I have been endlessly mesmerized by the photographs that so many of you capture and share - the images of birds.
It has been - and still is - a rare privilege in my own world to encounter birds up close and personal. At times I can spot them perched on a branch in my view, yet they are far away and too timid to approach.
My new Canon has enabled me to snap a shot or two from distance, using its superb zoom. Nevertheless, the occasions I have been lucky enough to capture even such images can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Last weekend though I got to experience birdwatching of quite a different kind, when we visited the father of my man. He is an avid gardener and his garden is during the summer season beautifully lush and alive; not just with plant life, but animal life as well. Yet even now, as arctic conditions has swept over the country in recent weeks, while everything is seemingly silent and dormant, watching birds in their feeding frenzy outside his windows instigates life.

Their delicate looks and gentle appearance is so very deceiving, as nothing is more resilient than sedentary birds, withstanding months of cold and famine.
With some help and kindness from us they fight the elements, getting through the hardships of winter to reward us with a beautiful song at the onset of spring.

Stillness In Snow.

Crossing into February, the mild winter is history and more seasonal weather has gained hold over Scandinavia. Subzero temperatures, wind and snow.

Luckily, only a light blanket is covering my surroundings. A dry powder of white precipitation that swirls around when picked up by the arctic wind. It makes the snow dance in circles resembling wintery dust devils, driving it into small banks here and there.

Yet, despite the wind gusts, there is a certain stillness while it snows. It is as if everything stops and slows down, conserving energy and bracing itself for the final fury of the Ice Lady.

Note: I apologize for my lack of posts and visits - life has simply been keeping me occupied elsewhere (in a good way). I should however be back to more regular blogging soon.:)

Final Fury.

Our brief encounter with spring has ended and we are once again under a pristine white cover.
Nature refuses to awaken just yet, thus hitting the snooze button it drifts back to sleep, while the arctic wind howls in my chimney and drives the snow into banks against the house.

Winters final fury is unleashed.
The Ice Lady shows off her power one last time, reinforcing the fact that her rule, although culminating, has not concluded just yet. She fights until her last breath, with ammunition of ice and snow, throwing us once more into deep freeze...

A Brief Sense Of Spring.

Today is bitterly cold.
I woke up to the first morning with subzero temperatures since mid January. Lady Winter is back from her intermission, which came across almost as an early departure.

Still, as we wait for February snow to cover our landscape white once more, the mild, albeit foggy and humid air which has been dominating our forecast for the last twenty days brought about a brief sense of spring. The stalks of the early flowers were seen relentlessly pushing upwards and at times the early bird song resonated a joy, the one that made me feel nature was a month ahead.

My front patio displayed only a few days back the first beauty of the resilient and yet so tender yellow crown of the Eranthis flower, just about to burst into bloom. I am sure this progress has now been abruptly interrupted and hate to contemplate what the plummeting temperatures will do to this lovely plant.

Last weekend however still truly felt like spring and thus I did the first gardening of the year, cutting back the dried up clematis, its climbing vines rigid and brown, seemingly so very lifeless. Upon closer look though, a multitude of buds were already in full sight, usually a sign prompting the annual early trimming of this late summer blooming beauty.

Winter is not over yet and Spring - although not that distant - is still far removed from our perception. However, the first season is slowly running out of time and we all know that good things comes to those who wait.
Thus lets wait just a little bit longer.

Fiery February Dawn.

As the sun slowly moves ever so higher up in the sky, it yet again creates not just stunning sunsets, but equally breath-taking sunrises.

Dawn is by far my favorite part of the day. It holds a certain appeal of the gentle beauty in a newborn morning. A clean slate, fueling the idea that anything magical has the potential to yet happen.

February dawns are the most beautiful ones to be witnessed from my windows - they are not just stunning, but they are also rare. The sun is now rising in close proximity to the cardinal east and an early riser is rewarded by views that have no equal. The young sun sets the velvet violet-blue heavens on fire and creates a few minutes of absolute enchantment, as the stillness of a late night becomes a fiery winter dawn...

