SUMMER PATHS

Wild strawberries and strawberries from the fields of my parents.

Ferry rides and curvy forest roads. After a summer storm checking if the tall trees survived.

Warm glimmering waters inside those tall trees.

Warm and sweet, pine scents and first blueberries. The scent of lake water. Could stay in the water until evening.

Birch trees. Last night, Patti Smith told in her concert here, a story how birch trees are girls that danced so long that they turned to birch trees. Dancing forests.

Shadows on silver meadows.

Sunset.

Ninety years old sauna. The cosiest one. Watching as shadows grow taller. A few steps behind to pick a few handfuls of strawberries.

Strawberry fields forever.

A SHADOW OF LAST YEAR'S JULY

Sun wakes me up at 6 am. Fetching newspaper from outside, the sun tickles birch leaves. That green happens only for a few days in a year. The green after the spring rain. Drinking tea, reading the newspaper on the floor. Friend knocks on the door, we drink morning coffee, talk about music. Gazing the clouds in the horizon, will they become friendly or not on the way. 


Friend leaves for work, I choose one of the soft cotton papers. Mixing a few spoonfuls of Payne's Grey Blaulich color. Painting a background, letting it dry. Fixing a few clothes meanwhile, sewing machine hums, small details sewing by hand. The background is dry.


Choosing the color buttercup yellow and cranesbill purple. Leaves from different greens. Frozen strawberries and blueberries with ginger and almond milk for breakfast. More leaves of blue tones on the paper.


The clouds appear closer, they are friendly summer clouds. A turtle and a hare at least, in woolen clothes of sheep. On the sky. Floating in the blueness.


Lunch time, carrot coriander soup. A walk. Thinking how to continue the painting. 


The photos are from last summer at grandmother's. More of those July birch tree leaves in wind.

Just an ordinary day.

Happy Tuesday with sunniest greetings!

WIND BRINGS SWEET SCENTS

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, straight from fields and forests to mouth. Mushrooms, berries, fresh herbs.

Raindrops on the roof with dreams at nighttimes. Wind in leaves and hay. The sun glimmering on everything.

A dreamcatcher, inspired by beautiful Jenny, while waiting and playing with an eight-weeks-old puppy. He carried cones and liked my woolen socks. Thread that was used to tie mail together fifty years ago when it was delivered only to one house in this village.

Pink sunsets. Turning head for new fragile flower scents.

NIGHTS, EARLY MORNINGS

1.30 am passing a lake between Rovaniemi and Sodankylä, all silent. A northern town after many reindeers, one white reindeer, curvy Downy Birches, rivers and a sun like a huge pink balloon hanging too low middle of the night. Circus tents filled with movies. The coldest wind middle of a hot day from the Arctic Sea.

Before, at grandmother´s. Flowers in the early summer mornings. A cuckoo that sang 60 times. Swimming in the forest pond at midnight.

Mid summer, what a magical moment.

Happy beginning week to everyone there, good night too.