All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Same Time Next Year Aurora Borealis

Year 6,

For 30 years a group of close friends and family have gathered to celebrate the end of summer on Labor Day Weekend. We call ourselves the Same Time Next Year Gang. Given my Northwoods cabin is small, we burst at the seems with every bed occupied in the cabin and bunk house. This year folks are even also renting cabins at two small nearby resorts.

For such a significant anniversary, the Northern Lights shown last night. Yup, Lady Aurora danced above Northstar Lake. The forecast is for another dance tonight. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Northern Lights Dance Over NorthStar Lake

Three Generations of Hoeg Women!

When Bored … Look South … Milky Way!

Is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer an Impostor?!

Year 6

Don’t let young children under the age of seven learn the contents of this post! Santa’s reindeer are NOT boys!!! They’re girls!  Read on below the photos, but here are some Reindeer images I took last week near the North Cape of Norway … Nordkapp.

Yup, I learned this fact about antlers from the Norwegian locals while up in the Arctic. Apparently male reindeer lose their antlers before the winter, while female reindeer keep their antlers (postulate: to defend their young). At Christmas, only girl reindeer would have antlers.

Thus, when Santa calls out in the classic poem… Twas the Night before Christmas:

  • Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
    On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
  • To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
    Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!

He should really be saying something like:

  • Now, Diane! now, Dancer! now, Princess and Vivian!
    On, Carol! on Kristi! on, Debby and Betty!

I guess Rudolph should be named Rita!

Some Sea Eagle (White-Tailed Eagles) images from the same day near the North Cape of Norway (Nordkapp)

Red-Throated Loons in Tromso, Norway

Year 6

Molly and I just got home from the Norwegian Arctic where we bicycled toured for 16 days plus took a short trip on the Hurtigruten Coastal Ferry up to Kirkenes. Given the seven hour time difference, I was awake by 3:30 am and decided it was a good time to process my loon photographs. Here are the fruits of my wee hours of the morning efforts: (the trip back took us almost two full days)

Red-Throated Loon

Album via my Flickr Account (view images directly … 51 in total)

Red-Throated Loons

Other Norway web links from Rich and Molly: