The photographs were taken on April 2nd.
This morning I walked two hours in Petikko, across the snow-covered fields. Birds were singing and the snow was melting.
For next week the weather forecast promises warmer and dry weather, which would be great for commuting by bicycle. So far this year I have got 1,870 km riding the bicycle.
(Posting title is from the poem The Triple Fool by John Donne.)
The photographs were taken on April 2nd.
This morning I walked for two hours at Vaakkoi, visiting a lake where a pair of Gavia stellata have been nesting. I didn't see them, but it may be a bit too early yet.
(Posting title is from the poem The Fool and the Poet by Dabney Stuart.)
The photographs were taken in Helsinki on March 31st using an iPhone SE. I have taken a couple of hundred photographs with it, and even though the photographs mostly turn out quite all right, taking the photographs doesn't feel as natural as with the Panasonic LX100. But perhaps it is just a matter of practice.
My oldest daughter has been abroad for over five weeks, as an exchange student, learning the language and local customs. She seems to be thriving. Communication is a bit challenging due to the seven-hour time difference.
(Posting title is from the poem I'm a Fool to Love You by Cornelius Eady.)
The photograph was taken while visiting Timmermalmi nature protection area on April 1st.
During winter the bicycle commute took 55 minutes or more, but now it is faster, about 45 minutes. However, this morning there was ice on the road, and in the afternoon 2 cm of hail covered the ground, painting the landscape white.
(Posting title is from the poem Gooseberry Fool by Amy Clampitt.)
The photographs were taken on April 1st.
What can one say of the big fool with tiny hands? #resist
(Posting title is from the poem “Any fool can get into an ocean...” by Jack Spicer.)
The photographs were taken on April 1st.
I have been traveling a bit, visiting the city of Turku today. We got snowfall once again, but the snow soon melted away.
(Posting title is from the poem When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d by Walt Whitman.)
The photograph was taken in Helsinki on March 31st.
The weather is rather variable. Today we had rain but also plenty of sunshine. Tomorrow there may be some snowfall.
(Posting title is from the poem And the Gauchos Sing by Mike Puican.)
The photographs were taken on March 31st in Helsinki.
Yesterday we got a hail shower, and this morning it is snowing. Doesn't feel like spring, but I guess the snow will melt away within a couple of hours.
Yesterday was #marchforscience, drawing huge crowds. It was called The Dark Ages when we lived without science. Science trumps crazy twittlers.
(Posting title is from the poem Howl by Amy Newman.)
The photograph was taken on March 30th.
I walked two hours this morning, exploring Timmermalmi nature protection area. A lot of birds were singing.
(Posting title is from the poem Differences of Opinion by Wendy Cope.)
The photographs were taken on March 26th.
It rained during the night, and there was fog in the morning, but the roads got dry during the afternoon. So far this year I have got 1,768 km riding the bicycle.
(Posting title is from the song That's What Makes Us Great by Bruce Springsteen.)
The photograph was taken on March 26th.
(Posting title is from the poem On Imagination by Phillis Wheatley.)
The photographs were taken on March 25th.
Today I rode the bicycle through the central park in Helsinki, enjoying the sight and smell of horses. In the morning it was cold, -6 °C, but it warmed up and in the afternoon we had +5 °C. This was the first time this year without the studded winter tires, and riding felt easy. I have been very pleased with the Marathon Winter tires: no punctures and no getting hurt due to falling.
(Posting title is from the poem Pantoum by Sasha Steensen.)
The photograph was taken on March 25th.
This morning I walked two hours in Nuuksio, circling around lake Kattilajärvi. Birds were singing, woodpeckers were knocking, and ice was moaning. It is spring.
Yesterday I changed summer tires to the car. One tire was stuck and it took a while to get it loose. Today I changed summer tires to the bicycle, doing some cleaning and repairs as well. The front tire is a bit worn, and I pondered whether I should replace it with a new tire, but I guess the old tire should last still for a couple of thousand kilometers.
(Posting title is from the poem The Waste Land by John Beer.)
