The morning sun rose feebly over the
snowy landscape. The birch trees in the yard were pen and ink
scribbles against the white ground and the leaden sky. More snow
seemed to be on the way.
Two of my nieces had graciously bunked
with their sisters so that we could have their cozy room with twin
beds. The radiator had run like a champ all night, obliterating
memories of freezing nights gone by. After breakfast we bundled up
and joined my brother Wade, his wife Anna, and their two youngest on
a little wintry ramble. With snow tires already on for the season,
their van traveled well as the frozen landscape slipped by the
window.
Our destination was the Sjunby area and
an abandoned hydroelectric plant along the Siuntio River. We climbed down
along the building and across a tiny footbridge to the river bottom. I was glad I wasn't carrying a baby.
The rushing water looked dirty and I
assumed that it was because it was so stirred up but Wade said it's
because of iron in the water.
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| Siunto River |
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| Wade, Anna and their two youngest children |
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| Siuntio River Reflections |
The littlest one probably didn't
remember last year's snow and was thoroughly delighted with the white
stuff. He kept scooping up handfuls in his mittened hands and
tossing it into the air.
Nearby abandoned buildings had Russian writing from the time of their occupation. With no one along to translate, I've no idea what they said.
Also nearby was this beautiful old
manor house, framed by wintry tree branches. Interesting to see so
many buildings unused, but protected by the government.
We returned home in time for their
young son's arrival from school. The boys happily played in the snow
covered yard in front of their cozy home.
Wade, Alyssa and I left again to meet
Annette, their eldest daughter, at a coffee shop in town. One thing
the Finnish excel at is desserts. The case was filled with wonderful
concoctions, beautifully presented. Though I'd heard they had great
lattes, I opted for a decaf Americano so I could enjoy my slice
of lemon pie.
The sun only shows itself for a few
hours during the Finnish winter and sets very slowly because
of the low angle. We drove out to a park along Lake Lohja and
watched the ducks float along on the crimson tinged water. It was
curious to see the snow crystals clinging to the particles of sand as
my only experience with beaches is in warmer climes.
With the sun still not down, we drove
to Kukkumaki Hill for another view. The hill was really a slick,
snowy pile of rocks. It was a lovely view but I was having trouble
breathing in the cold and didn't relish sliding down on my back so we
didn't get to the top. I thought the view was sufficient from
halfway up.
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| This was as far as I'd climb. |
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| Alyssa and cousin Annette on Kukkumaki Hill |
When the last pink had disappeared, we
drove home to find the remaining three girls home from school. There
was enough snow on the sloped driveway to pull out the sleds. They
piled on and had great fun, with the exposed gravel carving out
colorful shavings from the bottoms of the plastic sleds.
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| Alyssa, sandwiched between her two cousins |
