Northern lights

Wow what an amazing aurora we had last night. I had just got into my pyjamas as I get a knock on the door and it's Camilla and Anok letting me know that there is this amazing northern lights. I quickly get my camera and down jacket on and boots and off I go in my pyjamas. And yes for sure the whole sky was lit up with a green light and then it turned pinkish and moved rapidly over the evening sky, it is such an incredible phenomena. People always wonder how you cope with the long darkness up here in the North of Sweden and I have just one answer to this!!! White snow and beautiful "discolight" in the sky! I managed to get some half decent photos of the northern lights which I hope you will all enjoy. Arctic Sweden rocks!!!

Anok, Liéggas and Sii'vo chilling in Camilla's mums kitchen.
















Sii'vo, what a handsome boy!


















Liéggas
















Liéggas, Anok and Sii'vo posing
















Feeding time after dogsled run.













Apelsintallen (Orangetree)



















Out skiing in Abisko
















Dogsled came by when we were out skiing.

Back in Abisko

I am back in the little village again. I have now been here for two weeks and I am very happy to be back. A winter without snow is just hard to imagine I think. I have got another contract with Umeå University so I am working with CIRC again until the end of May next year. So I will spend the whole winter season up here. I am living in a different flat compared to before, it is a little bit smaller but I now have a balcony overlooking torneträsk, not a bad view I would say. I have also got 2 pairs of skiis now, my backcountry skiis and my downhill ones, ready to hit the slopes at Riksgränsen and Björkliden when they open up in the beginning of February. I have been out 4 times with my backcountry skiis, once in Kiruna and there I had the pleasure of skiing as the northern lights lit up the sky. On saturday I was out on the "kungsleden" and there are some places which are needing a little more snow but it was a nice day out there. Unfortunately we had a little storm on saturday night and a lot of the snow blew away so I am hoping for a nice downfall soon. Otherwise life in Abisko is relaxed and I am totally enjoying it, must be getting old... I have even started knitting!! I am making my first jumper and it is purple of course =)
Another very exciting thing that has happened is that I have got research money from the Swedish research board called FORMAS. This means I will get to do a post doc in Brisbane, Australia next year. At the moment I am planning on going over there for October/November next year. Will be a big change for me both when it comes to my research work and climate. From mainly a polar researcher to a subtropical researcher he he he. I do like my extremes!
I promise to put up some photos from Abisko soon and also some photos of Camilla's and her sister's lovely huskies. Anok (Camilla's dog) actually recognised me, or so I like to believe...