February in Norway

February in Norway is snowy white and icy cold. It often turns gray and bearably cold but never goes without the snow. Sometimes when I wake up I hear birds in the distance and I know that the day will be warmer or that maybe the sky will be blue for a change. On the days when I get to see the sun I feel like a mole who's crawled out of its earthy home.

I miss the brightness of the sun and the warm breeze from the fjord. I miss the color of summer and the smell of late spring.

But I also try to embrace the monotony of February, hoping it is here for the better.

For example, look at the following photo. See how much activity there is? The skiing man, the family with the baby stroller, the lady pulling her child in a sleigh, and the swimming dock, they all are on the frozen waters of the fjord. You can see the boats in the far right corner. It is an amazing feeling, having to walk on thick ice with so many people around. Some of them picnicking, others fishing through a whole in the ice, or simply walking from island to island.

The change in perspective is unforgettable and a great exercise in boosting your creativity. The secret life of the sea.

Turning back, there is an even better view of gentle reflections of the setting sun. Yes, this is still the same sea.

There is ice even in the middle of Oslo but people skate on it. In other words, ice and the weather are being throughly enjoyed by a nation used to live in an unfavorable climate.

Some places the ice brings stillness and poetic oblivion.

But where there is no ice, it is crowded and even livelier. At some spots along the river, the municipality has been warming up the water in favor of the wild birds like geese and swans.

The presence of wildlife is more subtle sometimes but that makes it ever so magical.

I love the hue of the snow - different in every moment of day and under the footsteps of animals an man.

But what I love most is my feathery friends whom I can see much better on the background of white fluffy snow.

 What do you love about February in your part of the world?

This post is part of the Seasons in Scandinavia series on Kanelstrand.