a flowing river -
couple of ducks
going to nest

I visited Kuopio. My friend was buried there. Finnish text is something like this:

path to the grave -
a returning
sun?

Found it?
The secret
spring

Thawingism

Thawism?

Thawing means by Webster to go from a frozen to a liquid state

as:

An economy crisis thawed
into bankers' pockets?
St Patrick's Day.

It was yesterday 17th March. Is it enough for a kigo?

After a classic winter - with some snow and some freezing period the nature is thawing. Snows running away from us.

running
from the streets -
March thaw

The trains don't whistle anymore. I visited yesterday Helsinki for a short meeting. Got a pencil and wrote these, this one was #1:

         smell 
         from an old snow - 
         bird whistling

I did not like the word "smell". Scent? Stink? What aroma snow's got? Then #2:

           old snow 
           ebbing away - 
           a black bird!

The train was late. I checked the time and got slightly nervous. When arrived at Helsinki main railway station our train was 7 minutes late! When returning later back to Turku I wrote #3:

     this year
     melting snows seemingly 
     missing the train

When I was back at home again I was not at all worried how to make yourself clear in haiku-writing.

The black bird? - Perhaps just a rapid shadow?

swimming
in a puddle -
melting snow

Confused

             O,   sunny March


       Where did you come?
       white snow left 

   here, 
             
                 and over there

busy tree
not yet ready
for crows' nesting

This idea I got from Magyars:


http://magyar-haiku.blogspot.com/2012/02/leap-year-fall.html

1st of March -
a snowflake
taking a bath

February wind -
a snowflake not landed
yet

jammed snowflakes
found
a parking lot

              New moon; 
         her knitting ready -
               warm socks

This one I wrote as to continue John's:


http://zenspeug.blogspot.com/2012/02/fou-muin-doverin-her-drapt-wyvin-rowes.html

snowfall
hurrying up -
a hidded train

also the river
under the thin ice
is sleepy

Gillena's birthday

rebirth of the sunrays -
teaching the snow
to melt

I sent this today in Gillena's blog.

On snowman's hat
some fresh born snow -
Howdy, howdy!

midwinter -
a longing shadow
of the short sun

a cold front
from the east -
freezing shadows

There is a strong High Pressure above the Northern Russia (Siberia) ant that's why the Arctic Cold spreading all over.

As it usually does every winter.

pretty new year
and pretty new snowflakes —
my old bones

This is my January 2012 The Shiki Monthly Kukai;
Got 4 points! - Pretty good, I'd say!

going to cross
the white river -
a black bird?

Snow storm -
snow flowers
seeding

Returned sun

Sudden daylight -
the crow and a magpie
changing latest news

This is built from this:

Busy daylight -
rounded stones hiding
under a snowfield

Today the Sun is back in Utsjoki; it rised at 12.19 and is setting down at 12.41 local time. Here in Southern Finland 09.07 - 15.53 LT. (Utsjoki 70 degs N. as we are in 60.50 degs N.)

In this world
there is something more
than just snow?

a magpie watching
on a high branch
the falling snow

whirling snow -
my thoughts turning
gray

going to stay
with us as for ever -
wintry snow

freezed rains -
time to worry
global sea levels

We got just some snow. Delighted for that, too. Our river is still "free".

empty park -
behind an old elm
shy sun

windy slush
scattering all over -
my white hair

withering year
December rain flushing
the windowsill

starry night -
warmest stars just behind
the hilltop

One More Path of Looking at the Puddles

puddled path -
the only growing thing
is the swollen river

how on earth
this old puddle spent
it's long night?

This December is one of the warmest for a long time. And rainy. And dark. Anyway we got the sun up here some six hours, when my friend up there in Utsjoki none hours. (Their Sun will rise up 17th Jan next year over there.)

This text got a version where "puddle" = magpie. Tried to catch the magpie with my camera; didn't succeed. Only thing remains still when I have my camera is this old puddle...

If the rains will continue: Thirteen Ways of Looking At a puddle ?-)

green bananas ...
after twelve days and night
a New Year's eve!

I just had a conversation with my Friend Samuli. He lives now in Addis Abeba. (Addis Abeba = New Flower.) He just bought some bananas; yellow ones with some dark spots...

