Last week, you shared beautiful, creative, and interesting photos for Patti’s “Focus on the Subject.”I think we learned something new all of us! This week Ana of Anvica’s Gallery is our guest host – be sure to visit her inspiring blog and get even more inspired!
Where I live, in Sweden, winter is very dark, and for many months there will be a constant lack of light and energy. November is the starting month of this seemingly endless period. Some people even use light therapy, spending hours in a totally white room in order to cope with the everyday darkness. There has been more of this since the winters do not provide us with enough snow anymore.
One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.
– Germaine Greer
My own solution is spending time outdoors as much as possible during the few hours of light, soaking up sunrays for the pineal gland. But with the last leaves gone, so are the bright colours. ”How to survive November” is a common struggle for us Nordic people every year.
The evening sings in a voice of amber, the dawn is surely coming.
– Al Stewart
― Christine E. Szymanski
”Just living isn’t enough”, said the butterfly, ”one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower”.
– Hans Christian Anderson
I believe this year, these days, this butterfly’s statement is more accurate than ever. So remember – the sun is still there, somewhere behind the clouds. And it will come out tomorrow.
Now we are looking forward to seeing Your part of the challenge! Don’t forget to include a link to Ana’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag so that everyone can find you in the WP Reader. Next week, I, Ann-Christine, will lead the challenge on Saturday, November 14th. Until then – stay safe and well.
Leya 
This is a spectacular gallery, the first one. Such light! Glorious!!
Thank you, Manja – longing for warmer days now! Hope you are having them!
We are indeed. Today may be the last day for my winter coat.
♥
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A-C, what more is there to say … than WOW!!! I just love you images and your storytelling – you are so good. TOO good! I can see I have missed quite a few of the challenge – better get my act together. Too much of GuruShots. Also, my eye is playing up again, both infection and inflammation just now. Killing me. I will be back in the race this weekend.
Viveka, thank you for your kind words! I follow your GuruShots and you are so skilled! Don’t like it that your eye is getting infected again though – take care. Do you have to go to the hospital again?
A-C, been back to day … and I have another week of cream and drops. Hopefully that will be it. I had so big plans for my plans … for yours theme/topic – but it didn’t turn out that way. So sorry, but I felt I had to write about. Not really a fun reading. I’m so upset still about this morning. Reality is creeping closer and closer.
Viveka, jag läste – åh fy…du kanske skulle flytta…Alltför mycket händer där du bor tycker jag. Var rädd om dig! Jag vet att du är det men…ännu mer rädd om dig. ♥
You’ve got some stunning photos here, Ann-Christine. And the though of the sun returning has much greater meaning for you and other northerners.
Thank you so much, Debbie – and yes the return of the light is crucial.
Oh I love that .. So remember the sun is still there somewhere behind those clouds .. and it will come out tomorrow! Beautiful images and such glorious light 🙂
Thank you, Julie, for a lovely comment. And yes – we had a glimpse today!
I love your collage! And the sun peeking out between the trees. It is hard to get through the winter with so much less daylight. Can you spend time in your glass house when it is a sunny day? (or is it not heated…). As always I enjoyed your amazing photos. Stay well 🙂
Hi – found you in the spam today, and one more comment! Sorry.So glad you liked the collage! And yes – we sit in the glasshouse when the sun is shining. It heats up fairly fast, and can reach 20 degrees if it is about 10 outside!The light in there helps when daylight is so scarce.
Glad you found me 🙂 I am quite intrigued by your glass house – how nice that it can be a warm place in the winter months, courtesy of the sun.
Yes, it can – but today was the first day the sun could not warm it up enough – but put on some more clothes and it will work! The light in there makes me feel good!
That’s the most important thing! Feeling good surrounded by all that light 🙂
It is – Light is ♥
Yes it is. ❤️
The golden tones in your photos are glorious!!
Pleased you like them, Nora! Summernights…
Leya, these photographs are amazing.
Ah, so pleased you like them!
Great choices for the challenge, Ann-Christine! I love the sun shining on the thistle heads and through the trees. And some interesting thoughts on winter in Sweden.
Glad you liked them – and yes, winter is not really a winter anymore.
Beautiful autumn images and choice of quotes, Ann-Christine. The woods images in the end are similar to my surroundings. Take care.
Thank you, Rupali – stay well you too!
Your photos are gorgeous Ann- Christine! So inspiring!
Thank you – I’m glad!
Stunning golden hour photos, AC. Beautiful butterfly captures!
It’s hard to imagine without sunlight during the winter time…
Thank you, Amy – but yes, the sun Will come out tomorrow!
Nice series Ann-Christine…love the butterfly shot 🙂
😀 Thank you! A pretty painted lady.
I love all those golden tones in your photos. It is a real struggle in some parts of the world to get enough sun in the winter. I’ve heard about your dark winters. I’ve lived in places where there is very little sun during those months, and as you say, it’s especially important to spend time outside so you can get whatever rays you can! I wish I could send you some sunshine in a bottle! But your photos are a burst of sunshine for me! Thanks, as alway, for your beautiful images and inspiring thoughts.
Thank you for your always positive comments, Patti! Glad to have sent some sunbursts your way – we are always in need ot that. Hope everything is well with you and yours.
I love that…sunbursts. Keep them coming!!
Oh what a gorgeous post, I love your golden hour photos. I would have to be the people who live in a white room. We are cloudy a lot and I keep a sunlight light by my computer so I can turn it on during dark gray days. I know it doesn’t compare to your lack of daylight though.
Thank you, Cee! And a sunlight light? What is that – something I would like to have for sure!
Beautiful images Ann-Christine, I love the warm glow of the sun at this time of year xxx
Thank you, Xenia – what little light there is is precious.
hi a. c., I’m happy to see great pictures of you again I like all of them particularly well.
many greetings robert
Thank you, Robert, for a lovely comment!
I love the picture of the light, airy clouds. Beautiful!
Thank you, Siobhan – that was a lovely walk and an incredible sky!
stunning images, Ann-Christine. i love the messages of hope! 🙂
Wilma, I am so glad you found messages of hope, and enjoyed the images!
I always enjoy looking at sunrise photos… that’s because I seldom get up early enough to see them for myself. >grin<
;-D Happy to have provided some…but most of them are sunsets!
Your images, as always Ann-Christine, are stunning and your message is spot-on. I cannot imagine months without hours of sunlight. I imagine you and your counterparts there have much stronger constitutions than we do here in the southern US. I complain when we do the time change and daylight ends at 5:30 in the evening – even that is not enough for me!
Thank you, Tina – I know you are a ”sunny” girl! Happy you like the soft evening images – even though the light is almost gone, the memories are there and the hope for a Spring to come.
WOW! Great lighting in all your ‘captures’. Well done.
Happy to share some light, John! Thank you!
Love your beautiful pictures Leya 🙂
Thank you so much, Radhika!
Thank you for this beautiful and inspirational post. Your photos are stunning and I love the butterfly quote.
So happy to share! Thank you – and the little butterfly is so right…
I so enjoy seeing the things that we don’t have or see so thank you for sharing these gorgeous snapshots. That’s the amber colours, the golden light and the soft mushy fallen leaves underfoot. Ah. It is so special. I love that you rug up and get outdoors to avoid the darkness.
Thank you so much, Amanda! I couldn’t exist without going out every day – even in rain or storm. Hope you are ok down there – we are so far.
We are so lucky to live on an island at the far end of the earth. Finally, the tyranny of distance favours us in some way. We have no cases for 55 days. Just 5 active cases in hotel quarantine. Dpwn south they had some problems that they have overcome now. We hear worrying reports from Europe and wonder what will happen when our borders are reopened. Are your borders open?
Congrats on holding back Covid efficiently! It seems Europe and the Americas are having a lot of cases again. And so are we in Sweden. But nothing compared to April, and the death tolls are much less compared to this spring. Then everything was new and unknown. The treatment has been refined, and we are expecting a vaccine at the beginning of 2021. Our borders have always been open, they cannot be closed according to our state laws. Neither can we have a lockdown – our laws do not allow it. It is a democratic right to be free. I do wish we could have closed the borders though.
I am a bit surprised that there is no emergency provision to close the borders in extreme circumstances but I have heard about the Swedish right of movement. It is interesting. What would happen with an invading army?
And the situation with immigrants that were in the move in recent years. Was that Denmark that closed its borders to Sweden?
It is different in war – an invading army would not see open borders.Here they decided to let the immigrants in – don’t remember if Denmark closed the borders. After 2015, with all the immigrants, Sweden has not allowed so many to come. Now we have to take care of and help all those that came that year.
I see so the laws distinguishe between citizens or EU members moving across borders and new immigrants. Now I understand why the borders remained open.
Your photos are perfection, Ann-Christine. Here’s hoping that you get some snow this year to reflect the light.
You are so kind…and the wish for frost and snow I hope is heard – somewhere important. Hope you are all doing well where you live – here it is OK. Yesterday was Father’s Day in Sweden, and we had a lovely dinner together.
