Deep in the Magic Forest

I don't want to talk about my day because it's been mostly horrible, beating my head against a brick wall trying to perform a simple task which should have taken just an hour but has consumed a whole day. And I still haven't sorted it out yet. Microsoft have been the target of curse words I didn't even know I knew! I could rant, but that would be to indulge the negative and I'd rather focus on the positive.

At least the day started and ended well. Going into the office I got seduced by the lifting fog and took a short detour to Northcliffe Woods to witness the magic of the sun filtering through the mist shrouded forest. It was an ephemeral delight because the sun burnt all the fog away very quickly. Just seconds after this shot was taken the ethereal sunbeams dissolved completely away.

I finished the novel I've been reading on the train coming home, somewhat earlier than expected because I hadn't realised that the last 30 pages or so are devoted to a couple of short stories. The end came rather quickly and caught me by surprise. The book is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. It's not a straightforward piece of fiction. It deals in both myth and magic, but at the same time it also deals with the harsh realities of the lives of the early settlers trying to carve out an existence in the Alaskan wilderness. The author is born and bred in Alaska and knows her territory well. Despite the magical element I found an authenticity here that is quite rare in a novel. There is a deep understanding of what it means to live off the land and be entirely dependent upon it for your existence. Most of all though this is novel about love, in all its many forms. It's a sad story but it's also incredibly life-affirming at the same time. For a first novel I think it's an astonishing achievement and I can't recommend it highly enough.

This seems to be quite an apt image in relation to the book. Scatter a few inches of snow here and this could be a scene taken right from the novel.

Finally, thanks for the wonderful feedback to yesterday's Umbrella Days and for all your generous hearts and stars and witty comments. It seems like attack may be the best form of defence. I think I'm going to put in an order for half a dozen of the weapons and try to get over myself!