Week 27 - The Wild Wide North

I didn't post much last week, just something about a file, and something just before departure... up North! To the wild and free! To where I like to be! To the wide and debris-free where I don't need to strive to breath! Where the air is clear and I'm never in despair or in dire need of a quick promenade just to sight my feet. Yeah. Next post might be a while away btw.

The flight up was booked: full. I arrived at the airport an hour too early (communal traffic was unnaturally fluent - I just missed one train) and a mere hour and minutes later I was up here - enjoying the feats and finesses (and lack thereof) - that this amazing place always brings with it. The first day was rainy and restful, but since then the sun's been gazing down mercilessly over shriveling plants and crisp green lawns. Last night the temperature didn't drop below 23C even indoors.

I've been repairing stuff and painting window frames, swimming around and hiding behind strawhats and long sleeves to fight what at the start seemed like an inevitable burn, but now appears a potential tan. I'm a son man. This latter half of last week. The former three days I was Southbound, cleaning the house in a haze, vacumming the last dusty grains at way too late, past midnight, checking my flight check-in in sight before bed bug bites I was too tired to fight. But wait... every day's been great.

We're in Kalix today mostly to buy a pump, to bring up water from the lake, 6500 liters/hour, and ease the fight we previous years fought against relentless draught, bringing up 2-300 liters on dry days by hand. Waaay too much. All that energy we'll now be able to spend on less routinous; more rewarding tasks! Woot!

I took my first swim of the year a couple of days ago, first in the lake; a few hours later in river - visiting my good buddy Andreas for the first time this year. I've eaten my first Shrimp Sandwich of the summer here in Kalix today, attained my first splinter and driven around on lazy summer roads for the first time in way too long. Life moves at a pace of its own, far from effortless, where rest's a reward many steps from stress. Happy Summer people!

Here's last seven-day stretch.