More Scandinavian Wildlife

If you remember, I told you about some of the fauna I encountered this summer, while on holiday home in Sweden. I'm here again (now for a funeral, but I'll tell you more about that later), and this time I've got a real treat. Or two.

On Wednesday night we had to drop off the Thermoses at the caterer, and her place was quite far off the main road. Which meant we had to use small, unlit roads to get there. Shortly after we'd turned into the darkness we saw something on the road, and we were very surprised to see an owl sitting there, motionless. I drove as slowly and carefully as I could and figured the bird would fly away as we got closer, but he didn't. Maybe he was injured? I stopped completely and thought I'd take a photo of him, but before I'd managed to bring out my mobile the owl lifted off the ground, and away he was... Remarkable. Sitting down he seemed so small, but as soon he spread his wings we could see he was quite impressive in size. I felt blessed; not every day you see an owl.

Next brush with wild animals happened on Friday, and these were much larger; even when they're standing still they seem big. Out on the field (spotted from the car as well), we saw two Alces alces - a mother and her young calf. She was just standing there, intently watching us, while her offspring was grassing. Doubled blessed. The most common encounter with moose is usually a too close one; you sigh in relief when you miss them by inches crossing the road at dusk.

All this talk about wildlife, when there's actually been a funeral! And for a funeral to take place there also has to be death, I'm sorry to remind you about that. But isn't it ironic that the only certain thing in life - our own death - is so difficult to talk about, so taboo? And when it then happens to someone you care about, and you're the one in charge of the arrangements afterwards, you might be so struck with grief that the last thing you can recognize is how to set out the navigation points for your loved one's final journey. More than often I suppose, the service is done by tradition, following the funeral director's guidelines. How relieving isn't it to not have to think, and lay the burden on someone else...

Now my mother had collected things that had some significance to her man, and to them as a couple, and on the day I helped her decorate the coffin. First we spread out the woolen blanket which she had woven and given him last Christmas. (He was wrapped up in it all summer as well, as he was freezing so much.) Then she arranged some of the flowers to a heart shape with a picture of him inside, and next to it the moss and chantarelles found in the forest, while I arranged more of the moss behind that (a delicate kind which look like long strands, hanging down), together with the twig of apples from the garden, and the large and withered old root they picked up one time traveling through Norway. And more flowers. The final result was personal to say the least, but also very, very beautiful. Even the funeral director said so; and she (or the bureau she's working for) didn't make that much money from this one, as my mother didn't want any of their extravagant silver candelabras or any other "special offers". What she did want though, was her niece (my cousin of course...) to sing, which she did just so amazingly well, accompanied by her father on piano and fiancé on guitar.

After the service at the chapel we met at the old school which local householders are running together. Not as a school of course, but it's very charming old building that's now used for different activities for the locals. It was probably a first for a funeral dinner though. But it worked out just fine. Nice food, and a warm atmosphere; the last obviously the most important. This day was as good as a day like that can be. Now the rest of my mother's life starts, and on Tuesday when I go home to Norway her house will be quite empty. I already look forward to welcome her in a few weeks time when she'll be visiting me for her 70th birthday. And I got something planned... (she's not reading this blog so my plans are safe!)

In the meantime I'll have to get my act together, seriously, as I've been neglecting my studies for far too long now. To be honest it doesn't look promising; first coming weekend I have a new course weekend with the Angelos Method coming up, and the following weekend I'm traveling myself again. Insane perhaps, but

a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do... ;)