Kiruna Snöfestival 2006

I love the fabric-like one at the top and got VERY numb fingers taking too many shots each day. If your new to my blog this is from a trip I made earlier this year posted here with some photo's of the Ice Hotel where my friend, who was here on Saturday, was married.

When I realised I'd be in Kiruna for the wedding at the same time as the Snöfestival I emailed the organisers to see if I could join in, but it was a pre-selected (possibly invited) group thing, not for individuals, and when I saw the huge blocks and armies of people with ladders I could understand why. Not that I couldn't do something that big, but I couldn't do it in 3 days without help. I've always loved sculpting with snow but can't find my photo's so intsead meet Wilbur...



I always get this polaroid out for Christmas. I made him when I was about 12, I was going for the look of an American tourist, a very specific type of American tourist. What I love is my brother's snowman on the table beside mine, so cute.

Best of all is that in taking a pic of my polaroid I got really close in with the camera (sorry about picture quality) and noticed something I had never seen... my old cat, peeking out from the left hand side of Wilbur, he's white but looks creamy pink against snow. Now I love this photo even more. Also it is taken in the garden of the house that I always think of as our family home, the one we were in longest and which we loved the most.

We moved quite a lot, and at one point I was living on the other side of town with my Mum's friend (while my family lived in LA) and had to walk past my house which was being rented by my chemistry teacher - that was awful. Especially as all my possessions were in boxes in the garage but I couldn't have them. I hated that so much. Everyday he got to go home to my house near the school and I had to walk 30mins across town to the house of someone I didn't really get on with. Not that she was bad or anything, just some people have nothing in common you know? She was a LOT better than the person I had to live with next time they went to live in LA (another story entirely, let's not go there).

Sorry, various things making me think a lot about my past at the moment, not least the sad news of Anna's dog Jamal which made me think of my own dog playing in this very garden through my teens. She died when I was in my late 20's and I was heartbroken, so I'm really feeling for Anna just now. And for the other person who a can't mention, but you know who you are - kisses xxx.