I spent the morning at the Cleantech Finland Conference in Lahti. Several very thoughtful presentations were given and I plan to return to get into greater details and specifics on their waste reduction and utilization practices. (Yes I know, it perhaps does not sound exciting, but it really is.)

The conference included lunch followed by a concert at Sibelius Hall – neither of which I could attend due to an already over-scheduled afternoon. So instead, I headed back to Helsinki for the first snow of the season. By the end of the day only about 4 or 5 centimeters had fallen, but wonderful nonetheless. 

What is it about snow? Watch any child and you cannot help see their sense of wonder and delight playing in it, catching snowflakes and of course throwing snowballs. Kids don’t complain that it is cold or that the days are darker. For them, winter isn’t a cause for unhappiness. Rather they revel in the miracle of snow, in the entertainment of seeing their own breath in the frost air and the discovery of the mysteries of the trees now revealed in the absence of leaves. Winter means popcorn by the fire, the beauty of candlelight and piling in under quilts and blankets. Sometimes as adults we focus more on the drudgery of winter than on its pleasures. 

I got to thinking about this because of our dog, Deckard, who simply revels in the cold and snow.  Here he is yesterday afternoon catching snowflakes with his tongue and generally romping without a worry in the world.