This one could be as a comment for Marcel Peltier... Anyway, here:

drifting snowflakes -
my uncombed
hair

They say that an iceberg is drifting ...
Where to, reaching it's destiny down there?

warm westerly winds -
just ten days
before Christmas

a lit up tree
in a windy park -
the rain passed around

Brighter the streetlamps
the shadows deepening -
December!

Warm December -
someone cancelled
the whole winter?

December 1st noon -
The sun
behind the treetops

- Enter! I said.
Someone knocked on the windowsill.
The rain.

a wet path -
the lamppost illuminating
itself

drifting clouds -
the only clothing
for the whole sky?

crow
flying from the forest
by heart

This one is my comment for Ogaks, in NOBO mailing list.

this cold night -
still in tune
o wind chime?

warming up
the chilly sky -
smoke from chimneys?

growded parking lot -
no room left for
winter's first snow

windy
autumn day -
a lone crow

I have not seen so many crows. Just sparrows and a some magpies. Our maple tree is quite leafless; ready for wintry storms? I was happy when saw one crow! Now I have spottered three different birds! And two squirrels, And one honest-looking white cat.

Not yet snow here.

city lights -
the sky unclothes
the clouds

hello!
naked maple,
me too!

Not yet any snowshowers.
But it's getting cooler; +3 C today. (+ 37 F) ... trying to engage maple tree in conversation ...

I wonder
are you still alive -
o leafless maple

bright side
of our maple tree
is leafless, too

maple's leaves
falling away -
squirrel's home

o maple tree -
you? but I feel happy
with my white hair

Darkening days -
some more died leaves
hurrying down

This is one variation from the Yellow (= died) leaves.
Autumn is proceeding; continued voyage of yellow leaves...

Died leaves -
what's left
for the long winter?

an unused path
growded with
yellow leaves

1.

November rain
playing with wind chime -
a leaping cat



2.

an untuned
wind chime solo -
flying leaves

The boat going
to cross the seaway -
autumn waves

young leaf
fallen on the wet asphalt -
cruel October

rained leaves -
the park
turning yellow

lone crow
on leafless branches
seeking company

cold rain
on red leaves -
a happy autumn

desert -
wind driven sand
celebrating

shadow
over Libyan desert -
an unburied lion

Autumn is approaching us. But it is quite warm. (+ 10 C, +51 F). Trees know what is going on, anyway; continously yellow, red and brown leaves all over. Winter tyres to be changed soon etc. Preparing to start our warming systems.

visiting us
o cold autumn wind -
greetings from?

Issa, - perhaps? wrote this one:

welcome!
o autumn wind
- a nice cup of tea?

lonely scarecrow -
does he also
feel old

Ps:
This one is something to do with Magyar's:

http://magyar-haiku.blogspot.com/2011/10/float-picking-of-cranberry-bogs.html

a broken branch
among yellow leaves -
a distressed squirrel

This a variant for this text:

happy squirrel -
some more unused
cones left

See:


(Ashi's photo-haiga)

Windy autumn -
after yellowed leaves
a lively rainfall

that rotten smell?
deep inside the forest
the autumn

Somehow I will admit that here is something familiar with Santoka's two-liner:

that sound
the rain?

Kawai Sora & autumn

Nobo is a mailing list where many haikuist are sending their haiku, and also discussing what is haiku. Today I sent a comment with a haiku there, and because everyone in this world is not a nobo-member I copy my text also here:

Knowing that a real haiku is something to do with any season, plus, my opinion also something very human, if not just in these lines but around it.

Just thinking Kawai Sora's haiku when he left Bashoo (for several days?!) and could not sleep well, my distant comment:

autumn side
of the mountains -
do you get along?

label:
Basho, Oku no Hosomichi (Narrow Road to the Interior) (1694)

Noiseless river -
a red maple leaf
bathing

Behind those hills
the sun is going to move?
- Autumnal equinox.

Just one hour ago she passed us, the Sun. It's Autumnal Equinox. We will also leave Muonio. Tomorrow morning.

This male reindeer
watching the approaching
autumnal equinox?

Ferryboat's busy day -
crossing the fjord eastwards,
then westwards.

