Human Flower Project
Orrington, MAINE USA
Murrieta, CALIFORNIA USA
Princeton, MAINE USA
Friday, February 18, 2011
Berry Tippling in the Arctic
For winter visitors to Lapland, lingonberries in many forms take the sting out of dogsledding and icebedding. Thank you, Allen!
Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Lingonberries), the toast of Lapland
Photo: H. Zell, via wiki
By Allen Bush
I was introduced to Lapland through the Weekly Reader in Miss Goodwin’s first grade class at Chenoweth Elementary School. I can’t recall anything else about other faraway places. Lapland was the focus of our attention. I learned at the tender age of six that days in the Arctic Circle were long in summer and short in winter. There were reindeer, dogsleds and the northern lights.
I don’t remember hearing about lingonberries, a blueberry and cranberry relative, though Hans Andersen gave hints of them in The Snow Queen.
When they reached the bush with the red berries they found the reindeer waiting for them…