The photographs were taken on March 21st.
It seems that everywhere one looks things are turning catastrophically bad: USA (Trump), UK (Brexit), Turkey (Erdogan), ... And there is nobody to blame but ourselves.
(Posting title is from the poem The Blooming of Sentimentality by Stephen Corey.)
The photographs were taken at Tremanskärr on March 20th.
(Posting title is from the poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope.)
The photographs were taken at Tremanskärr on March 20th.
This morning I walked for two hours at Oittaa, visiting lake Sorlampi. It was rather cold for Easter, -4 °C.
Once again I'm a bit afraid to check what has happened in the USA. Poisoning the environment, destroying education, killing healthcare, dropping bombs... What next?
(Posting title is from the song Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus.)
The photograph was taken on March 20th at Tremanskärr.
During the night the temperature dropped to -5 °C, and the ground was a little bit frozen when I went for a walk, enjoying the sunshine early in the morning.
(Posting title is from the poem He is pruning the privet by Joanne Kyger.)
The photographs were taken on March 20th at Tremanskärr.
This morning there was half a cm of snow on the ground, and it felt like winter. The snow melted soon, and it felt like spring.
In four days I have got over 8 hours of exercise. And so far this year I have got 1,666 km riding the bicycle.
(Posting title is from the song Fly On Juri Gagarin by Miljoonasade.)
The photograph was taken on March 20th at Tremanskärr.
I got over 2 1/2 hours of exercise today. In the morning it was -2 °C, and 6 °C in the afternoon. I have five different pairs of gloves for riding the bicycle, and in the morning I should have used gloves for even colder weather.
I have been riding the bicycle along the paths in the central park in Helsinki. The paths start to be mostly in quite good condition, not so wet anymore. Seeing horses while commuting is always a pleasure.
Today I submitted corrections to the pre-completed tax return. One can do it online in Finland, and it was once again easier than I thought it would be. Almost a pleasure.
(Posting title is from the poem A Talk with a Tax Collector by Vladimir Mayakovsky.)
The photographs were taken on March 18th.
More and more spring flowers are to be seen. There has been both rain and sunshine.
(Posting title is from the poem A Blind Fisherman by Stanley Moss.)
The photograph was taken on March 18th.
I changed tires to my daughters' bicycles today. My own bicycle still has studded winter tires, and I'll wait until Easter to change.
(Posting title is from the song “Where the bee sucks, there suck I” by William Shakespeare.)
The photographs were taken in Petikko on March 12th, walking across the frozen snow.
Today I visited Petikko once again. There were plenty of signs of spring. Hepatica is in flower, and leaf buds are green.
Municipal elections will be held in Finland today. I voted in advance already.
(Posting title is from the poem Posterity, this me is Now by Dan Beachy-Quick.)
The photograph was taken on March 11th.
This morning I walked for two hours at Tremanskärr. The swamp is partly melted, but some ice and snow still remain. Lake Kurkijärvi was covered by ice, but it is starting to be quite thin and weak.
(Posting title is from the poem The Liar by Amiri Baraka.)
The photographs were taken on March 11th.
(Posting title is from the poem The Liar by James Stephens.)
The photographs were taken on March 8th in Helsinki.
(Posting title is from the poem Cancer, or, The Crab by Joseph Gordon Macleod.)
The photograph was taken on March 8th in Helsinki.
Now that the streets have been cleared of gravel and dirt the brake pads in the bicycle are wearing much less slowly. Yesterday I checked the tire pressure, and it had slipped to 4 bar.
China's President Xi Jinping began today his state visit of Finland, and will remain until Thursday. Then he will fly to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to meet Donald Trump. I wonder how that visit will succeed. Here in Finland things seem run smoothly and friendly.
(Posting title is from the poem Matrilineal Descent by Robin Morgan.)
The photographs were taken in Nuuksio on March 5th.
(Posting title is from the poem On Reading John Hollander’s Poem “Breadth. Circle. Desert. Monarch. Month. Wisdom. (for which there are no rhymes)“ by George Starbuck.)
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