Norwegian folklore includes the belief that if you see a face in the mountains, it's a troll. I am concerned that the troll in question is the well known Count Olaf, from A Series Of Unfortunate Events. 🎶Look away, look away...🎶

You're basically just getting spammed with pretty sky pictures from now until April when the midnight sun comes back, just fyi.

Today's entry on the very small list of things that make being out before 5am acceptable

I have given up trying to describe how north is 'very north', I just can't do it justice. So, here is 78.23°N as a map pin, with North America for reference. That's why we've got snow at sea level now 😁

Acceptable views in this direction too

Sukkertoppen, Gruvefjellet and Sarkofagen all looking magnificent with their early winter jackets on

It's snowing it's snowing it's snowing (in town! On frozen ground! Yes hello winter!)

Update: I was *wrong*. I am very happy to be wrong. Last night's aurora was just, barely visible at midnight. Let's go!

Sandy coloured snow in the evening light. (If you're envisioning me just wandering round chanting 'dark season dark season dark season', you are incorrect. Mostly I am singing it to the tune of Night Fever.)

There's basically four seasons up here, with a small amount of overlap between them: Sunrises Wildlife Sunsets* Aurora *we are here now

Some throwbacks to my very first dark season up here. We're a couple of weeks out from aurora season now and I am so excited I am basically vibrating

🎶 it’s Andromeda season 🎶 Just a 30 min bit but so wonderful, our next door neighbor and its little satellite friends 🥹 🔭

🎉 ❄️

Been in the shed getting out the dark season gear today (tripod, reflective gear, sunlight lamp, huuuuge coat) I am *buzzing*. Daylength is still 14 hours right now, but it's 10 hours by the end of the month and 0 hours in six weeks from now.

Finally starting to hint at my favourite time of year.

Bloogs decided to pass through again 🤍

Puffin'

Polite notice to all bears: Visibility today is Not Good™. So, if you could stay at least a few kilometres away from me, I would be very grateful.

Somebody forgot to draw the rest of the mountains

It is *damp*. Raining and raining and raining and I am bored of the rain now.

Oh, they got *so* close 😟

And just like that, the midnight sun is done for another year. This morning looks much the same as every morning last week but now it's going to get steadily darker and cooler

5 hours until sunset 🎉 (Unfortunately outside is made of fog and I am very sleepy, so there will be no first sunset photos this year)

Bonk

The fjords are more grey each morning and even the puffins are leaving. Winter really isn't far away now.

Sleeping walruses will always be hilarious to me

The red throated loon is so over parenting. 🪶

I'm feeling very under the weather so I went for a lie down in the dark and left the bedroom door open because it's nice to have the dogs in for company when you're feeling grim.

My husband took Old Lady Dog to the vet for her checkup today. If I hadn't known about it in advance, I would certainly have known after I got home. She met me at the door and followed me around the apartment with a full husky chat. At least 5 straight minutes of 'Awoo, woomf, mumble grumble, wowow'

Ah, I see it's that time of year again where anybody wanting to leave a review for a tour should have to do a mandatory quiz about the definition of 'midnight sun'.

FAO my accountant regarding boat-as-business-expense 🖤🤍🧡 🪶

Boy Dog has trained himself as an antler collector. He didn't realise he was allowed to pick them up and bring them home until recently, but now he's having a great time finding, carrying and even swapping for a treat.

I'll tell you what, the Nordic countries have a proper appreciation for a kitchen gadget that is missing in a lot of other places. This post brought to you by the eggkoker and kaffekern.

Oh, we are *so* done with summer 😁😁😁

Aug. 14, 1925: Norway’s flag is raised at Longyearbyen on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen as the Scandinavian kingdom formally annexes the territory. Spitsbergen and the other islands of the archipelago, renamed Svalbard, are a free economic zone under an international treaty.

Summer is done, btw 😁 temperatures of between 2°C and 6°C forecast for all of next week. 11 days until sunset.

Outside is having a day off today. Behind that gravel track, there is a bank with a tensioning station on it. Behind that bank, there is a church. Behind that church, there is an entire mountain.

I have muted this now but thoroughly enjoyed seeing it slowly whittle down to 'fuck these 5 airports in particular' (LAX, SEA, CDG, FRA, ATL). I generally quite enjoy airports, but some are just irredeemable.

Dulles. It’s a kind of boring that transcends the typical definition of mundane. Time actually slows down there. It might literally be purgatory. I worry im still there - like one day I’ll wake up from this dream of reality to discover I’m still in Dulles airport - that Dulles is all there is or was

ah, the majestic merengues of the ocean

Bloog close-ups (from the town beach! How absurd is that!)

Ditto this. I don't recall much of Frankfurt besides being sweaty, confused, mildly panicky, and seeing a lot of Italian ladies all wearing those big sunglasses.

LAX, in particular, does not seem to be winning any hearts based on the replies. I've only transited through LAX once, but I do distinctly remember saying 'let's try getting in this lift and hoping it's not going to an employee area, I guess'

Worst I've been in has to be LAX, but Toronto Pearson is close because I've done so many cross-border flights there, and the concourse for US-bound flights has (1) like 1.5 food options but also (2) a view through a glass wall to a Tim Horton's you can only access by going back through Customs

Munich airport: it felt like it was designed by someone who vaguely understood the concept of an airport, while also actively hating anyone who would ever want to use it

Venting space: tell me about *the worst* airport. Justification is not required, but is actively encouraged. I am not judging, I will join in hating it with you. Frequent flyers, occasional travellers and one-time vacationers all welcome.

I'm sorry but I cannot stop laughing at these young pink-footed geese, who have recently graduated to the ocean, only to discover that the ocean is full of giants. They were not impressed. 🪶

It's still over two months until our aurora season begins (beluga season has just begun a little late this year) and I am already impossibly excited!

Guess who's back (Back again) Bloogs are back (Tell a friend) 👀

Polite plea to my fellow wildlife photographers weighing in on this with emotionally charged Facebook posts about a 'murdered bear'. Don't. You look like a dickhead.