So nice that you could have some family time, AC. Fathers Day is in September here. 🙂
Yes – it is never on the same time – not mother’s day either.
Such wonderful images. Like you I struggle through the dark days of November and December, but when the sun shines on these short days it is pretty magical as your photos show. I love that butterfly quote too. I am going to print that out.
So glad you liked them – and I understand you have about the same darkness over there. Do you have the same saying as well? Nothing is more precious than the occational glimpse of sun in November/December! Magical, as you say. The little butterfly is so right – isn’t it…
Also dark times can be beautifull in lights to wait for a new springtime. So are your pics. Cheers Leya.
Cheers and thank you, Maria! Yes, it can.
The sunlight shimmers so beautifully in these, Ann Christine. You have captured a few rays to see you through the months ahead. I always knew I could get as far as November, my birthday month, but after that…. It’s why Algarve living brings me so much joy. Wishing you many hours of sunshine in the coming weeks 🙂 🙂
I know, you made the right decision there, Jo! A bit envious sometimes… As we cannot travel anymore, the winter darkness feels compact.
Love your post! Your images and words are perfect for the challenge. 🙂
I understand that you miss the summer sun. For me it is a break when less sunny times come. I love the winter sun, although it is true that we can enjoy it for less time.
I can so understand you love the winter sun – so do I. I am not a fan of hot summer sun either. But, it would be nice with longer days in winter!
These are lovely glowing photos – the light is there for you, Ann-Christine, that’s for sure!
Thank you, Margaret – and may the light shine for you as well!
I’m in Alaska this winter and dreading the dark, too. November is always the hardest month since there’s less snow to reflect the light. Lovely post, Anne-Christine. I love the quotes, especially the butterfly quote. I’ll be feeling that one come February when I’m missing the spring bloom!
I
You are still in Alaska, this beautiful place on earth – but dark now in November too. Happy to have shared my post with you and glad you love the butterfly quote! Wishing you sunny days for Christmas too.
Lovely autumn colours and your images of sunlight are amazing, Anne-Christine.
Happy to have shared them with you, Teresa!
Lovely gallery, A-C. Love Al Stewart, too. 🙂 I would have a hard time with so much darkness, but I do love and miss winter. I, like you, try to be outside as much as possible because sunlight just makes me feel better. 🙂
janet
Yes – sunlight is almost always welcome. Last year we had three hours of sunlight during the whole of November. I am hoping for a bit more this year.
Absolutely beautiful photos, Leya! I did live in Southern Alaska for a few years. The winters take some getting used to. For us now in the Southwest US, this is the best time of year! The sunshine always brightens my spirits. I hope you continue to be able to enjoy some sunny daytime hours. 😊
Alaska must have been darker than here, yes. I am glad you live in the light right now! In November last year we had only three hours of sunlight – the whole month! This year I think that is what we have had so far – hoping for more.
Where I lived in Alaska we had about 5 hours of daylight in the winter. It did rain (cold windy rain) a lot. But the sun would come out now and then. Wow, 3 hours of sunlight in a month. That would be hard for me to take!
We surely don’t want that again this year…5 hours is about the daylight here in winter as well. Less in Umeå where my daughter lives.
Here’s hoping for some sunshine in your fall! 😎🌞
♥ Thank you! We can always hope!
I had trouble with SAD in California, Leya, I would have to have a headlamp if I moved to Sweden or Alaska. Im sure there are interesting ways to cope in your part of the world. Stunning photos!
Glad you like my photos, Terri…and a headlamp might do the trick?!
You have captured some amazing scenes here A-C with the golden light. I too dislike the winter months and the lack of sunlight; winter seems to be endlessly grey and damp. I relish every day when the sun shines, even if I do nothing more than look at the blue sky, but you are right, we need to make the most of the sunlight and get outside to enjoy it.
Living in the countryside we are blessed. England might be even more damp than here, but going out helps anyway.
I can understand that the long darkness woudl be hard to handle. I now live in Southern Ontario and I notice that the light is better here in the winter than it was when I lived in England. Getting outside in the daylight is a good cure for this you are right!
…And together with my best friends, Milo and Totti, the cure is even more efficient! Like with you and Biasini.
I’m so sorry that you’re in the dark through the winter months. Do make the most of the daylight you have. Your photos are beautiful.
Yes, Anne, I really try to be outdoors when there is some light. Not much to photograph though when the leaves have fallen.
I understand what you’re saying. When we had the fires in California, we couldn’t get out to take photographs day or night. Take care!
Thank you, Anne – we all must!