Morning walks with my dog are one of my life's joys. I always find some wonderful treasure that delights the eye and spirit. These backlit blossoms next to the long shadows of a tree bring a certain magic to the day.
Last weekend, my Pop and I took short trip to Astoria, Oregon. Astoria had its commercial heyday as a fishing town and drew tons of immigrants in a short amount of time. At one point, much of the population was made of Finnish immigrants who were fleeing civil and political unrest at home. Seeing some of the vestiges of their impact on the town, I found myself intrigued by Finnish culture. Delving further, I learned about the Sami, one of the indigenous peoples of Northern Europe. They have wonderful singing style called "yoiking" a sort of chanting. I found this wonderful clip of a singer accompanied by ice percussion:
