PhotoStories : World : Finland : Summer Cottage

[Editorial note 1-Jun-2003: The cottage has been sold, so no more summer days over there.. :( ]

It is simply one of the greatest moments after a busy work week to sit down on the dock and watch the movements of the bulrushes. The blue lake is making it's own relaxing "liplapping" sound, and the nearby great trees are whispering their everlasting song of summer day.

Those moments are drawn to my mind very unforgettable way. During winter time my thoughts slips constantly back to the summer and to our cottage. This has been going on for several years, and the value of cottage life has nothing but raised.

The summer cottage I'm talking about is built by my parents. They also owns it, but I think I and my brother are the ones who uses the cottage mostly. During summer time I try to arrange with my dear girlfriend very possible weekend so that it would be possible to pack the stuff to the car and drive to the cottage.

The cottage is located in Pyhäsalmi, next to Pyhäjärvi-lake. Pyhäjärvi is very clean and beautiful lake, full of small islands, small beaches and bays, capes and so on. So addition to our own place we have actually whole great surroundings of Pyhäjärvi to hang around.

In the summer of 1999 I spent two weeks on a row in the cottage during my summer vacation, and it was something great. In addition to summer time we usually visit the cottage in spring and autumn time also, but unfortunately sometimes is quite a big job to arrange free time for a cottage life.

Although the summer is one of the best time to be in cottage because of warm bright days, other seasons offer different kind of experiences.

For example in spring time the ice blanket cracks down in very special way. After it has been warm enough the ice blanket weakens. Then, during a windy day you start suddenly to hear loud cracking noise from the lake. Believe or not, but it takes no longer than couple of hour and all the ice is gone.

In autumn time it is very moody to sit inside cottage and watch the dark storming night. Candles are burning, everyone is having a great time by going sauna, barbecuing sausages, reading books and by talking with each other, of course.

In Finland, you could say that there is only a couple of warm months in a year. Our country is located so far away in northern hemisphere, that it is almost miracle that we have any summertime here. Of course we need to thank Gulf-stream of our mild weather

Summer means that many people in cities wants to escape to countryside away from factories and traffic noises. And why not, finnish countryside is really beautiful especially in summer time.

The photograph next to has been taken quite near our cottage. Actually we use that road when driving to the cottage, so it's quite familiar for me. Far on the horizon you can see some buildings, there are several families living permanently out there, and some of them get their living from agriculture.

When I took the photograph, a great thunderstorm was approaching behind horizon. The clouds are quite dark, and the last rays of sun hit the ground. It took half an hour and it was raining and lighting like in hell. Thunderstorm clouds have a habit of going the same route all the summer. And if it is warm, there can be even many storms in a day.

And here we are, having a typical lazy summer day. Having a lunch or a coffee on the dock is something quite different compared to having ones in a office! Besides there are no any noises like bypassing cars -- if you don't mind quiet sounds of lapping water and distant voices of some gulls flying by...

In summer the daytime is very long. The sun just pop in behind horizon for few hours, making the night time very bright and beautiful. We usually stay up very long, it's no wonder if the bedtime comes not until very morning hours.

Well, there are dark winter days to survive before next time I can go to the summer cottage. Before actual summer season I'm hoping to get my skies out of garage and skiing on lake ice under bright spring sun...