Archipelago in December 2013

Turku Archipelago (In Parainen Pargas) in December:
No ice on sea yet. Almost no snow, but however some places I found covered with white.

Turun saaristoa (Parainen) joulukuun 8. päivänä:
Ei vielä jäitä. Eikä oikein luntakaan, paitsi siellä täällä.

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed deer

As I was driving along the way to our summer villa in the archipelago of Finland I met this beautiful creature standing on a field. I guess he found me rather harmless sitting in my car because he decided to stay and study me for a while.

Ajaessani mökkitietä Turunmaan saaristossa tapasin tämän kauniin olennon, valkohäntäkauriin. Se taisi todeta minut varsin harmittomaksi jäädessään tutkimaan minua ja tilannetta hetkeksi.

It also had a friend that was more of a shy type.

Smoke on Water

Misty weather surprised us on Sunday at the sea.

Luckily the mist was not so thick after all so we had no difficulties in finding our way.

Below some pictures I shoot of the misty scenery. Notice that both are colour pictures - but there was no colours, only the grey fog.

In the other picture (the first one) you'll find a pic of an army boat "Turva"

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Sumun nouseminen yllätti meidät sunnuntaina merellä.

Mutta onneksemme sumu ei ollut loppujen lopuksi kovin tiheää joten suunnistaminen perinteiseen
tapaan luontui silti hyvin.

Huomaa, että molemmat kuvat alla ovat värikuvia - sumu imi maisemasta kaikki värit.

Otin muutaman kuvan harmaudesta huomimatta, sillä sumuiset maisemat kiehtovat minua.

Armeijan laiva, nimeltään Turva, puski kanssamme sumussa eteenpäin.

Boat Drive

First Boat Drive of the Year

Kevään (ja vuoden) eka veneajelu.

Nauvo islands in December

Snow on the shore

Beautiful snow covered the seaside on the weekend as we were visiting on Nauvo islands in Turku archipelago.

 

Vierailimme viikonloppuna Nauvossa mökkisaarella ja rannat olivat peittyneet lumeen.

Can you see the boat? Fishermen are always at the sea, no matter if the sun was shining or the cold winter.

October Snow

Snow in Central Park

On Thursday evening last week it happened - it began to snow! The world turned into a Winter Wonderland. Suddenly the Autumn darkness was gone and the snow lightened the surroundings. 

Welcome snow, we've missed you! You make the world look so beautiful!

Well, it was not ment to stay yet, in October, and now it has already melted away. 

But dear snow and winter, know this, you are the most welcomed guest when you arrive next time, sometime in December / January, I believe! 

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Viime viikon torstaina alkoi yhtäkkiä pyryttää lunta ja maailma muuttui kuin taikaiskusta talven ihmemaaksi. Lumi tekee ihmeitä, kaikki peittyi valkeaan harsoon ja maisema oli kuin satukirjasta.

Mutta lokakuun lumet eivät vielä pysy ja sitä iloa kesti viikonlopun verran. Mutta ihanaa saada esimakua mitä tuleman pitää. Vähän aikaa täytyy vielä malttaa ennen kuin lumivaippa peittää maan pysyvämmin.

Stairs at the Ferry Terminal in Korpo

Go up

Go down

Try not to go upsidedown

This is an old pic, but I thought it would suit nicelely here after the other picture of stairs, below.

This rather simple picture is actually of my favorites. Even though if  I'd take this pic today, I might include just a little bit more of sky and also the sea in the picture for some more space.

But even if I see my mistakes of too tight cropping (and some more), I still like it.

And it's the lines and the simplicity that does it. There is something interesting with simple, "empty" pictures with clear lines. I'm also very fond of these materials, solid rock and old wood.

Maybe that's because I'm a Finn. I mean that's how Finnish design also is. Very simple plain and clear, not too much of anything and made of real materials, often wood.

Well, I'm not a designer, I wish I were, but maybe this longing for simplicity and plain things is inside us Finns. 

Just a thought?

Be aware of Trolls!

Trolls do not have to be scary! 
Peikot ovat kilttejä!

This cute troll lives on a troll island, Gullkrona in Finnish Archipelago. The island is full of art works like this troll - in other words, where ever you go and where ever you see, there might be a troll hiding.

But they were all (almost..) very cute and friendly trolls, like this smiling one which I fell in love with!

Tämä pikku Peikko asuu Turunmaan saaristossa. Sillä on paljon ystäviä, minne tahansa katsotkin, puun oksalle tai juurakkoon, siellä voi majailla peikko! Oikea Peikkosaari!
Mutta nämä peikot ovat kilttejä! :)

Jump!

Summer Fun

Splash!! 

This is what summer holidays are about - having fun and spending time with family and friends.

Without having to worry about timetables and early get_ups.

Oh, still 10 months to next summer vacation - but actually that's also ok,
let's enjoy colours of coming Autumn and snow of Winter first :)

Parasta kesässä; rento yhdessäolo perheen, ystävien ja lähimmäisten kanssa.
Rauhalliset aamut ja päivät ilman aikatauluja.

Midsummer Bonfire

Midsummer Festival -

not even the sun goes to sleep

This pic is taken last Midsummer. It's the time in Finland that sun does not go down but one could describe it's slowly circling up in the sky. So the nights are not dark at all.

In my family we have a tradition every year at Midsummer Evening to build a bonfire - and I love sitting by it and just watch the flames. And watch. And watch. It somehow feels like the_time_gone, our ancestors in stoneage, is after all not so far from us, because they did the same - stared into flames like we do today.

Juhannuskokko
Sen tulta ja liekkien leikkiä voisin tuijottaa vaikka ikuisuuden. Siihen ei koskaan kyllästy. Tuntuu ihmeelliseltä ajatella, että niin on ihminen tehnyt ihmiskunnan alusta asti.

Natural Mirror

Upside down

or was it just the opposite?

I was driving by with a boat on one summer evening. It just happened that the water was very calm and the evening sun lit this little island perfectly. I noticed the reflection in water and told to my hubby to stop the boat, I wanted to capture what I saw. And there it is, a mirror.

But which way is the right way? :)