It’s here. All the prettiness.
Day 230: Colour Me Cold
Category: Fall
Day 227: ‘Shrooming
Everyman’s rights are a fantastic concept, recognised throughout the Nordics. They allow anyone to walk, camp or gather berries and mushrooms in forests – no matter who owns the land.
Picking mushrooms is therefore all the rage among us middle-aged Finns.
In all seriosness, I have been interested in mushrooming for a long time. But it is not something you should attempt if you are totally clueless.
Out of the approx 400 species of mushrooms in Finland, only 5-6 can kill you. Another 50 or so just make you sick. However, those are not odds I am willing to gamble on. Especially as only about 30 actually taste good.
So, I took a course. Six hours with a very competent teacher in a sunny forest.
Now I believe I can confidently recognize five edible ones.
Day 226: Then The Heavens Opened
Autumn rain feels very different from summer rain. And there is nothing more autumn-ish than a day-long cold drizzle.
Today was not it.
From an almost clear sky, the heavens opened for 10 minutes. The temperature dropped by 10 degrees. And so autumn arrived in full.
Day 224: City In The Dark
I met a friend for dinner tonight. We didn’t stay late – and therefore it took me by surprise how early it gets dark. Again.
Winter is coming.
Day 221: Change of Season
It’s that time if the year when the autumn just crashes in. Right now, the majority of leaves are still green. The trees are yellow only in spots, reeds are turning brown and streets are painted with fallen leaves.
In a week, the world will be all yellow and brown. With a dash of red.
Day 198: Reinvention
All over the world, the New Year is a time to reinvent yourself, to start something new.
However, September as a fresh start is only a concept in the Nothern Hemisphere. In the South, the school year begins around the start of a calendar year, so there is nothing “new” about the fall.
That means we get double the nudges to reinvent ourselves. With the best intentions.
Day 192: Taking the Bus
Alanna and Kiara started extra lessons in English as a native language this year. The classes are held in another school, so we have been practicing taking the bus.
The have almost mastered it. Now they just need to remember to keep on eye on where they are going.
