Northern Lights….what a fantastic display

On Wednesday night between 10 and 11pm there was a fantastic display of the Northern Lights; the best many people can remember here!!

I stood in my garden watching the beautiful colours and patterns in the sky, coming from every direction (even in the south).  After some time I realised I should be taking some photographs but unfortunately by the time I had fetched my camera and located my Gorilla Pod the best of the display was over.  However, here are the best pictures I was able to take

In this final picture the light was so bright that it is actually over exposed with a 15 second exposure!

The sun has returned

Yesterday was the first day we have seen the sun since early December.

Today while out on a ski trip with some guests I took these pictures on Solberget hill.

Here are some pictures I took from the top of the fire-watching tower

Here is the cabin where we ate lunch

Three Churches Walk

Thank you to all my family and friends who visited me during my recent stay in England.

While there, I did the “Three Churches Walk” with my friends Sprock and Tony.

We began our walk from the church in Gazeley, the village where I used to live.

From Gazeley we walked the public footpath across fields

to Moulton village church

From Moulton we followed the footpath to Dalham village and then up the hill to the church.

We left Dalham and made our way back to Gazeley.  We walked a total distance of 11kms and with warm, sunny weather  it was a great day!

Another trip to England

I’m leaving for a one week trip to England tomorrow, so will be writing here again in about 10 days.

New Year in the forest

When I lived in England I celebrated Christmas in the forest, but now here in Lapland we celebrated New Year in the forest near Solberget Vildmarksbyn.

There were 28 of us who gathered at Solberget at 23:23.

The children travelled on Reindeer and sled while the adults walked behind

It took us about 15 minutes to get to the location in the forest (which we had created earlier in the day) where we would celebrate the New Year.

There was even a snow reindeer sculpture

The party commenced with ice cream and warm punch for everyone

We sat around the camp fire talking and singing

We left the party at 2am, but it continued long into the night.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

Madison Square Garden can seat 20,000 people for a concert. This blog was viewed about 69,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Madison Square Garden, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Seasons Greetings

Solberget Vildmarksbyn

 

Yesterday I began working as a tourist guide at Solberget Vilmarksbyn as part of a work experience scheme with the local job centre.

Yesterday we took guests out on a ski tour around the local marshes.

We could not travel across the marshes because the ice was thin and there was water under the snow.

Water on skis freezes immediately and has to be removed.  Fortunately Dirk had a gas burner in his rucksack

We heard and found much evidence of Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus).  In the picture below they had been feeding on Birch buds

Willow Grouse have feathers on their feet so you cannot see toes in their tracks

In this picture a Willow Grouse has landed in the snow (you can see the wing pattern) and then run away.

We also saw many Red Squirrel tracks

After three hours, we returned to Solberget Wilderness Village

After the Reindeer had been fed this morning

we headed off into the forest on another ski tour to the top of Solberet (Sun Hill translated to English).

We skied uphill for about one hour until we reached a cabin and fire-watch tower

Once inside the cabin we made a fire

and had lunch

After lunch we returned to Solberget.

An early Christmas present

Christmas came early for me when Teres bought me a pair of Reindeer skin trousers, something I have wanted for many years.

They are made to my specification by a friend of ours who designs and makes both traditional and modern Sámi clothing.

They are very warm and comfortable but one problem I have found is that keys in my pocket have stretched and discoloured the Reindeer skin, so Teres came up with the idea to make a special leather pouch for my keys which I have now made.

When I do not need my keys, I pull a leather cord which draws the keys up inside the pouch

The pouch is easy to make.  You cut out two bell shaped pieces of leather which are joined together at the top.  Sew both sides together

and make a small hole in the leather at the top, through which you put a leather cord (I used a four-strand round plat to make my leather cord).  Attach the end of the cord inside the pouch to your keys and make a knot or attach a metal ring to the opposite end and the pouch is completed.

Dawn and dusk in Nattavaara

Although the sun no longer appears above the horizon, we still have dawn and dusk here.  Dusk is at around 2pm just now

and dawn is at 9am.  It took this series of pictures this morning when the temperature was -23 degrees.

and behind me the moon was shining over the trees

Here’s a short atmospheric video I also made.