Tangerine Clouds Across the Auroras

The first half of October was again arrayed with northern lights.  Sounds like they're really becoming more and more common. Common sights, yes, but not common beauty and wonder. My eagerness and fascination at seeing them have never waned at all. They still hold me spellbound.

Everyday I check the forecast. Every night I go out of our veranda door and check the sky. Sometimes, the overcast sky hide them from view. At times, they're too low on the horizon even though they're active.

On the night of October 6, the forecast showed high activities. The night was windy with patches of clouds drifting across the sky. Would they spoil my aurora viewing that night?

My camera went into a frenzy. Something different (specifically for me) was underway! Look what I beheld!

Clouds floated across the green lights. As the minutes glided by, the clouds gradually turned colors, yellow, peach, tangerine, burnt sienna, red.

The sky was painted with splashes of green, purple, blue and tangerine lights.

 

Subsiding....

And the stars regained the limelight.

Once again, I blissfully bathed in these awe-inspiring celestial colors!

This proved to be a prequel to the following night's awesome sky show, which I'm going to post in the near future.

Linking up with

Mosaic Monday
Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Skywatch Friday

Trekking in the Skuleskogen National Park

September 20, 2015

To be or not to be.... excuse me for the cliche, but that's just it as we waffled over whether to pursue our plan to hike in Skuleskogen or not on account of the fickly weather. In our city, the sky was cloudy but with some glowing bluish patches.

We chose to go with hopes that the weather would be better a little down south.  Höga Kusten (the High Coast) is just about two-hour drive from our city, so it would not be much of a waste in case the weather wouldn't be any better.

Our approach to the the High Coast was greeted with heavy rain. Another moment of "to be or not to be" decision making, to move on or to retreat and travel back home. We almost opted for the latter, but then, our wanderlust (ah, that thing again!) goaded us to keep driving.

When we arrived there, the sky brightened a bit and a slight shower floated in the air. We went straight to the  south entrance of the forest where we could follow a trail. The few parked cars indicated that even in this unfavorable weather, there were hikers roving about in the forest. And we met some along they way, who spoke different languages. 

This park is included in UNESCO World Heritage List, which also explains its popularity among foreign hikers.  Information about this national park can be read here: Skuleskogen National Park.

Again, I'll let my pictures describe the section of the national park that we trekked and our hiking adventure.

Here we go!!!!

the trail we chose

hubby leading the way 

some of the topological characteristics of the park along this trail

hedgehog mushrooms (hydnum repandum), very tasty mushrooms 

climbing up to Trollporten

 we made it this high

I climbed higher to see one of the crowning features of the park: the Slottdalsskrevan at the end of the trail.

wearing my disposable plastic "poncho"  to avoid getting wet, "the little blue riding hood"

back to where we started, the view to the sea

a rainbow meeting us on our way back home

It's another wonderful memory of being at one with nature. 

Just hubby and I and the marvels of our loving Creator's gifts. 

Rejuvenating and spirit-lifting!

Have a great weekend!

Linking up with

Mosaic Monday

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday

Today's Flowers

Jaunting Through the Countryside

I've been quiet for some weeks. Maybe I was also struck by that virus that corrodes our enthusiasm to blog. But then, my journal-keeping self persistently nags me to not neglect storing my beautiful memories in my cyberhome. I have so many joyful memories that are worth-keeping which remain unwritten, and I'll try to recall them and write them even though they've become months old.

Autumn is soon over and yet I haven't made a follow-up blog to my initial fall chronicle. Many things have transpired since then. In this blog, I'm going to record our short trips to different villages around our city where fall commenced its marching.

Since most "readers" enjoy viewing pictures without reading the background story, I'm writing the whole story of our country road trips this fall through my photographs.

From my favorite village:

a lake beach

way to Tavelsjöberget

the village's center

entrance to the hiking trails (read our hiking adventure here)

Another village with a lake:

The barley field in another village:

Coming out to the highway, shot from our speeding car:

The rapids of Vindelälven :

...and the cute house and cabin along the river:

A cabin on a hill with blueberry carpets, and the view from that hill:

Views from a ski resort:

A very windy but sunny day while driving around:

Rural creatures captured:

Here ends my idyllic jaunt among the gold and greens of fall. 

.....But not the end of my fall chronicle yet. Some more of my future posts will showcase the autumn colors in our city.

Linking up with

Mosaic Monday

Through My Lens

Our World Tuesday

A Spirit of Simplicity's Tuesday Afternoon