Rudolph is back

So he came back. Rudolph. To celebrate new years eve in the garden. While a cat was very curious. Wanted so much to make contact. But was totally ignored by Rudolph.

During the morning we could still observe the animal.

And since we soon will enter a new year, you can see this phenomena in a new medium;

Just click here to see my reindeer and cat video

With a promise of a brighter time

There has been some bright hours in the middle of the two latest days. The light can be viewed on the sky in south, from the sun who is hiding somewhere there in the south.
In the afternoon the darkness comes and gives extra colour.

The sky, the old zeppelin mast (in memorial of the North pole zeppelin explorers like Amundsen from Norway and Nobile from Italy in the 1800) and the town all give a promise of a bighter time.

I got more and more eager to capture this with my camera. Was creaping further and further out towards the sea. Until I had to escape from some waves that almost swallowed both me and the camera.

Rudolph came by

We came home around midnight. Had been served dinner by some friends. One of those strange, Norwegian courses, called "rødsei", red pollack. The fish is not drained from blood, but stored with salt in a barrel for several months. Then watered and cooked.
Very interesting.
So I guessed that would be enough of impressions for the day. Until I heard a big scream from my dear.
Well back home she had seen a figure out in the garden. Moving.

It was good, old Rudolph who had stopped by. Eating from my garden.
Santa had probably given him the day off, since he had been flying around with presents and stuff.

Actually it`s not a big deal seeing a reindeer out in the garden in our town Vadsø, in Arctic Norway.
But we felt it was kind of special at this time, around midnight, in the dark winther, around Christmas.

The animal did not care much about the fuss. Not the screaming from the house, not the flashlight from my camera.
He just kicked in the snow, and ate some more of our grass.
And I think it`s okay. It might bring us some luck...

Quick end of the day

Now is the darkest period of the Arctic. No sun. Only one hour of twilight.
So it`s easy to miss the little that reminds us of a day.
Or to put it this way; Now with a Christmas holliday, it`s easy to sleep away the whole daylight. It`s not so difficult.

I woke up, I think it was about 11, by a huge amount of crows that was screaming and crossing my bedroom window.
Then they disappeared. So it was not so much more to see out there.
The next time I woke up again, it was absolutely not much to see. But darkness.
So that was the end of this day...

Christmas in the Golden town

I the darkness of the winther, everything turns into gold.
Merry Christmas!

Car in the darkness

There is seven miles between my town Vadsø and the neighbourtown, Vardø. A very small town situated far out north east in Arctic Norway, with the cold Barents Sea as the only view.
Between the two cities there is not much people to see. Just mountain on the left. And the Barents Sea on the right.
And during the winther time it`s just darkness. All the way.
One and another trailer carrying fish might come towards me. And threatens to throw me out of the road, if I don`t behave myself.

I just don`t like to drive this road in the winther. It`s so empty. And actually quite spooky. In an empty way...

Skiing on the Northern Light

I had my first trip with my skis this night. Into the mountain in the darkness. Suddenly I found myself sailing upwards the Northern Light. Jumped from star to star.
It was pretty nice...