The midsummer night is passed, and the nights are getting darker by the minute. Still plenty of glowing sunsets and warm evenings. I went for a walk with my camera on my family's pasturage. My parents own sheep, and my dad was making hay for them. It was a warm evening and the sunset was just breathtakingly beautiful. And then I inhaled the scent of freshly made dry hay...... Tons of memories flooded my head all of a sudden. When I was smaller, 7-10, we had a lot of cows and we produced milk for a dairy. Then the amount of the hay needed to be made was ten-twenty times larger then what needs to be done now. But times were poor and most of the work was by hand. The hay was cut by tractor, but put together in one pile and to a storage place by man. It was unbelievable to think back on, extremely hard work. Now my dad just cuts it, makes baled and takes them in the barn by tractor. But that also means no sleeping in the hay, what me and my friend did every summer. We did little sleeping, mostly sit up, chat, tell ghost stories and watch the sun come up again already at 4 in the morning.
But the scent of freshly made hay bales in still the same old scent, and it gives me a warm feeling inside and makes me happy to be able to live where I live.
Every time I go to the capital for a couple of days, it just makes it so much better to be at home. Sure, I'll probably move to the city eventually, at least for a small period, just a stage you need to do. But I'll always be a son of the Island, and I'll come back.
I have my own house, own home, built by my ancestors by their own hands. I have a lot of land around the Island that belongs to my family; I can make my own firewood in the winter (an experience on its own) and go to my back yard to pick an apple. 100% free of any pesticides or preservatives. I can come home in the dark and the only thing to worry about is wild boars and moose. I have to admit that in some cases a wild boar can be slightly hazardous to your health.
But I do not unfortunately live to deep in the wilderness to be without neighbours. But here, in my small village good old thick lilac hedge and tall trees will do the trick, and not giving a damn as well
The future is still as foggy as at the beginning of the year, but I've learned not to mind. I can be sure of the most important things and people in my life, and I'll swing on. Let's see what life has to offer, but mind this, Life will always surprise. In a good way or in a bad way, that is already up to everyone themselves.