The frosts have been severe in the past weeks. For about a week, the temperatures have been consistently below twenty degrees. This has covered the cabin walls in beautiful frost. If it’s quiet outside for a moment, you can hear the trees cracking in the cold in the forest.

The river has been completely frozen for a long time. Occasionally, I go to test it, hoping it might open up a new pathway for winter, allowing me to ski along it. The water flow is not very strong on my shore, but the nearby thawing stream flowing into the river weakens its load-bearing capacity, and I’ll have to wait for the channel to freeze.

The smallest creatures, such as foxes, hares, and raccoon dogs, can already walk on the ice. They often scurry across it at night, their lively movements revealed only by the tracks left in the new snow. The ice also supports Papu. He can stroll safely along the ice for quite a distance without fear of falling through.

Larger creatures need to tread carefully on the ice. There are creaks underfoot, and occasionally a boot may break through the ice surface and sink into the dark water. While walking along the shores, you can hardly wet your ankles even if you go through the ice, but it certainly doesn’t make walking there very pleasant.

We still have to wait for the ice to strengthen. Last week, a brave reindeer attempted to cross the river on the ice, but it fell through and drowned in the cold water. I saw the sad sight one day when a group of ravens had gathered to circle the unfortunate creature lying on the ice. Later, a fox came to chase away the raven flock, dragging the carcass away with astonishing strength to hide it in the protection of the forest. Nothing goes to waste in the harsh northern nature. One's misfortune sustains another's life for a few more days.

One morning, Papu and I sat on the ice at the threshold of the polar night, in the gray light where it can already support both of us. It wasn’t a particularly beautiful morning, just a typical and safe gray. A hint of winter's blue mingles with its colors. The trees on the opposite shore crack, the ice creaks under the force of the flowing water, and the snow crunches beneath our paws or winter boots. Life goes on.