I walk the rainbow in the dark

Night

The length of day is now 17 h 45 min here in Finland, and that is the main reason I haven't posted (or taken) night-time photographs in a while. But here is an exception, the photograph was taken in Vierumäki on May 8th.

I have commuted by bicycle every day this week, and it has been fine, even though we had rain yesterday. Today was warm, +25 °C, and for tomorrow the forecast promises +26 °C.

I have had interesting meetings this week, with people who have original ideas and appreciate discussion. Lack of sleep has bothered a bit, but luckily there are nights when I get 7-8 hours of sleep, and that helps a lot. Sleep is such an important thing which shouldn't be taken for granted.

I have over 1000 photographs waiting to be processed on the computer, but haven't had time to go through them. And then there is the fact that I really would like to take new photographs, but recently there hasn't been much possibility for that during the work week.

(Posting title is from a tribute by Frederick Seidel to Mu'allaqa by Imru'al-Qays.)

Increase the loneliness

34

I walked today for two hours. I went to Vaakkoi and visited five lakes: Vaakkoi, Saaren-Musta, Iso Lehmälampi, Kämmenlampi and Väärä-Musta. It was sunny and warm, +24 °C. At one of the lakes I watched a pair of Gavia arctica, who were diving and making wailing sounds. Occasionally they crawled to land on a small island, where they probably have a nest. They were too far away to see what they were doing on land, and I didn't have binoculars with me.

The photograph was taken on May 8th in Vierumäki.

(Posting title is from the poem Seasons by John Haag.)

And the lure of the thing was to be at rest

Stream

Fallen

It is getting warmer, today the forecast promises +23 °C, tomorrow +27 °C. Quite a difference, 10-15 degrees warmer than it has been recently.

This week I have got only 7 1/2 hours of exercise so far, but that is all right; the previous week I got over 12 hours of exercise. One should take it easy once in a while.

On the other hand, there are a great many interesting places where one could go for a walk, to see how spring proceeds. The lure of the wilderness is strong.

These photographs were taken in Vierumäki on May 8th and 9th.

(Posting title is from the poem Lambert Hutchins by Edgar Lee Masters.)

Of the light, the silence, and the water’s stillness

Water

I walked today for three hours in Sipoonkorpi National Park. I started from the parking place at Bakunkärr, walked northwest through Sjöberget and Kurbergen hills to Tobbgropen, and continued from there west and northwest. I got quite far up north until I run into a rather big swamp which wasn't on the map any more.

At home I looked at a bigger map and noticed that the swamp was Lindamorsmossen. There was a path running through the swamp towards southwest and then south, and I followed this path until I was on the map again.

My target was a giant's kettle which was marked on the map, at the south end of the swamp which got narrower and narrower, until cliffs appeared on the west side. Here it took some time to find the giant't kettle, which was not on top of the cliff but at the bottom. There were two of them close together, and they were rather fine.

On the way back to the car I tried to follow a straight line with the compass, but there were cliffs to circle, and some of the swamps were flooded because of the rain we have had, and it took some time to get across the swmaps, even though I had tall rubber boots.

In the earlier visits inside the Sipoonkorpi National Park I didn't met anyone, but this time I met two men, both running fast with a map and a compass, wearing competition shirts and tights.

The photograph was taken in Vierumäki on May 9th.

(Posting title is from the poem Across the Bay by Donald Davie.)

The scent of burning wood holds

Sauna 1

Sauna 2

Sauna 3

While walking past a lake in Vierumäki I noticed that two smoke saunas were being heated. The smell brought to mind good memories.

(Posting title is from the poem Smoke in Our Hair by Ofelia Zepeda.)

Everything that cannot be owned belongs now to us

Twigs

I traveled today to Seinäjoki by train, which was fine. I like trains, they are a pleasant way to go from one place to another, and they also allow working via WLAN network.

The photograph was taken in Vierumäki on May 8th.

(Posting title is from the poem Frequency Modulation by Raymond McDaniel.)

After the gossip one returns to grammar

Trees 1

Trees 2

Trees 3

Sand 1

Sand 2

I'll be traveling on Friday. These photographs were taken on May 8th at Vierumäki. The spring was less advanced than in the Helsinki region. There had been quite a lot of logging done in the forests, including clear cutting. And sand transport was going on.

(Posting title is from the poem Writing a Sand Thinking by Steve McCaffery.)

No matter what the weather, on earth

Sign 1

Sign 2

Sign 3

Sign 4

On May 8th and 9th I was at a meeting in Vierumäki, and there was a possibility to get a little orienteering practise. The landscape is rather fine, even though there are quite a lot of buildings and construction, and some of the forests have had clear cutting recently. I didn't get too badly lost.

(Posting title is from the poem The Sign-Post by Edward Thomas.)

Vierumäki - really something

Flowers

Blue and yellow

Impressio

Horses

Rope

Dandelion

Whirl

Here is a third set of photographs from Vierumäki, a bit from here and there. As you can see, we had yesterday plenty of sunshine - and warm, +25 °C - and lots of things to explore.

Addendum: I'll be traveling once again, so there is a lack of postings for a couple of days.

Vierumäki - wet and beautiful

Pond

Shore

Reflect

View

Marsh

Marsh flowers

Here are six more photographs taken while walking in the Vierumäki forests. The first set showed dry forests - here it was wet. And I got my shoes wet when walking on - or rather in - the marsh trying to catch a flower.

Walking in the Vierumäki forests - dry and beautiful

Rocks

Dry

Blueberry forest

Light and dark

Trientalis europaea

Firs

I was yesterday at Vierumäki, a sports resort where for example the Finnish ice hockey team practises.

My hobby at Vierumäki was going for a walk in the forests, with an orienteering map. Here you can see what is to be found. Vierumäki is really something, lots of variety in the landscape. And I'll post some more photographs of Vierumäki...