Frozen

We still have no snow, but we have a lot of frost and ice. The air has been humid for a long time and now that it froze, the moisture froze into ice art on grass and the roofs of cars and everywhere.

First snow

It was wet. Then it froze. Then it started to snow. First real snow of the winter.

Sunny Christmas Day

Clear skies means colder days. Temperature dropped nearly 10 degrees C in one night, but as a result, we have had a beautifully sunny Christmas Day here. Now, at 2pm, the sun is slowly setting, after staying just above the horizon for some four to five hours or so. It will be dark in less than two hours.

Winter wonderland

This year we here in Finland don't need to dream of a white Christmas. We have one. Truly, like something our of a Disney movie, just see for yourself:

Rainy December

Snow came and went. December has (so far) mostly been relatively warm and rainy. Today the sun came out though, like it did maybe once last week too. We have all of six hours of daylight currently, so the sun rises around 9AM and sets around 3PM. 

Rainy Christmas

White Christmas truly was only a dream this year. Not that uncommon in Helsinki, really, but some sun and less rain and wind sort of would be nice. We had a warm Christmas despite the miserable weather, with cadles burning and cinnamon and clove smells in the air.

 

Confused bushes

We had a cold spell, with first snow and all, but then it warmed up again. It's been 3-5 degrees C for some time now, and according to the forecast, that's how it'll stay for at least the rest of this year. Not much of a winter this. Dark and rainy. No white Christmas to the southern Finland.

Today I noticed that these bushes down the road had started producing some new buds, thinking it's spring again or something! Don't they like read the sun or anything?

 

After the storm

The storm had calmed down when I got home from work. I went out for a walk with the dog. The day had been sunny and bright after the clouds parted in the morning. Twigs were everywhere, scattered by the storm winds, and one tree along our path had broken and fallen down.

 

Stormy night

So our snow has melted. Yesterday the ground was horridly icy, melting through the day, and in the evening a strom set in. The wind blew hard all through the night, and so I woke up from a restless sleep to a still stormy morning.

 

Snowy yard

We have a couple centimeters of snow on the ground now, with a temperature of a few degrees below zero (Celsius). It's nice, makes the world a little less dark (despite the grayness again today). This snow won't last for too long, but makes the world slightly brighter for a little while.

Rucola covered with snow

 

 

Snow coming down

It sure has been coming down today, the sleety snow or something. Very wet, but staying on the ground somewhat. Most of our plants have died in the garden long ago, the last unused peppers rotting in place, everything losing their leaves. But not the strawberries, even when covered with snow. And not the rosemary either, tough thing as it is.

 

First snow

First snow fell down tonight here in Helsinki too. Our new family member Meggie didn't mind it at all. Kinda nice in my opinion too, makes the world slightly less dark.