Friday, July 30, 2010
quick one
Flickr has been updated with a few quick photos from recent explorations in Norway. Blog update to hopefully come in the next few days...for now, back in Slussfors, back in the rain, and back with the dogs.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
post it
Dear computer,
I do not appreciate all the time you waste as I sit here typing this forsaken blog post. I do not appreciate that fact I have been sucked into the abyss of social networking and the facades of cyberspace. I do not like creating avatars and fake personifications of my true character and personality. I do not appreciate your little white screen starting at me before I go to bed and waking me up in the morning with a cup of coffee. I am addicted to your bloody modern technology and the speed and complexity at which you bring a false sense of connectedness to the 'global' community. As this could stretch on ad infinitum, I'm going to get straight to the point: I am initiating a 10 day boycott of this infernal machine. I am leaving the country, going to Norway, and not caring about what happens on Earth unless it directly affects me in the next 10 days. Do not check this until August.
Sincerely,
d. cembalski
I do not appreciate all the time you waste as I sit here typing this forsaken blog post. I do not appreciate that fact I have been sucked into the abyss of social networking and the facades of cyberspace. I do not like creating avatars and fake personifications of my true character and personality. I do not appreciate your little white screen starting at me before I go to bed and waking me up in the morning with a cup of coffee. I am addicted to your bloody modern technology and the speed and complexity at which you bring a false sense of connectedness to the 'global' community. As this could stretch on ad infinitum, I'm going to get straight to the point: I am initiating a 10 day boycott of this infernal machine. I am leaving the country, going to Norway, and not caring about what happens on Earth unless it directly affects me in the next 10 days. Do not check this until August.
Sincerely,
d. cembalski
Sunday, July 18, 2010
new life
Zulu and Makalu are happy to announce the arrival of 7 new puppies to the kennel today! This is the second litter to come from Zulu and Mak. The newborn puppies are already big and strong and will be pulling a sled down the trail before too long...
Saturday, July 17, 2010
mid-July
So it's finally warmed up enough to wear shorts, although I haven't taken the step to shorts and a t-shirt. However, if you choose to walk outside with shorts on, your legs will soon be black with flies and mosquitoes, hungry for your blood. Short wearing time only lasts for a couple hours in the evening a couple days per week. When it's not sunny and hot, it's over cast and raining, verging on a down pour. Apparently August is a pretty damp month, so I'm enjoying the sun while I can.
Last week I had a real cultural experience when Sibylle and I went to watch a Sami tradition, reindeer ear marking. The Sami are the native people of Lappland (northern Norway, Sweden, Finnland, and eastern Russia) and have relied on reindeer herding as a livelihood for generations. For most of the year, the reindeer roam free through the forests and across the fjälls. Every single reindeer is claimed by a Sami family, so people here consider reindeer domesticated. After calves are born in the spring, local Sami families plan times for herding and ear marking during the summer. Every family has a certain marking they put on the ears of their reindeer and many often have multiple marks. The whole deal is similar to branding cattle. During a cold night without rain, everyone hikes up into the fjälls where an area has been fenced off. The reindeer are herded up a valley and into the fenced area and this is when the fun begins.
Cold nights are chosen because the calves are more likely to stay close to their mothers. Being as far north as we are, there is no problem with seeing at any given hour. By watching which calf goes to which mother, the Sami are able to determine who the reindeer belong to. The mothers have already been marked and tonight is time for the calves rite of passage. When the Sami see a calf following a mother who is theirs, they fling a tightly coiled loop, lassoing the calf around the neck. Keeping a tight hold onto the rope, they go down the line hand over hand until they can pin the calf on the ground. Equipped at the hip with traditional knives as sharp as razors, they quickly holds the ears as they cut out notches, effectively "branding" their reindeer. Once done, they release the calf and begin looking for another one.
Keep in mind, that while one is focused on marking an ear, there are hundreds of reindeer stampeding around and numerous other families marking ears. If the Sami get tired, they can go outside the fence where multiple fires are kept lit and stocked with wood throughout the night. The native vs invader mentality exists almost everywhere and Lappland is no exception. The Sami and Swedes don't get along very well and generally keep to themselves. One of the few ways to see the ear marking tradition is to know a Sami who has invited you. We were lucky enough to have such a friend through Dave and Annette. After leaving Slussfors at 17:00, I finally returned around 6:30, the next morning. It had never gotten dark, I hadn't slept a wink, and I felt like I had seen something special in life.
Last week I had a real cultural experience when Sibylle and I went to watch a Sami tradition, reindeer ear marking. The Sami are the native people of Lappland (northern Norway, Sweden, Finnland, and eastern Russia) and have relied on reindeer herding as a livelihood for generations. For most of the year, the reindeer roam free through the forests and across the fjälls. Every single reindeer is claimed by a Sami family, so people here consider reindeer domesticated. After calves are born in the spring, local Sami families plan times for herding and ear marking during the summer. Every family has a certain marking they put on the ears of their reindeer and many often have multiple marks. The whole deal is similar to branding cattle. During a cold night without rain, everyone hikes up into the fjälls where an area has been fenced off. The reindeer are herded up a valley and into the fenced area and this is when the fun begins.
