When the sun is setting, between dusk and darkness, there is a moment when the light turns blue. And the world stops for a heartbeat.
Our summer cottage has been in the family for longer than I’ve been alive. I have spent every summer by this same shore. Some little things have changed, but very little.
I got into photography in 2008. Since then, I have probably taken 500 images every year with this same scenery as a backgroung – often even from this very same spot. That’s nearly 10,000 photos.
And it is still worth taking just one more.
Swimming, boating, fire-cooked crepes, sauna, bbq, hammering, hand-picked wildflowers, ice cream – long days outside and never-ending bedtime giggles.
A perfect day for little people.
In a few weeks, the day will be at its longest in Finland. Stuart struggles to sleep in the light, but I have no problems. I love the long evenings. It feels like you gain a whole new day after working hours.
Even when the sun sets below horizon after 10pm, it doesn’t actually get dark anymore. This image is taken at 23:55.
Dusk.
When Merlin, our late Schnauzer, was in puppy school, he surprised me by learning the command ‘leave’ in 5 min. He surprised me even more by actually obeying it – regardless of what he found on our walks.
It was harder with kids.
Finnish forests are full of delicious berries and plants. It takes a lot of repetition to ensure the kids do not experiment with anything, even when they think they know. Lily of the Valley is easy, but some plants are easier to confuse – and more poisonous.
At least we don’t live in Australia.
One of the big clichés in psychology is that happiness comes more easily if you can find childlike joy in small things.
Unrelated, I stopped today to blow dandelion fluff. A dog walker gave me the evil eye. Probably because adults should know better than to spread weeds.
A few years ago, Stuart and I took our bikes on the metro to the opposite side of Helsinki. It is a great way to find some new interesting routes, instead of riding the same routes over and over again.
Anyway, on that day we stumbled upon the biggest pocket of cherry trees in Helsinki. It was the peak blossom time, and the park was phenomenal.
This year, when I saw the cherries are blooming, I decided to go back with a proper camera. But, as it so often happens, I got busy and waited a few days too long. I managed to catch the blooms maybe on the last day they were still properly pink. The sunnier batches of the trees had already turned green.
I’ll try again next year.
The leaves and ferns in the forest are about to unfurl. The transformation is fascinating every year. It goes from spring to early summer in just few days.
Alanna is still recovering from her cold. And I am still working long hours.
Luckily this time of the year means the sun is still high when I end my day. Good time for a gentle walk to the seashore.
A squirrel has moved into a tree in our backyard. It is getting braver every day – probably as Merlin isn’t here to scare it away anymore.
I know I should probably chase it away, but it is just too cute. For now, we will live peacefully side by side.
You could assume, that after the long and dark winter, the spring inspires me to post a lot of images of flowers. You would be wrong, though. I posted a lot of images of flowers even in South Africa. The truth is that they are picturesque and they are there.
They do still inspire me.
Blue Moment 