(Below a few images taken of a magnificent sunrise as it unraveled in my views one morning this past week.)

February Facts.

The second month of this year and officially the third (and last) month of winter is closing to its end, bringing the end of the season ever so closer as well. Not that we here in Scandinavia can tell, buried under all the snow.

I guess everyone knows that it is the shortest month of the year. But did you know that February is the most misspelled month? Its name is derived from the Latin word "Februum", which means "purification", via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar.

Here is a collection of Fun February Facts:

∗Amethyst is the birthstone for February.

∗The flower of February is violet or primrose.

∗February is National Cherry and Chocolate Month (among countless others), which explains all those Valentine's Day gifts of chocolate-covered cherries.

∗In February 1847, the United States Post Office introduced adhesive stamps, which simplified post office operations along with one's mailing process for Valentine's Day, February 14th.

∗A few selected birthdays:
Thomas A. Edison, American inventor, was born on February 11, 1847.
Galileo, Italian astronomer and physicist, was born on February 15, 1564.
Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, was born on February 19, 1473.
Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist, was born on February 26, 1802.
American frontiersman William Frederick Cody, better known as "Buffalo Bill," was born in February 1846.

∗And the best fact for me: The day has in my part of the world increased by 3 hours and 30 minutes since the winter solstice.

The First Sunset.

Anyone who has lived in Scandinavia recognizes the lack of daylight in winter. The dark winter months, when sun is absent for weeks at a time, are indeed difficult to bear, as our winter and summer days differ by about eleven hours of light.

Slowly, as we reach the end of February, the closing winter season signifies the return of the sun. Or rather, the conclusion of the dark winter days.
The sun has by now moved significantly further up in the sky and is setting about three hours later then in December. This means that it has left the hills in my immediate south and has almost reached the natural horizon, as it disappears on the evening sky.

I have mentioned numerous times in the past, how much I love the magnificent sunsets, which I can watch from my windows. This past weekend, for the first time since October, the skies once again offered a true sunset. A sunset over a snowy landscape, a barely just sunset, but a first visible sunset nevertheless.

This is the first significant sign that winter is closing towards its end, despite the final snow fury it keeps bestowing upon us.

My Favourite Summer Picture(s).

The lovely Kat at Kat's Corner recently invited us to a very simple challenge; to post our favourite summer picture.

I love this challenge.
It makes for a nice break between all the winter pictures that I keep sharing (and will be sharing for a few weeks more). In fact I loved it so much, I went further than that. I found two summer pictures. All right, to be honest, I simply could not decide which one I loved best, so I am posting both.
And to complicate matters even further (as I am not very good with simple), I posted recent winter pictures as well. Not my favourite, but pictures of the same spot, some eight months later, for comparison.

Why are these two my absolute favorite? Because they show my favourite spot in my summer garden. Or terrace. Both taken last June, a few days apart, they depict that same spot at two different times of the day.
They were taken during the beautiful early summer, when my caprifolium (honeysuckle) and jasmine were both in full bloom, making that part of my terrace a heavenly place. A tranquil, scented hideaway, that offers moments of serenity and contemplation during the day. And comes evening, my outdoor fireplace (chiminea) spreads a beautiful wooden aroma in the air, making the same spot cosy and relaxing.

This is the enchanted time of the year, the season of the Scandinavian white nights that keep the evenings light, with sunsets occurring on the other side of midnight.

These June pictures symbolize my favorite part of the year - I simply can not wait for its return.

(Please click the image to enlarge)

Still In Snow...

Here we are, one week away from the first spring month and I was hoping to start writing about spring signs. However, our nature definitely does not display any such signs at all.

In fact, I was snowed in yesterday. Getting ready for work, I realized that driving out of the drive way was going to be an undertaking, not too mention driving to work. Our street is a private street and thus is often not cleared initially. Driving up the hill after a heavy, or even a light snowfall can be somewhat hairy. The same goes for our driveway. We share a large gravel parking lot and it is some undertaking to keep it clear. As most of my neighbors have been away this week, due to official week of school holidays, the snow shoveling has been neglected. This is actually a problem as we are by law required to keep our properties cleared of snow, to avoid accidents and injuries to others.

