What the hell?

11.39 pm and it’s still light outside.
(As written on July 9th)

Not bright-whip-out-those-sunglasses. But decidedly not dark.
The horizon cuts the sky above the tree line, beginning with a blue-purple-pink mixture, followed by a pink layer, topped with a light blue. The remainder of the sky is white. Off-white. As in the white used on television for near death experiences, day-time soaps to soften the surgically enhanced, and any of the dream sequences of Tatoo’s Fantasy Island.

Earlier (10ish) we noticed how the sunlight was golden against the trees across the lake in front of our fire. We were contemplating the evening and discussing whether or not a fire was necessary inside, to keep our tootsies warm while sleeping. (The insane one amongst us had been swimming in the lake all evening.) The pyro in me jumped at the opportunity to build another fire, and here we are.

My story starts in the middle and meanders. I sit in the most luxurious of cottages to date, warm, well-fed, chatting with an incredibly good friend and cannot believe my luck. I’m in the middle of nowhere. But yet the bugs are outside. The mosquito has not found me. My bed is already made for me.

I’ve seen more reindeer than I can count. I rode a sled down a toboggan course without losing my breakfast. I rode up the ‘hill’ on a lift. (Which, I might add, I successfully managed to mount and dismount without injury.) I slept on a real bed last night at the company cottage in Ruka. I went hiking for 12 km.

posted by irene @ 7/24/2002 06:56:00 AM