Another short Arctic summer comes to its end.
“Moments, when lost, can’t be found again. They’re just gone.”
Jenny Han
The mosquitoes are gone, so are the warm and pleasant afternoons.
Darkness and the stars have returned.
The virus is still here.
Be safe.
The sky grew darker,
painted blue on blue,
one stroke at a time,
into deeper and deeper shades of night.
While looking for something intelligent to write about the color blue, I discovered that not all languages have a distinct word for the colors blue and green. In English, however, we do. Therefore, if somebody tells you “The sky is green” – beware!
“The highest form of bliss
is living with a certain degree of folly.”Desiderius Erasmus
October has just been amazing. Clear skies, bountiful of sunshine, freezing night temperatures, fall foliage… Almost not enough time to catch your breath.
I know winter is coming. We are loosing 7 minutes of daylight every day. 13 F was the lowest temperature reading so far. Nevertheless, when the sun is out it just feels much warmer.
If I could, I would stop time right now. But I can’t. So I go with the flow and appreciate what I have.
July brought sunshine, thunderstorms, days of celebrations, and time to muse. After a roadtrip to the lower 48s, I have settled back into the quirkiness of Alaska. The current abundance of delicious berries in the wild makes up for the lack of affordable, quality food items in our one and only grocery store in town. I have made dozens of containers with thimbleberry, rasberry, salmonberry, blackberry, and black currant jam, that will last me through the next Alaskan winter. Blueberries are next. I am dreaming of blueberry scones with lemon glaze and Martha Stewart’s unforgettable blueberry tart.
Living the simple life in rural Alaska becomes me. Being outside every day, even when it’s blowing or raining I feel alive. I don’t have TV. The world news are troubling, although they seem distant, almost unreal. I don’t miss that part of the “civilized” world.
Six more weeks and then the summer season is coming to an end up here. Until then I soak in all this place has to offer. Speaking of soaking. There has been quite some moisture in the air lately, so don’t be too jealous.
At night it is actually getting dark, so not much longer and we start looking for northern lights, eh! Can’t wait. Eagle fest, salmon roe, snow...
Live here is a cycle. It all repeats itself, at its own pace. Live follows nature. I am part of it.
— in no particular order —
like I said before, it has been a long winter…
Seriously, I have a craving for a good margarita, sushi, and some serious sunshine 🙂
Not to forget colors, tell me there is still more than white, gray and blue(s) out here…
“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning,
and unallied with definite form,
can speak to the soul
in a thousand different ways. ”Oscar Wilde
My way of hanging on to summer.
The first storms blew through Southeast Alaska. When the clouds lifted a few mountain tops revealed the first sugar coating. It’s another sign, the season is changing.
Most wildflowers are now in a hurry to produce seeds. Berries, red, blue, and black and lush lichen still paint the alpine tundra in their summer coat. It will all change, soon enough.
“Spring passes, remember its innocence
Summer passes, remember its exuberance
Autumn passes, remember its reverence
Winter passes, remember its perseverance”adapted from Yoko Ono
Technically it is still summer, tell that the red currants! Shocking, in your face fall colors.
Red poppies, Garden City of Alaska, Skagway
“People from a planet without flowers
would think we must be mad
with joy the whole time
to have such beauty around us.”
Iris Murdoch
Red is the color of my soul according to a silly fun quiz. After a few days without internet I googled for a few hours, rode around town with this incredible manual f/2 135mm lens and found a marvelous garden. The red poppies called at me… And then I found out that the color of my soul is red.
“Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. You are a fireball! Fiesty but warm, you are friendly when handled with care. But the moment someone screws up… Watch out! They might just get burned.”
I might have to retake that test…
What color is your soul?
Monochrome poppies, Skagway, Alaska
Believe it or not, a flower shot won the 2014-2015 Nikon Photo Contest! “Fukushima Flowers” by Katsuhiro Noguchi to be exact took the Grand Prize.
“Fukushima Flowers”, © Katsuhiro Noguchi
“Flowers are the sweet children of nature, they make us smile.”
Mehmet Murat ildan
I find it very difficult to take pictures of flowers that go beyond pretty. Some of the judges must have had the same feeling, when they saw the winning photographs. Once they read the title and understood the background of the photographs they found praise and merit in the 3 photographs submitted.
I still find it very difficult to see beyond pretty. My story goes like this. After a long winter I was craving for color. Then came spring and now summer is here. Today the colors are vibrant, tomorrow…?
Can I get a prize, too?
Poppies, Jewell Garden, Skagway, AK
“Fireworks”, Alaska
Summer wildflowers abound. There were violets, skunk cabbage, pasque flowers, dandelions, western columbines, poppies, prickly roses, lupines, buttercups, and so many more.
“The earth laughs in flowers.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I picked the first raspberries… How can this be? 8 weeks ago there was snow and ice. Now it is mid summer, already? Note to self: Don’t look back, don’t wait for tomorrow, smell the wildflowers of today (since the roses are already gone).
Bearly 