In the branches of a tree

Meiko 1

Meiko 2

Meiko 3

Meiko 4

Meiko 5

Meiko 6

Meiko 7

The photographs were taken on January 6th in Meiko.

Today I walked for over two hours in the north parts of Nuuksio. I started at lake Suolikas, walked west to lake Lummukas, circled south to lake Syvä-Antias and lake Iso-Antias, and returned back north. In some places there was 20 cm of snow, partly frozen, but the north shore of lake Iso-Antias was bare of snow. It felt like spring, even though it is end of January.

This week I have got 12 hours of exercise. In January I rode the bicycle for only 160 kilometers, as the weather was challenging. But next week seems to be rather promising for commuting by bicycle.

(Posting title is from the poem Three Translations from Characters Found on a Lover’s Body by James Thomas Stevens.)

The saddest music keeps the sweetest time

Lake 1

Lake 2

Lake 3

Lake 4

Lake 5

Lake 6

This morning I walked for almost three hours, starting from Oittaa, going to Brobacka, and returning via another route. In six days I have got 13 hours of exercise.

The photographs were taken on December 5th at Meiko.

(Posting title is from the poem A Trenta-Sei of the Pleasure We Take in the Early Death of Keats by John Ciardi.)

Persistence turned to rhythmic movement

Lake 1

Lake 2

Lake 3

Lake 4

Lake 5

Lake 6

The photographs were taken on November 15th in Meiko.

This morning I walked for over two hours in Vaakkoi, starting well before sunrise. During the night the temperature dropped to -2 °C, so there was some frost, and a little bit of ice on the smaller lakes.

(Posting title is from the poem Why Poetry Cannot Be Skimmed by Jessica Jopp.)

To have held the vision of my own absence

Mustjärvi 1

Mustjärvi 2

Mustjärvi 3

Mustjärvi 4

Mustjärvi 5

Today while commuting by bicycle it took less than 40 minutes to get home, even though there was quite a lot of traffic and a little headwind. Usually it takes 45 minutes or more, but I didn't even try hard and still got the fastest time ever in getting home. It just felt easy to keep on going even in the uphill parts on the way.

The photographs were taken by lake Mustjärvi at Meiko on August 29th.

(Posting title is from the poem The Measure by Jay Wright.)

Came to see ourselves in a world of dreams

Lake 1

Lake 2

Lake 3

Lake 4

Lake 5

I have got so far 12 hours of exercise this week. Today seems to be a sunny day, +11 °C in the forecast.

The photographs were taken at lake Mustjärvi, Tränuhals and Nydalsviken on April 19th.

(Posting title is from the poem Where the Blue Begins by George Bradley.)

Into the sweet spot behind

Lake 1

Lake 2

Lake 3

Lake 4

I did quite a lot of work in the garden during the weekend, so that muscles are somewhat sore. Apparently riding the bicycle and walking doesn't prepare one for such physical work. However, the bicycle commute was quite all right today because the soreness applies to other muscles than those used when riding the bicycle.

These photographs were taken at lake Mustjärvi. I have walked past the lake quite a few times, but I hadn't climbed to the top of Urbysberget hill until April 11th. From the hill one can look to west, over lake Mustjärvi, and to east, over lake Humaljärvi.

(Posting title is from the poem Endless Inter-States by Sina Queyras.)

There is always something natural in pieces

Wet 1

Wet 2

Wet 3

Wet 4

Wet 5

I commuted by bicycle today. There had been a little rain, so the road was less dusty than last week, making the air feel fresh.

The photographs were taken on March 7th in Meiko.

(Posting title is from the poem Miss Peach: The College Years by Catie Rosemurgy.)

The fortunate thing about his camera

Snow 1

Snow 2

v 3

Snow 4

Sunny days have been so rare that I keep returning to the photographs taken on such days. These were taken in Meiko on January 6th.

On the other hand, it often turns out that photographs taken on clouded, rainy or otherwise not so pleasant days are the best. What is good for the photographer may not be good for the photographs. I have over 1,100 photographs waiting on the computer, and almost all were taken when it was not sunny.

I have taken over 13,000 photographs with the Panasonic LX100 so far, and I'm getting used to using it. Things are starting to become instinctive, which is as it should be. I have fine-tuned the settings, and I feel that I'm now rather close to the way the camera should operate.

(Posting title is from the poem Timothy O’Sullivan, Photographer by John Spaulding.)

No single parts unequally surprise

Water 1

Water 2

Water 3

Water 4

Water 5

On December 25th I took photographs at a little stream that runs into lake Mustjärvi. The water was dark, and the newly fallen snow was white, and the photographs appear somewhat strange, abstract, but maybe it is just that I haven't got used to the snow yet.

By the way, if you want to check how this stream looks when there is no snow, the last photograph above shows the same part of the stream as the last photograph in the posting from yesterday.

The flu bothers quite a lot, all the children have fever, and I'm not feeling too good. I hope to be able to do some shopping, as there isn't much to eat in the fridge. Not that eating feels especially tempting either.

(Posting title is from the poem An Essay on Criticism: Part 2 by Alexander Pope.)

I wish I knew a way of looking at the world

Snow 1

Snow 2

Snow 3

Snow 4

Snow 5

Snow changes the landscape completely. In the previous posting the photographs were taken at lake Mustjärvi on December 20th, when there was no snow, and the lake was flooded because of the rain. These photographs were taken there on December 25th, after snowfall, when the sun was shining, and quite a change it was.

I'm not feeling too well. The flu has been going around in the family for some time, and it seems that it is now my turn. I did go outside for a little while, but I'm tired, I have a headache, and the throat is sore.

(Posting title is from the poem Falling Water by John Koethe.)