nature

 natural Finland

as we head into winter and December's theme of Christmas

day 27 of NaBloPoMo

Christmas in July

 

frosty and rudolph made an appearance on tv last week, when the temperature reached 34C (93F)

I've been dreaming of a bit of cold snow, and I'll bet the mail carrier might also not mind after these last few days (and coming days) of an unrelenting heatwave.

 

Next week: any stamp(s) with any connection to the letter 'A'

from the north

.50a - mountains avens.   1kr - meadow buttercup
1.50kr - bogbean.               2.00kr - white clover

snowshoe hares typically live for only about 1 year

 

 

 

some white for Sunday Stamps

bonhomme

 Bonhomme Carnaval

2025 is the 70th anniversary of Bonhomme.  He is an incarnation of the joy of living by les québécois and is the official ambassador of the Quebec Winter Carnival which opens today.

life in snow

this ice is so comfy...

   seals, blending well with the snow

a Finnish reindeer, standing out in the snow in all their finery

some animals in the snow for Thursday Postcard Hunt

lost in translation

 

I'm not really sure what kind of fruit this is (mango?), though I suspect the Chinese script in the corner gives a clue (if I could read Chinese)

 

This one from Belarus was also tricky.  Turns out it is a 'common raccoon dog' which is not at all a raccoon.  Or a dog.  It is a canid that is closely related to a fox. They are widespread in eastern Europe and Asia.

 

The Moravian Museum is easily translatable.  Okay, I had to google translate 'zemske' (regional)

and, this is obviously the Bavarian Forest, in full winter  splendour

 

some foreign languages for Sunday Stamps

adoration

 

By the time these Magi arrived, the Baby Jesus could hold up his head! As well as the expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, a onesie might have been useful.

 back to Finland for some snow, or lumi

snowing

painting by A J Casson, 1921

Not much chance of any falling snow for Christmas in most of the country this year.

winter

So many people want to escape the winter - and a part of me doesn't blame them. Shovelling snow is the worst after a snow storm. And unless you live way out in the country, the snow does not stay "postcard pretty" for long. Slush and ice make walking brutal and hazardous. But, skiing, snowboarding, skating are exciting activities that totally depend on snow and cold.

Back in the summer post, I showed a postcard of Little Tub Harbour in summer. Here is the same view in winter. No boat tours at this time.

Winter can be a natural wonderland (with fewer tourists!)

Or, it can be just plain nasty (I believe this is Lake Huron)

If you like outdoor activities, you might want to go skiing and have a view like this

for Thursday Postcard Hunt

bonhomme

 

two stamps (1979 and 2004) of the Quebec Winter Carnaval featuring the snowman mascot Bonhomme Carnaval

for winter or snow

skating

 

There has been no skating on the Rideau Canal during this year's Winterlude as the ice is not thick enough. For that, 10 - 14 consecutive days of -10C to -20C is needed. Apart from a 2 day cold snap at the beginning of the month, it has barely gotten below 0C

mt hood

 

northern lights

 

winter falls

In some ways, I think it is more magnificent in winter than summer.  It's been quite the winter in these parts so far.

a walk in the snow

When was the last time you built a snowman?

or maybe that is too much work

 

 

Perhaps a long walk in the woods would be refreshing

 

A view in Haminalahti famous for hiking trails and birdwatching

 

One would be lucky to find this partridge on a walk

 

 

 

 

some winter scenes for Sunday Stamps

(on this stinking hot day where it will feel like 42C with the humidity by this afternoon)

snow

 

Caribou, ermine, snowshoe hare, lemming, and an arctic fox hide easily in the snow with their winter coats.

 

These sheep have their heavy woolly coats to keep them warm as they eat on the snow covered field

The branches of these trees are able to withstand the heavy snow

for Sunday Stamps - winter

I wish everyone a safe and healthy - and happy - Christmas

winter fun

friendship is ... a moment without worries
from Finland

kluane

winter

Regensburg in Winter
the snow looks nice and cool in this summer heat we are having

frozen