Well, one wish for the new year has definitely come true :). The snow stayed! And we've so far managed to make the most of it (or at least quite a lot of it :D) when it comes to going cross-country skiing!
There have been sunny days and snowy days. Even a couple of rainy days. Luckily the rain didn't last long enough to melt all of the snow and the rest of the month has been fantastically cold. By which I mean consistently below zero, but never below -15ºC :).
Actually, most of the days this month have been sunny days, and as the sun is rising earlier and setting later each day, the general mood is definitely on the upswing :). I have to say, before moving to Norway, I'd never paid so much attention to the variation in daylight. But it does make a huge difference when it's changing by five minutes each day!
While on our cross-country trips, one thing that has been noticeable is the number of people making use of the good conditions and weather to get out of their houses. Luckily that's never been restricted here, so it's good for people to have that opportunity. I do wonder though, how many of these people would, bar Covid, never bother with the trouble of getting dressed up for -10 degrees, often with little kids in tow :).
I have also been thinking, isn't it a good thing the weather's so awesome for being outdoors in Norway this winter? It would have been so much worse. A bit like March and April last year I guess, the weather bringing some respite from an otherwise difficult situation. Of course, we have it way easier here in Norway that pretty much anywhere else...
In part to try and avoid the biggest crowds out on the ski tracks, we've been trying to find different routes than our usual favourites :). With great luck, I would say! I'm not sure if I'm getting a lot better, of we've just been lucky with the conditions, but I've been feeling a lot more in control on the downhills this time around :). I mean, worst case, there's always the controlled fall over to stop :D.
On other fronts, well, the reading is happening, but slowly. I decided to revisit the world of Ice and Fire after a fair while. Realized that GRRM seems still stuck with Winds of Winter. And of course, who knows which decade A Dream of Spring is going to show up... In the mean time though, there is Fire and Blood.
So that's more or less it. I'm hoping the snow will remain, and so will the sunshine and blue skies. And that we will continue to be able to cross-country happily through February.
