Full Moon

Around 11 am in Tjåmotis, daylight is slipping away fast; the days have grown shorter, and darkness looms shortly after midday. Lasse remains the sole permanent resident here. It  is somewhat surprising–driving through, the village appears lively, especially by the roadside, where approximately ten houses glow with ambient lights. These, as I discover, serve as vacation homes, occupied solely during vacation season.  Otherwise, it's desolate and a touch lonely around here.

I'm buying firewood from Lasse, then some wood boards to build dog kennels. Now, he's eager to show me his mountain cabins, once rented out to hunters and wilderness enthusiasts.

I spot three snowmobiles; fortunately, one is operational. Lasse notes they tend to break, regardless of age. The old one starts, and we head along the lake.

'Nature is the finest artist,' Lasse says as his fingers tracing the contours of a spruce log in the mountain cabin. 'Yeah, and it never does the same thing twice!' I say, feeling like we think alike.

The view from the cabin is amazing; I quickly take some pictures with my phone. It's a great place to stay overnight, whether I'm alone with my dogs or guiding others looking for peace.

Coffee brews promptly, and amidst conversation, Lasse confesses he's uncertain about his heritage; DNA tests suggest Inuit, Finnish, and Sami roots – an enigma indeed. He isn't verbose, yet his words are profound, a guiding light for a newcomer like me settling in this terrain. His discontent about the irreversible changes due to dams and hydroelectric power stations is evident. It's risky for the ecosystem. Yet, amidst it all, there's an acceptance, an understanding. I realize that lamenting over industrialization and resource depletion would only deplete the crucial energy required for survival here.

On our return journey, Lasse adeptly gauges the lake's ice. Some areas overflow with water, while others remain open. The power stations change how the water moves and make the ice unsafe. Sadly, a dozen elks drowned in one winter.

Tjåmotis, 'moose leg' in translation, a peninsula stretching into the lake. 'This is the best place on earth," says Lasse."