Burning Bright

 I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my father a couple of years ago, looking out over the snow-covered yard. There was a rustle in the old rowan tree: Once again, I was amazed at the number of tits at my parents' bird feeder. Great tits, Eurasian blue tits, willow tits, coal tits. - Hey, is that a coal tit, I asked Dad, who had done his Master's thesis on tits at the University of Turku in the late 1970's. His research project included hours of winter-time observation, with binoculars, no tech assisted business back then, at the bird feeder of the Ruissalo research station. He continued his observation routine over three winters. Three winters! Who would do such research nowadays!  Headline: "The virtue of a tit researcher is patience". Martti Kohonen in the photo. Publication date unknown, late 1970s, Helsingin Sanomat. Dad hardly looked at the bird feeder and said, "Yes, it’s a coal tit". - How can you tell that, you barely turned your head, ...

  Sometimes one image is worth a thousand words. I sometimes feel exactly like this. That's when I know it is time to switch off the laptop and get out into the woods or into the backyard, listen to the wisdom of the birds, or the hum of wind in the pine trees. Thank you for sharing the video and for the permission to use it, Lecturer Marjaana Tuovinen from Savonia University of Applied Sciences, and her cat, Birra!

  Wait, I can't hear you! Turn your microphone on. Try again.  Image: Courtesy of Päivi Tauru. Her Finnish Spitz, Kaja, taking part in a Teams meeting. Phew, I don't think I have ever been happier about Christmas break than this year! I got my human to come out and play with me in the snow, too. Many times! Yeay! Oh yeah, I'm also looking forward to the New Year snow games. Except for the fireworks that some humans seem to need so much. My New Year's wish is that you all could also take me into consideration when planning your online meetings and online lessons for the next semester. You see, for one, I can't see all colours very well.  I could smell everything VERY well indeed, but for some reason the screen sharing doesn't include scent sharing. Now why is that? Didn't anyone consider us dogs when planning this system?  Well, usually I fall asleep under the desk and just snore at your meetings, anyhow. And then, you know, sometimes it is SOOO hard to just ...