Cold nights are chosen because the calves are more likely to stay close to their mothers. Being as far north as we are, there is no problem with seeing at any given hour. By watching which calf goes to which mother, the Sami are able to determine who the reindeer belong to. The mothers have already been marked and tonight is time for the calves rite of passage. When the Sami see a calf following a mother who is theirs, they fling a tightly coiled loop, lassoing the calf around the neck. Keeping a tight hold onto the rope, they go down the line hand over hand until they can pin the calf on the ground. Equipped at the hip with traditional knives as sharp as razors, they quickly holds the ears as they cut out notches, effectively "branding" their reindeer. Once done, they release the calf and begin looking for another one.
Keep in mind, that while one is focused on marking an ear, there are hundreds of reindeer stampeding around and numerous other families marking ears. If the Sami get tired, they can go outside the fence where multiple fires are kept lit and stocked with wood throughout the night. The native vs invader mentality exists almost everywhere and Lappland is no exception. The Sami and Swedes don't get along very well and generally keep to themselves. One of the few ways to see the ear marking tradition is to know a Sami who has invited you. We were lucky enough to have such a friend through Dave and Annette. After leaving Slussfors at 17:00, I finally returned around 6:30, the next morning. It had never gotten dark, I hadn't slept a wink, and I felt like I had seen something special in life.
Monday, July 5, 2010
new view on summer
So it's now July 5 and I think about time I accept that this is what summer is here in Lappland. A really warm day is 20 C, which about 70 F. Coming from Montana and other places where it can get quite hot outside, I have yet to use the two pairs of shorts I packed. I'm beginning to think the space would have been better used for an extra pair of Carharts. The last couple days have, however, warranted chacos and a t-shirt, at least for part of the day. I've adjusted to falling back to sleep at 3 am with the sun blazing through the windows and I've now adjusted to the fact I just might not wear a t-shirt and shorts at the same time in 2010.
Thunderstorms and heavy downpours of rain have been occurring almost daily and it always reminds me of home somehow. I have now built 11 dog houses, which the dogs happily enjoy when the sky opens up with buckets of rain. The World Cup is coming to a close soon, but the Tour de France is picking up, with stage 2 already complete. On one hand, it's nice having these great sporting events on throughout the day and evening. On the other hand, watching Tour stages for 4 hours every day can really cut into your work time.
I pulled out an old bread machine yesterday and made my first loaf following directions in German and using Swedish ingredients. It would have been awfully confusing had I not done it before. If you're looking for some summer time reading, take a look at All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner, North to the Night by Alvah Simon, A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn or The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The first two I've read and enjoyed. The last two I'm in the middle of and highly recommend.
Guess that's it for now. I realize no one probably reads this on any kind of regular schedule (cause I don't have a regular schedule for posting), but it seems any time I don't post for more than a week, I get an email from someone asking why I haven't posted anything. So if I'm posting, there's either something interesting going on or I'm just bored. If I'm not posting, then there's either nothing interesting going on or I'm too busy. So there you have it. Stay tuned, but not too closely...
Thunderstorms and heavy downpours of rain have been occurring almost daily and it always reminds me of home somehow. I have now built 11 dog houses, which the dogs happily enjoy when the sky opens up with buckets of rain. The World Cup is coming to a close soon, but the Tour de France is picking up, with stage 2 already complete. On one hand, it's nice having these great sporting events on throughout the day and evening. On the other hand, watching Tour stages for 4 hours every day can really cut into your work time.
I pulled out an old bread machine yesterday and made my first loaf following directions in German and using Swedish ingredients. It would have been awfully confusing had I not done it before. If you're looking for some summer time reading, take a look at All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner, North to the Night by Alvah Simon, A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn or The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The first two I've read and enjoyed. The last two I'm in the middle of and highly recommend.
Guess that's it for now. I realize no one probably reads this on any kind of regular schedule (cause I don't have a regular schedule for posting), but it seems any time I don't post for more than a week, I get an email from someone asking why I haven't posted anything. So if I'm posting, there's either something interesting going on or I'm just bored. If I'm not posting, then there's either nothing interesting going on or I'm too busy. So there you have it. Stay tuned, but not too closely...
Saturday, July 3, 2010
summer storms stimulation
The rain comes and goes, creating numerous shades of green, stimulating sight. Moss grows everywhere and the forest smells organic, stimulating smell. Breezes blow down the river, born in the mountains of Norway, stimulating feel. Birds talk, dogs howl, and plants rustle their leaves, stimulating hearing. Holding all the hope of future generations, berries release sweet juices, stimulating taste.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