We visited Norway / Lyngen-fjord yesterday. Windy but sunny day. We had a good travel schedule; driving first 300 km up (186 miles) and then turned back. That 300 km was by the Kåfjord. I followed how this small ferry boat sailed from the west side of Lyngen-Fjord. When returned backwards I looked to the North, and that same ferryboat was there now sailing from the east to the west. (Lyngseidet.)

We had nice cups of coffee from our thermos, and headed back homewards. (Our home is now in Muonio; we hired a cottage for one week herefrom.)

Our thermos run of, no more coffee. Just kilometers after kilometers..

See below:



This was yesterday, so we survived!

empty lake -
just one lonely bird
swimming

sunny side
of this rotten plank
hoary parched

Autumnal trees -
my camera fished
two fishers

a red cottage -
fresh breeze passing
the shore

We are proceeding northwards. Intending to jubilate next week's autumnal equinox at 68 degrees North ... (This one is from the Bay of Bothnia, Kalajoki, where we are staying this night.)

waiting
the sun rising -
morning train

air cleaning -
white clouds, too,
washed up

Sunday's sunrays
turning here
to visit me?

I've been lazy writing here. Sorry for that.

Says
been busy -
a lazy poet

Tall Ships at Turku

Baltic Tall Ships Regatta 26.-28.8.2011 visiting Turku. Excellent weather. Those vessels are leaving tomorrow. Now resting here, in Turku.

a flagging ship -
noon sun
floodlights the wind

A bonus:

just a few ropes -
expecting fair
tailwinds

Strawberry field -
senile scarecrow
watching itself

Busy August -
too lazy
to write a haiku?


Following is a neat version for this:

August rain -
I forgot to buy
sugar

watering can
rotating the rainbow's
day off

thundery showers -
a squirrel jumps from the pine
into the oak

Some rust was found in our roof. We had to order a painters' team to solve that problem.

Painting took some more days we expected due to some rain...

* * *

Our nights are getting longer down here, in Turku.

My friend told me they'll have a sunset next week. He lives at Utsjoki, in Lappland. (H 24 sunny period begun at May 20th.)

Streetlamps needed longer and longer...

Shiny nights -
street lamps'
rusted memory

hurry up -
the sun is ready
also for you

silent forest -
cuckoo laid its eggs
in mosquitoe's nest?

before the autumn
I'm going to change
my mind

Reidar Särestöniemi 1925 - 1981

Artist Reidar Särestöniemi lived at Kittilä. One of his ateliers in the photo. That area is as a museum now, there is also a good cafe. By the river Ounasjoki also his childhood-home left as a museum. (Near this house.)

in the forest
one man's house -
& some mosquitoes

Some more photos here: http://juhanitikkanen.blogspot.com/2011/06/kekkosen-jalkia-kittilassa.html
and here:

http://juhanitikkanen.blogspot.com/2011/06/reidarin-museosta-jalkivaikutteita.html

and here:

http://mataleena.blogspot.com/2011/06/reidar-sarestoniemi.html

Lassagammi & Ailu

Some 40 years ago I visited many times my friend Ailu. At that times he lived (when stayed in Finland) in Pättikkä, place by the Swedish border in Finland's Lappland.

Ailu (Nils-Aslak Valkeapää) died a couple years ago. He built a new house over there, Skibotn in Norway, just before he died. That building is now sort of artists' residence.

nobody at home -
with the wind
a soft sound

Have a look:
http://www.lassagammi.no

A holiday trip to Norwegian side today. My wife asked at what time we will return to this cottage. "Before the sunset" was my answer. (It is not so long trip, but because of reindeers wandering on the roads etc.)

breakfast egg
cloudy side up claims
it's a good moorning

Peaceful countryside

I have spent several days now just traveling all around our Lappland... Now staying in the middle Lappland, near Swedish border. We hired a cottage here.

the wind, either,
not allowed
to rest

Our car in the parking lot is so happy; the sun warming her days and nights. A hay(na)ku:

shining
all over
the unsleepy sun

As you know, the sunrise here was around May 23rd, and next sunset will be around 18th. July. This place is 68 Degs North. (Muonio.)

wondering
where to wander
next

That hasty bird
not at all acquainted
with my ideas?

Not so frequently online; I'm visiting Lappland, returning southwards next week.