Dawn row

When you're asked whether you fancy watching the dawn from a traditional Finnish rowing boat in the middle of a still lake, surrounded by pine forest, who would ever say no?

We were on the boat a fair while before seven with the light just breaking in the west. It already looked dramatic.

But actually, what unfolded was well beyond both of our expectations. We hoped we might see glowing light on clouds, we imagined a few swans and perhaps hoped we may catch some taking off. 

What we didn't expect was fifty of them encircling us around the perimeter of the lake whilst we sat in the middle absorbing the waves of their haunting surround-sound calls. You could almost feel the echoes resonating between the trees; the sounds becoming softer and more ethereal as they reverberated through the pines again and again.

We kept our distance, just making them out in the half light as they began to prepare to leave our smaller lake which joins the vast expanse of lake Puruvesi through a narrow channel. 

After a good half an hour of listening, grinning in amazement and gentle rowing, small groups began to take off, the last six forming a horizontal row as they took off in unison away from us over the trees.

Hard to put into words? Yes. 
Does this picture being it back for me? Completely!  

Sharing our morning with swans, hearing their music, and feeling our emotions will pop right out of this photo each of the many times I know I'll come back to it.

Oh, and then the dawn light display began! What we were actually rowing out for (I say we, I had the luxury of the passenger seat!) We spent time enjoying the colours in the sky developing into a picturesque sunrise and then gradually fading before heading back to shore.

Now, as if that wasn't enough, after the return to the delights of Kerimaki kakku and kahvi, I headed out for a walk after spotting a couple of waxwings again at the cabin. With the sun still shining, I explored a new track through the woods which linked up with one from yesterday.

The lowering light on the moss was glowing green and I decided to extend my walk a little further. My ears tuned in to a sound I remembered from home; trilling waxwings! 

On the lookout, I quickly located a single pine tree with what must have been 100 waxwings in it, possibly starting to roost but still actively flitting in and out of rowan trees below. 

In the sunlight, they seemed perfectly happy for me to stand and stare and snap away. I even stood under the pine tree most of them were in at one point, taking home a dropped rowan berry in my hair!

A greater spotted woodpecker even joined in the fun on the sunlit birch tree next to me, hammering away without a care.

After dinner, a thought-provoking conversation and dad's fine music playlist and fire, he looked outside expecting to see cloud but finding the Milky Way. We'd already said these moments weren't to be missed so we dressed back up again for sub-zero temperatures and walked to the other side of the peninsula. Cloud was approaching but a glow in the sky revealed the Northern Lights on a long exposure.  

I could go on about the feelings but I need to sleep! I hope you manage to get a vague inkling of the day we've had from the words which are very difficult to find.