I was out looking for pale pasque flowers today, after a tip I received. The place was the Sånghussön lake a few km south from Färila, I’ve never been there before but I’m glad I got there now. When I found the flowers though, it was all for naught – they were over.

The forest in this part of the lake is open pine forest, my favourite type of forest. These forests don’t have a lot of flowers to offer (lichens and mosses are plentiful though), but the few there are just stand out all the better (for example, I saw some tiny buds of green flowered wintergreens, and lesser butterfly orchid leaves, so I guess they will blooming in just a few weeks). The simplicity of an open pine forest appeals my eye, and it’s very easy to walk around thanks to the lack of vegetation. So I walked up and down the lake shore and then into the forest, hoping that I’d find some more of the pale pasque flowers, but I didn’t strike lucky. After a while though I didn’t care – it was a warm and sunny evening by a calm lake, with just the lonely call of a distant loon for company. And then when the wind picked up a little bit and I found my way to the beach, I could hear the waves gently rolling in the sand.

I didn’t find any photographs, but I did find something even better – peace for the soul.

The weather forecast can say otherwise, but for me this was a moment of summer.