winter – Page 9 – Owlnature

Snow light

It started to snow on Tuesday, rather late in the evening. We went for a drive – that’s what we often do when it really starts to snow. 🙂 And we’ve noticed many times that some wild animals become very active when it’s snowing. – We usually see at least hares and deers – yeah, one has to be careful driving out there! On Tuesday evening we saw a hare and a fox.

These pics I took yesterday and today.

Yesterday’s light…

By the frozen lake Pyhäjärvi yesterday, the sun was already almost gone for the day. The days are at their shortest now. Here where I’m living, the sun rose today at 9:41 AM and it sets at 15:12 PM – the length of the day is 5 hours 31 minutes.

The rest of the pics I took today.

Lilac bush in December, on our front yard, Christmas or winter lights around her.

They say that this snow might still be on the ground on Christmas – I surely hope so, but let’s see what happens… Not heaps of snow, but enough for the spirit. 🙂

Our backyard peony in December. 🙂

-Leena

A blast from the past III (the last one, for now:)) – a nature-related love poem

A wolf wandering in the wilderness that is dressed up in snow white
The night is falling to caress the silence with the moonlight
The mid-winter frost is biting the paws of the beautiful beast,
For the breeze that the chilly morning sent, has never ceased.

The animal is walking up the slope of the shadowy fell,
Looking backwards where the den of the paleness can be seen well
Beneath the starry cover the frozen lake of the wild is slumbering
The falling flakes reflect the glow, and the wolf’s grey fur is glittering.

On the fell-top the lone wolf many times has cried,
But the howling only is for the moon to hear, there is no one by his side
Yet the beast keeps on yearning for his beloved and the never promised moon,
He knows his endless calling might reach someone any time soon.

And that night the echo brings a message cried out by another loner,
But will they ever have a true encounter, or is everything merely over?

-Leena

(Written by me in winter 2002. :))

Frost & fire

It’s been chilly lately. Frost but no snow. Every once in a while the sun’s been shining through some broken patches of the cloud cover during the daytime, and the moon’s been so bright at nighttime. It’s been rather beautiful and magical, it all. 🙂

The first seven pics I took today.

Decorated in style, naturally…

My land. 🙂

A frosty clover flower.

My land, my power trees… my dreams… It’s good to have your own power trees! Everyone can have those; they are free! – You don’t have to like own the trees… but they are yours – on a much deeper level! 🙂

The last two pics I took on Sunday, late in the evening. I actually think that I have better pics of these things on my Instagram (owlnatureleena) – you win some, you lose some, when you try to take many pics of living fire with your phone and your camera, both… 🙂

A garden campfire… with some stars and the moonlight…

And I was heating my glögi, nicely warm to drink out in the cold.

-Leena

A blast from the past II – writing a nature poem

Late-Night Life in the Wild

A courageous vagabond in the silent wilderness of the fabled north,
For what is his smothered cry worth?
Twinkling stars a comfort for the lonely hermit’s soul
Silence suddenly break by the voice of a cheerfully greeting owl.

He accepted the captivating call of the distant wild,
The whispering condemnation not for the fragile
The glimmering full-moon lightens the path never-ending,
An autumnal message the honest glow is sending.

Strong northern-breeze chants kindly in his ear,
Accompanied by the howling of a whining wolf so near
The brave animal dwells in the shelter of an echoing fell
Lone wolf’s tears for the sacred full-moon are not due to farewell.

If a shiny star should shoot in the black sky,
Would the melancholic man wish or tell a white lie?
Is the blaze of the northern lights an omen of the end of his sorrow,
Or awaits there just another hailing tomorrow?

Bare dwarf birches beside a glittering, dark blue, flowing river
A longingly screaming eagle is giving him the shiver
A campfire sparkling nostalgic warmth which will the nighttime last,
Is the softly singing hermit missing something from the past?

-Leena

(Written by me in autumn 2001. :))

Hyacinths – favourite flowers this time of the year & have some glögi

Hyacinths are traditional, popular and well-loved Christmas plants or flowers in Finland. And they have been my favourites ever since my childhood.

It’s the scent! The lovely and nostalgic scent of the Christmastime! The hyacinth in these pics is my first hyacinth for this year. The adorable scent started to appear on Tuesday. 🙂

Naturally the look of hyacinths is charming and lovable, too…

…many tiny flowers, and some colour yellow as well! 🙂

The flowers speak for themselves…

And it’s the time for glögi! :

Glögi is a traditional, hot and spiced drink. It’s mainly a Christmas (and pre-Christmas) drink in Finland. It can be translated as mulled wine. However, not all the glögi drinks are like wine – alcoholic drinks – some are, but, actually, we drink a lot of juice glögi in Finland, so… glögi is… glögi in Finland. As a non-alcoholic drink it’s some fruit or berry juice, hot and spiced. This one that I’m having is grape, blackcurrant and blueberry juice, spiced with cinnamon, bitter orange peel, cloves, cardamom and ginger – all the traditional Christmas or winter spices. Glögi can be bought ready-made – that’s probably why the juice glögi is so popular. 🙂

I think there will be still more glögi and hyacinths in my blog and on my Instagram over the next few weeks… 🙂

-Leena

A blast from the past – writing a nature poem

The depth of winter where the moon is rising,
The weak daylight dwindles without compromising
Pale glow takes over, the shadows grow dark
Behind the wood a vigorous dog begins to bark.

The winding road between the fields that are gleaming white,
For evening’s walker the frozen landscape is a peaceful sight
Snow flurry covers the footprints on the ground
Cool breeze sighs, the flakes dash gently all around.

Silence captures the falling night, standing bold and wise
The stars stay awake observing with their bright eyes
A door creaks casting light when thrown open wide,
The shivering dog hears a whistle, and rushes swiftly inside.

-Leena

(Written by me in autumn 2001. :))

German nature word – der Winter

der Winter – winter