Preparing for Winter and Dreaming of Snow – VIDEO

November has arrived, and still no snow.

The talk of early winter in our village—and in our home—is all about when the snow will finally fall and when the lake will freeze. Snow and ice affect everything: heating the house, clearing the yard, winter tires on the car (ours were already switched in early October, since we expected snow by then), and of course, the brightness of both the landscape and the mind.

A snowless November is dark. Completely dark. The sun sets before three in the afternoon, and soon after, everything around you sinks into total blackness. Going outside without an extra light source is out of the question. Our village and its surroundings have no streetlights, so the darkness feels all-encompassing and heavy.

I’ve tried to find the beauty in the darkness too. You learn a little by necessity when you move to the northern side of the Arctic Circle, over five years ago, where half the year is wrapped in darkness—whether you want it or not.

In the video, I share more about the gifts of the darkness, life under November’s foggy veil, and our quiet wait for snow and winter here in our small village in the heart of the forest.

Wishing you a beautiful start to the winter season 🩵