Thus yesterday, when I found myself with an involuntary day off, I decided to clear our parking and driveway. I was shoveling for two hours without a break and today my whole body is aching. Still, it was so worth it. There is something incredibly satisfactory about a physical activity, using the power of our bodies. My profession requires me often to use only my mental power, thus the instances where I can employ my physical abilities are always welcomed.

In fact, did you know that 15 minutes of snow shoveling counts as moderate physical activity according to the 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health. And apparently an hour of snow shoveling burns 420 calories. Therefore my yesterdays activity must count for an absolutely hard physical work out. Still, as with any such activity, there are tips and tricks on how to shovel safely, without causing injuries, such as listed by wikiHow.

As I sit here, writing this, it is snowing heavily again. This year Lady Winter ignores the calendar and is becoming that guest that will never leave. Nevertheless, despite it all, the snow covered landscape is infinitely beautiful.
Even now, after gazing at it for over two months, the images and views still take my breath away.

Ice Stalactite.

There is a large icicle just outside my bedroom window. Every morning, as I open the blinds, I can see its menacing shape. Beautiful and clean, as it is sharp and dangerous, resembling a spike of glass, ready to inflict serious damage.

Sculptured by nature some eight weeks ago, it has since then not diminished in size at all. I have not seen it melt or drip, it looks solid and majestic every day.
Fortunately, it poses very little threat to anyone. Below it is only a secluded area, where I have placed large flower pots. Therefore no humans nor animals are in harms way. Except my pots of course, but I assume that they will be strong enough to withstand the fury of the spike should it ever fall.

I find icicles as intriguing and fascinating, as much as they do frighten me. It is a given fact, that in a few weeks, when hopefully warmer temperatures will reach even Scandinavia, large chunks of ice and snow will become dislodged from roofs and windows, posing danger to people, animals and even parked cars on the street.

However, that time is still somewhat removed from our reality. Spring is yet nowhere in sight and in fact, it is suppose to snow again today.
Therefore every coming morning, as I open the blinds and yet again gaze at that dangerous beauty of ice, I will be reminded of the simple fact that Lady Winter continues to be very much in reign. Still, I know that if I wait patiently, that one particular day will come, when its sharp and pointy edge will have formed into drops of water.
And then I will know that spring is imminent.

Arctic Beach.

We are now officially experiencing so called ice winter in parts of southern Scandinavia. This is a very rare phenomenon, occurring only about 3-4 times in a century. In Nordic terms ice winter means that harbours and some sounds freeze. In fact, satellite images of Denmark show white cover extending over the entire country, clearly depicting the lack of visible surface water in certain bays, meaning that they are covered by ice. Actually, some inlets look rather unique, with large ice blocks floating around on the surface, creating the feel of arctic conditions.

Even the ocean in my very vicinity looks rather odd. I pass the bay every day on my way to work and last Friday I decided to stop and document this rare occurrence.
As I stepped out of the car I immediately sensed the absolute power of the icy wind on the exposed skin of my face. The subzero air felt completely alien and surprising.
There was almost a dreamlike feeling to the deserted beach, it felt unfamiliar and close to eerie. The lack of the sound of moving waves and water was immediately very palpable, its comforting splashing replaced by the whistling of the polar wind. I could see the dark open waters in the horizon, but it seemed too far out to even register in my mind.

The large stones and rocks stretching out into the sea were covered with ice and snow and I certainly felt as I have been moved thousands of miles north in an instant. The images of the summer sea, that I so love and cherish appeared almost surreal in that very moment. As much as I stood there in awe, trying to take pictures, while barely feeling the camera in my numb fingers, an almost terrifying sensation enveloped me. Looking at the iced arctic beach, I simply could not imagine the summer ever returning...

(Please click the image below to enlarge.)