Månad: augusti 2019

Lens-Artists Challenge #61 – Precious Pets

/ Leya / 65 kommentarer

In the header, Mille (no longer with us) and Totti – dearly loved by my mother too. She still walks with me and the dogs every day. My last three dogs have all been of the breed Lagotto Romagnolo.

This week Tina is our host, and she has chosen a theme very accurate for many of us – Precious Pets. I have had many pets in my life, but I will post only my favorite choices. Otherwise I would fill your week!

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are

better off than a lot of humans – James Herriot

In Homer’s Odyssey (c. 8th century BC), upon Odysseus’ return after 20 years, his beloved dog Argos is the only individual to recognize him.

 

Milo

Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life – James Cromwell

A lovely young man and his dog, Westmannaeyar, Iceland

”Man’s best friend” is a common phrase about domestic dogs, referring to their millennia-long history of close relations, loyalty, and companionship with humans. The first recorded use of a related phrase is by Frederick the Great of Prussia, 18th century.

 

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read – Groucho Marx

Old Mr Marx might have a good point though…not everyone can have a dog…but there are alternatives!

Since I left home, more than 40 years ago, I have always had dogs, but when I grew up, we had cats. All of them were lost too soon, either run over by a car or just disappeared in the forest. The sorrow of losing them, and the fact that I wanted a companion on my walks, made me go for dogs instead. The two cats below both live in Heimaey, Vestmannaeyar. I believe their breed is Norwegian Forest cat.

Cats choose us; we don’t own them —Kristin Cast

Cats have it all – admiration, an endless sleep, and company only when they want it – Rod McKuen

A horse is a thing of beauty… none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor – Xenophon

As a teenager, I was a horse addict and spent much time at the stable. Nowadays I only ride horses when we visit Iceland.

The Icelandic is a ”five-gaited” breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain.

The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt. The breed also performs a pace called a skeið, flugskeið or ”flying pace”. It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h)

The Icelandic horse comes in a wide variety of colours as well, and the Icelandic language includes more than 100 names for various colours and colour patterns of their horses. I find them all very beautiful……but the combination in the last photo is My favorite.

Thank you for all your inspiring Frames last week!  –  and thank you, Amy, for all the fun with this challenge!

 

Thursday Thoughts – Iceland, Life on Earth and at Sea

/ Leya / 34 kommentarer

Djupalónsandur beach lets you meet sea, rocks and the remains of the British trawler Epine – that went down off the coast in 1948.

And of course there are enigmatic lava formations. You get a glimpse of snowcapped Snaefellsjökull  volcano through the holes.

Once this bay was home to one of the most prolific fishing villages on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Today this area is uninhabited.

Except for the old rusty debris from Epine, four lifting stones still lie on the sands of Djúpalónssandur, in olden days used by fishermen to test their strength. Today tourists and children roam the beach to look at the rusty pieces, and many of them test their  abilities – and possibilities – of getting hired as seamen…

This was quite a special walk where many thoughts were coming and going… The harsh lives of seafarers and society changing fast. And, will there be any fish in the sea for our children?

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #60: Framing the Shot

/ Leya / 70 kommentarer

You don’t need a framework. You need a painting, not a frame. – Klaus Kinski

I guess most of us love things framed to help us follow lines and reveal the artist’s intentions with his/her work. At least if we put them on our wall at home or go to an exhibition. Now Amy challenges us to consider framing – and in my selection (from Stettin all except the header) I try to show some very different ones as well. An important thing to remember is, that a frame doesn’t have to look like a frame, and it does not have to apply to the whole picture either.

You don’t buy a Picasso because you love the frame – Joss Whedonm

Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame. When you put four edges around some facts, you change those facts – Garry Winogrand

What counts isn’t the frame, it’s what you put in it – Otto Preminger

I’ve often noticed that we are not able to look at what we have in front of us, unless it’s inside a frame – Abbas Kiarostami

I have a European frame of mind and Europe is my home – Andrea Bocelli

 

Thank you for all your inspiring Angles last week!  –  and thank you, Amy, for a beautiful set of frames and for all the fun with this challenge!

 

A Masterpiece – Good Omens

/ Leya / 28 kommentarer

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett wrote Good Omens, released 1990, when my daughter was born. So I missed out on it then. This summer my daughter and son made me read it, and we have watched the 6 piece adventure streamed from Amazon.

I simply LOVE it! The way I loved Narnia and JRR Tolkiens masterpiece about the Ring. But this one is hilariously funny as well. My student’s were more or less forced to read Gaiman’s books, but I was less into Pratchett.  But now – I have to read him as well. This series is a tribute to Pratchett from Gaiman.

I totally fell in love with the series – with a master cast (Cumberbatch, Jacobi, Richardson, etc.) …and Queen’s music. Michael Sheen and David Tennant – they could not have chosen a more suitable pair for the leading parts of Aziraphale the angel and Crowley the demon.

For 6000 years they have known each other, and have come to love us humans…with all our faults and errors…so when Armageddon is nigh, they have an agreement to save the world together.  No matter what their ”bosses” say.  And important roles for the outcome are played by young children – at the age of 11. (When I grew up, they said 11 was a crucial age. You will see how…). A timely novel and movie indeed!

Now, just enjoy this, my favourite fan youtube clip – with Belinda Carlisle’s hit from my younger days: Heaven is A Place on Earth!

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word in August – 4

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For Paula this month – my favorite prompt!

Ursine – hope Milo counts…

Earthward – Morocko mountains in the header and Bhutan dogs seen from our window.

Coeval

Connubial

Adorned

 

Thursday Thoughts – Water, Harbour and Water Games

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

I thought I would post something of the lovely waters from Stettin/Szczecin, Poland.

We went there for a week with Viveka of My Guilty Pleasures – so she has got some splendid views from our visit!

No guide beats Viveka – and when it comes to restaurants and food…

Nothing compares to U – Wivi!

The harbour tour we had to do on our own, because Viveka was not feeling well this day.

And when walking back to our apartment, we watched some of the water games. Skilled guys, and the high diving was spectacular. Look at the bridge shot and you will find a girl diving – just below the bridge, head first. Wonder how high it was – I could not find any facts on it.

We enjoyed our stay immensely – wonderful people, city, fireworks, games, food. And company! Festivities for two days. Not expensive either – to be recommended! Poland never disappoints – and neither does Viveka. Thank you for taking us!