Onnellista uutta vuotta!

Happy New Year! Last sunset of the year 2008 - photo from my backyard. (Juha H.)

Takaisin Tampereelta

All day in Tampere - meeting with friends. So nice. We came back just some minutes ago. (Juha H.; Photo: Sini)

Yli Keiteleen

Finally the icy cover of the Lake Keitele is thick enough to walk across. So nice! (Juha H.)

Valoa

More sunlight. - Long walks outside, playing flute and alto sax and then some movies: Cloverfield, Beowulf and Sleepy Hollow... (Juha H.)

Aurinko

Sun. For some weeks it's been hidden behind the clouds. But today light so bright! (Juha H.)

Jouluna

Above a photo from the local graveyard - taken during the Christmas night. Its customary here to bring candles to the graves of relatives, friends and loved ones at this time of the year. Candles are really pretty! (Juha H.)

Joulu

Christmas. Some eating, then some resting, some walking and then eating again. (Juha H.; photo: Sini)

Rauhaisaa joulua!

Merry and peaceful Christmas. - Above one thing I wrote today. (Juha H.)

Luminen polku

Snowy path. (Juha H.)

Lumilyhty

Burning snow? (Juha H.)

Hyppy!

Jump! - Finally I took the time and updated this web page. (Juha H.)

Juhlaa ja joulu tulee

All day in Jyvaskyla. Sini and I took part in a nice, nice birthday party. Then we did some Christmas shopping. And before we travelled back home we visited the new home of Jopo and Riikka.

Now after sauna - all is well.

Juha H.

Sataa

Rain keeps on falling. If things go this way all the snow will be gone before Christmas. Though some weather forecasters tell that a bit of frost may return after a couple of days of this misery and then even some more snow may fall... White snow would bring back so much light for this darkest time of the year.

Juha H.

Joki

River. All water is not yet covered with ice.

Jouluvalot

Christmas lights. It's getting closer... (Juha H.)

iPod

iPod is a wonderous gadget. I bought one a week ago. (Well, I've been using Sini's iPod for a year and thus had some previous experience...) Today I loaded some more music onto its HardDisk - Frank Zappa, Bela Bartok, Einar Englund and Jean Sibelius. Both our iPods are synced to the same computer and contain the same albums, some 200 or more of them. But there is still plenty empty space to fill on both iPods - the other is 80G Classic model and the other is 120G... How many full lenght CDs can I put there? And what I like the most - the sound quality is pretty good, way better than on any ordinary Mp3 player...

While the computer and iPods crunched the music I had ample time to blow my flute. So nice!

Juha H.

Siivousta

Nothing much - some hours of playing flute and alto sax. And then cleaning, cleaning... Our home must be decent by Christmas. And I've cleaned the main computer of my studio. Next musical projects ahead.

Juha H.

Eilen

Yesterday - Sini in Helsinki. - Today I added some more photos here. (Juha H.)

Takaisin

Back from Helsinki - few hours there and back. Kiasma is a wonderful venue for modern art.

Juha H.

Talvi-illan hidas hetki

Above something that I wrote today. It looks like music... (Juha H.)

Ensemble Hoikkaset joulukeikalla

Ensemble Hoikkaset played a gig for local veterans of WWII at their Christmas party. We've been doing this for years - at this time of the year. Traditional Christmas Carols, some Finnish Folk music and really excelent food... Very nice anyways.

Juha H.

Koivut lumisina

Birches in snow. (Juha H.)

Lyhty takapihalla

Lantern in my backyard. It's been snowing all day. (Juha H.)

Paatit talvella

Boats in winter. (Juha H.)

Nuotio

Fire in my backyard. - During the evening Sini and I watched some short films created by TerhiToropainen . Some of them didn't have sound yet. But some were ready and beautiful. I liked especially the one called Remembrance. The whole was constructed around still pics of a young boy, photos of nature and old houses. Wonderful. (Juha H.)

6. 12.

Finland's Independce Day. It's 91th. Congratulations! Some happy celebrations around the country. Television, only one channel, shows all evening celebrations from the President's Castle. There are some 2000 guests. I really think this is a unique Finnish phenomena...

Pasunapelimannit played a gig in Sumiainen. For many years we've performed there during the Independence Day's Festives. We played some old time, WWII era, music and military marches.

Juha H.

Muinaisia muistoja

Now musical project Muinaisia muistoja (= Ancient memories) is mastered and done. The whole consists of eleven songs. Words are based on Kanteletar... I wrote the music within some five days in August this year - while Sini was in Parnu, Estonia...

Juha H.

Talvea odotellessa

Still waiting for the real winter. Then there is more snow and the icy cover of Lake Keitele is thick enough to walk on. But for some years this phenomena has happened later and later... Effects of climate change? (Juha H.)

Kanteletar

Sini sang the last song for our Kanteletar-project. I mixed it and bounced to disk. Now there is mastering of the whole left to be done. That I'll try to do on friday.

Now I'm very tired - after sauna. So it's time to bed.

Juha H.

Tallisaaren Majakka

Little lighthouse, Lake Keitele. - One more evening working with my music. This time I recorded some tracks of percussion and recorder. Earlier Toropainen visited. (Juha H.)

Keli

Waiting for the real winter. (Juha H.)