Headed South

Getting up early has never been my thing so on travelling days I always need to set an alarm, even when it's for 7:30, a time many people wouldn't consider early!
The early start was so we could do most of the trip in daylight and a gloriously sunny drive was our reward. Jan drove the first half of the journey so I was in the passenger seat and could take several pictures of this timber terminal we see on the way to Sundsvall.  
There is a pulp mill nearby so most of these trees are going to end up as some sort of paper. The snow-covered piles that aren't logs are sawdust. I think that is going to end up being burnt, either in the pulp mill, to provide energy, or (via Härnösand's pellet factory) being used to heat people's homes and water. This picture shows about half the terminal so there's a lot of forest that was felled to fill this one terminal! The forest is replanted and 80 to 100 years after felling it's ready to fell again. Nevertheless there are many environmental discussions around this industry, as the linked Guardian article shows..

It's a little hard to get the scale in my picture but fortunately the Guardian has a picture article "Forests are not renewable", and pictures 9 and 10 are taken at this timber terminal. In picture 10 there are a couple of timber handling cranes, that show how big these piles are!
Our drive went smoothly and just as it got dark we arrived at our hotel. That was 5 hours ago so we've had a relaxing time and will shortly be going to bed. Another early start tomorrow (6:30) so we have time to eat breakfast and catch the shuttle bus to the airport without stress.