Midsummer night

[sholio]

Still awake at 2 a.m., and I happened to look out the window and notice the sky in the north was really beautiful, in that odd intersection of dusk and dawn that happens when there's only an hour or two between sunset and sunrise. So I had to run out and take some pictures. This is 2 a.m. on the summer solstice, just south of the Arctic Circle.











I wish the camera could capture how staggering it is to stand out there in broad daylight in the middle of the night, with the sky completely pink above. What a magical place to live in.

(... though, not to oversell the place, it's also 50 degrees/10C, I had to keep an eye out for moose due to the risk of violent stomping death, and mosquitoes eventually made me flee back to the house. So, definitely still Alaska.)

Comments

[goss]

Pretty!

[sholio]

Thank you! <3

[dennih23]

Beautiful photos!

[alatefeline]

Wow!!! Thank you.

[philomytha]

That's beautiful! I somewhat accidentally saw both sunset and sunrise for the solstice, as first I was up late reading until the sky was fully dark around midnight, and then my son woke us all up at 4.30am because it was clearly daytime and why would anyone want to sleep when it's daytime!

[nywcgirl]

OMG that is just gorgeous.

[musesfool]

Wow!

[darthneko]

Oh wow, that's gorgeous! (kudos to you for braving the mosquitoes, those things are killers!)

[lunabee34]

LOL

Lovely and violent. I can see the appeal.

[lferion]

Wow, that is so, so gorgeous.

[madripoor_rose]

So pretty!

[jb_slasher]

That sky looks gorgeous. Oh wooow. <3

[recessional]

Ahahaha mosquitoes. They may actually be the part of the North I miss the absolute least.

[sholio]

I always seem to forget about them in the winter. And then summer happens. >__>

[recessional]

Apparently if you can get an electric fan with a relatively strong flow out where you want to sit, it’s a better deterrent than anything else. I was reading about it somewhere, they did a comparison study. Wish I could remember where!

But yeah, it was a head-trip to move down here and find people who didn’t have any screens on their windows. Because there just aren’t that many mosquitos. Ever.

[sholio]

... oooh! The fan thing makes SO much sense (everybody knows mosquitoes aren't as bad on windy days) and I don't know ANYONE who does that. I'm gonna have to try it.

It's hard to explain to people who've never been in rural north country how bad the mosquitoes can get. I've been on hikes where every time you stopped, you would just be COVERED with mosquitoes, literally covered, black with them. I cannot even imagine what dealing with mosquitoes before bug dope, netting, and mosquito-proof houses must have been like. Well, I guess you'd get used to it just like you can get used to anything, but the mind boggles.

[recessional]

IKR? I read it and went THAT MAKES SENSE! and then was almost disappointed that I had literally no reason to put it into effect in my day to day life anymore.

Almost. But not quite.

Oh god, I know. And like you do kinda get used to them, because I know that even now I am way more .. .bothered? by endless mosquito bites? than I used to be back when standing outside meant ten of them. But yeah. Humans can get used to just about everything if they really have to. shudder

[umadoshi]

It looks breathtakingly beautiful. *^^*

[jennaria]

Those are lovely photos. Even if you had to flee mosquitos.

[sherylyn]

Absolutely gorgeous!! I think just about everywhere has some sort of trade-off, though -- if you get gorgeous scenery, there's something else to watch out for, etc. Those kinds of views might *almost* make mosquitoes worthwhile ;-)

[schneefink]

Ooooooo O_O

[gwyn]

Oh my god, that's so gorgeous! Thank you for sharing these--it's always been a dream of mine to see the midnight sun…

[sheron]

wow so beautiful! and so light :D

[mrkinch]

WOW! Oh wow.

[ambyr]

Those are lovely.

[ranalore]

Gorgeous! But mosquitoes? In 50 degree weather? But then, Florida mosquitoes would not be deterred by an electric fan, they are built to withstand hurricanes, so it's just as well cold does the trick.

[secretsolitaire]

Beautiful colors! Thanks for sharing. :)

[winter_elf]

super pretty!!

[roga]

Wow, those are incredible.

[saphirablue]

Wow!