Midsummer midnight

I've spent two hours on my bike today. I left work at 11 pm and got home around midnight. Yesterday was the longest day of the year, but tonight was close enough to celebrate the solstice for me - by being out on the bike in almost daylight as midnight approached. Not a cloud in the sky, and bright orange lighting up the northern horizon. Kinda magic, although I just have to ignore the fact that now the winter is getting closer again and the days shorter. Riding at that time you always see hares - I'm not sure why but it is virtually guaranteed. I'm not sure why hares seems to dig cycle paths, but they do. Sometimes they let you chase them a bit, lollopping along on track before dashing off into the undergrowth at the side of the path. I took a certain route through one bit of forest as well tonight wondering if I might meet a moose. I've seen a moose near there before, and also saw one on Sunday afternoon, just west of Helsinki, as I was coming home from climbing. He was just standing by the motorway watching the world go by. But no moose tonight, just rabbits and hares. It's kinda cool though that my cycle commute even includes the possibility of meeting a moose.

Here's a short and jumpy (annoying road surfacing!) clip from downtown Helsinki at about 11.10 pm as I was beginning my ride home - just to give those at lower latitudes an idea of Helsinki summer 'nights'.