Fall – Blue Moment

Day 244: Short Days

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

Even though it happens every year, it is still a shock to the system how quickly the days get shorter in the autumn. All of a sudden, it is dark when you go to work, and dark when you get home. And it’ll only get worse from here.

It says something about how extreme the change is that, in Finland, the winter blues (or kaamosväsymys) typically start in the autumn, rather than in the dead of winter.

Combine that with the usual (predictable) chaos of life – most intense preparations for peak season at work, the girls’ schoolwork and hobbies – and it is no wonder one feels a bit weary.

But a few sunny, brilliantly colored days do wonders.

Day 242: Ruska

October 21, 2026October 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, SceneryLeave a comment

Ruska, in Finnish, is the word for the time in autumn when the leaves change color. It encompasses the colors, the season and the particular affection Finns have for the phenomenon (or, at least, for the few beautiful, sunny days we typically get at this time of the year.

In our household, the season is more typically marked by going through all the “midseason wear” the girls need between summer and winter. And buying six pairs of waterproof gloves to replace the ones lost during sping.

Day 240: More Mushrooms

October 19, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Cooking, Espoo, Fall, Makro, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Espoo, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

I went mushrooming on my own. Major feat. Actually bringing home almost 10l was an even bigger feat.

Good mushroom spots seem to be big secrets, shared only with the closest family. Asking experts (or anyone who regularly picks mushrooms) where to go is almost sacrilege. You either get a very vague answer, or they tell you outright they only go to their family spot. Even internet forums come up empty.

Having no family who go mushrooming – especially not in Espoo – I was on my own. I used AI to identify a right type of forest. And went in blind.

The first hour was pretty desperate… Not helped by the fact that it had been windy, so the forest floor was covered in fallen leaves – each exactly the same shade as the mushrooms I was looking for.

But then I found them. And the best thing is that where you find one, you are bound to find another.

I marked the spot.

Day 239: Moment For Myself

October 18, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Fall, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

A lot of my pictures lately have been taken outdoors: in forest, on streets or simply of flowers outside houses I pass.

Both at work and at home, there is rarely a period longer than 5 min when no one is asking me for something. (Unless I’m having a nap, but that is not a particularly photogenic moment). So when I’m out walking – during the girls’ hobbies, on my way home from the office, etc. – that’s when I look around for something to point my camera at.

It’s fine. But even I think it is monotonous.

I have 126 days left. I’ll try to get back to more intentional photography!

Day 237: Imprint

October 16, 2026October 17, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Fall, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Fall, OutdoorsLeave a comment

Sometimes little things will stay with you for a long time.

For example, when I was maybe 14, I read an article about a study that found that the first stall in public toilets is, on average, ~30% cleaner than the others. Apparently, people don’t like to use the first one,

I have always picked the first stall since.

And I don’t even know if it is true.

Day 235: A Rosebud

October 14, 2026October 14, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Fall, FlowersTagged 365 Project, Fall, FlowersLeave a comment

Amidst the red and yellow leaves, a freshly bloomed rose and a rosebud stand out. Call me old-fashioned, but it feels wrong. Roses belong to summer.

Someone ought to have a word.

Day 230: Colour Me Cold

October 9, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Fall, Finland, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

It’s here. All the prettiness.

Day 227: ‘Shrooming

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Fall, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, WildlifeTagged 365 Project, Activities, Fall, Finland, Food, Learning, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

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.