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Thousands of pictures and millions of words will never accurately describe the beauty those of us fortunate enough to live in Rauland are surrounded by constantly. Vinje kommune (where we're located) is home to a disproportionate number of Norway's artists and authors; they're here either because the landscape inspires talent or talent is drawn to these surroundings. There is ample evidence of both in these parts.

When I wake up on a sunny day (or a day that will be sunny) I walk into my kitchen and look out the window. The first thing I notice is how the mountain (Skarsnuten) completely fills my frame of vision. I want to take a few steps back in order to see the whole thing since the top is too high for me to see from my room. Instead I approach the window (floor-to-ceiling, which makes no sense from a heat saving standpoint, but we'll take it) and look out and the rolling white giant that slices the heavens off at their knees.

Sunsets here are equally impressive. The sky stays blue while every reflective surface (mountains, buildings, clouds) turn a rosy warm shade of pink. The lake, which is frozen over and covered in snow, turns into a huge pink disc. I do miss the rich array of colors we get in Seattle, but the simplicity of just pink between the long shadows is breathtaking.

I have always been a sucker for nighttime. When it snows at night you feel like the stars are descending from the sky to hibernate in the fields for winter. When it's clear, you can see them, safely in the sky. The air is so clear and there is so little light pollution that the stars really seem like they could fall to Earth. Last night was a stunning crescent moon; I tried to take photos, but they all turned out a little blurry. I'm no night photographer.

During the day, everything glitters. The colder it gets, the more the ice crystals sparkle in the sun. There are icicles hanging off of every building and car, varying from clear to mineral tinted greens and reds. Cloud cover means two things, warmer weather and more snow.

January hi-lights

The main attraction in January has been the snow. It snowed almost non-stop for two weeks straight. For at least twelve days we didn't see the sky or even the mountains. There are number of amazing things about snow, one of them is that snow falling never stops being beautiful. Another is that, unlike rain, snowfall is quiet. Of course, one of the more impressive things about this snow is that we got over two feet in just under two weeks (which I can say fairly accurately is all new since we had a period of warm days just before the long snow).

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. After we demolished the gingerbread cathedral, those of us who don't live at Nesland walked home in the moonlight. The sky was crystal clear and the moon was reflecting off the snow so brightly that our flashlights were superfluous. In spite of being 2am, we could see everything perfectly and everything was beautiful. The wind had blown the snow off the ice on the lake. The mountains cut the horizon so short that they seem like part of the sky.

Things are really starting to get busy now. The Vinterkappleik, which my class is responsible for, is in two weeks. Dancing will be starting again next Wednesday at the school, with a considerable increase in student organizing (that means me). My class will be playing a lunch concert next Thursday for a group of visiting high school students. Last night the second year class played a concert for us as a dress rehearsal for their West Coast tour.

I'll do my best to update more regularly! I'm sorry for the long pause.