Early Wake-up Calls

… will be more of a rule than an exception for the next little while – but if it means that I get to play with this guy – I’m game!

He’s not too sure about spending time in a cage – whether it be the travelling kind or other. I snuck out to a cottage area this evening to catch a cooling breeze from the lake, and he was almost frantic. I had to make a dash to get this picture while he was hollering and howling.A few years ago this view would have been obscured by a forest of tall firs – I guess logging can have its’ advantages after all…

May I Present…

…Loki out on his first real walk with me!

Water in the form of a great big huge lake was viewed with suspicion – but the carcass from a half-rotted pike was really interesting. It’s still way too hot for him, so we made it a short walk on the shady side of Boulder Ridge. Now he’s sleeping under my desk as he seems to think the cage is only for playing in and around….

Summer Heat

… is not something we’re exactly spoiled with. Normally the temperatures are such that it’s handy to have a shirt or even a sweater handy most of the time. Well, lo and behold – we’re into our second week of gorgoeus hot weather, and I’m just about ready for a really good, rainy day!

I know, I know… in 6 months time I’ll be wishing for some warmth – just like everyone else.

Heatwave

We’re in the middle of what is probably THE hot week of this summer… Can’t say that I truly enjoy it but I’m trying not to complain.

The lakes around town looked like giant mirrors – before the rain blew in from across the mountains.

After the showers had moved on, the (almost) setting sun could paint the clouds like this.

At the Pen

Reindeer usually run counter clockwise in the pen, but sometimes when there’s a lull they will turn in the other direction. The people here are mother and daughter, both accomplished as herders.

The branding is done via a set of cuts in both ears. Each herder has  his own combination and families often have brands that are somewhat similar.

The calves are caught using a long pole with a sort of noose at the end. Traditionally everyone used a lasso but it seems to be less and less common. I suspect because it’s quite hard to throw the lasso and catch the animal around the legs.

The next generation herder got to carry Grandpa’s pole back to the truck, feeling important and proud.

Happy Duck

I’ve just come home from a trip to a pen where they had gathered some 90 – 100 animals. This was really lucky, since they seldom pull together animals two nights in a row – but I’m not complaining! In any event – at almost 0300 I’m too bleary-eyed to tank up any pictures – aside from this one…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the only place to live is close to, or north of the Arctic Circle. Makes your summers that much more intensive and longer if you wish, because you don’t sleep as much.

Buckbean

…bogbean or marsh trefoil (Menyanthes trifoliata). I photographed just the leaves last fall, after we’d had quite a few nights with frost.

This past weekend I got to see the dainty flowers as well.

Still feeling under the weather so I’ll be spedning the day on the couch, watching the first few episodes of Sopranos. Maybe that’ll make this cold a bit more bearable.

Drat!

Another evening of trying to find where the reindeer were hiding out, only to realise it  was no idea trying to gather them. Instead, they are planning on using a helicopter today to herd a couple of smaller groups to a pen on higher ground. I was looking forward to be helping out near the pen for the first time in many, many years – and woke up with a full-blown cold this morning. Since I don’t think a fast-paced walk through the bush and up to the pen would have done me any good, I thought it better to go home and pull something over myself…. That is, after I have taken some cold medicine and had a hot bath. Rather silly on a day when the temperature is nearing +20 C…

This is a fair representation of how I feel right now…

This picture turned out too dark – but it still gives an idea what the sky looked like around 11.30PM yesterday evening.

No Such Luck

The reindeer were totally not interested in getting gathered tonight, so you might say the evening was a failure. Not.

This was the view that met me when I stepped out onto the lawn outside my patio at 0015. Easy to live with – wouldn’t you say?

The weather is beautiful with temperatures approaching +15 to +17 during the day, which is actually too hot for comfort for reindeer. They try to get to higher ground – or they hide in spruce forests where the temperature is more to their liking. Now they are scattered over high ground and it’s not even worth it trying to get them gathered – even using helicopters and ATV:s. That would only stress them and then it’s better to save the branding for days when the temperature is better for the purpose.

I intend to go back up to the mountains tomorrow because there are a number of places around that road I’d like to catch with my camera and on the way there I was in a hurry. Going back I was bringing home tired and cranky children – which was not a good time to stop at every little lake, trying to get that perfect picture…

Last Day at Work…

… for this term. Well, sort of.

Unfortunately, I seem to be the only one who will stay close to town all summer, so my name is at the top of the list as contact for the union. In these days of staff cuts, I will however not be called on to screen any applicants… Sad, but true.

Now I’m off to do something totally different. My friends are trying to round up their reindeer to brand the calves (no, not with sizzling branding irons – I’ll tell you more later) and I’ve been asked to do a run with some emergency supplies for them.

How long do you think it took them to persuade me?

Less than 30 seconds…