Animals

Lens-Artists Challenge #343 – Seen on my Last Outing

/ Leya / 152 kommentarer

Every outing is a learning experience.

– Drew Pomeranz

What happened on Your last outing? Did you meet a friend or did you go shopping? Or maybe you just took a walk in the beautiful weather? What made you take out your camera? We’d love to know!

For a couple of days now, Spring has taken giant steps forward, and we see cranes and starlings – even the little wagtail is here. She used to come punctually on the 4th of April – but nature runs faster and faster… and well – she is already here. And she’s welcome.

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring is of course the main inspirer to take out my camera these days, but little outings can bring new and different things to tempt your lens – even things you did not expect when you left home!

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.

– Gertrude S. Wister

This time I was looking for the little anemone hepatica – and I know where to find her. These anemonies are the harbingers of Spring, and their colours vary from indigo over light purple to very light blue. I love taking photos of them as they are reaching for the sunlight. In fact I almost take the same photos every year… maybe you recognise doing something like that too?

I feel a physical happiness when spring is coming. – Halldor Laxness

Milo is not that intrigued when I bring my camera, and he is not interested in either posing or the flowers. Rather a roll or two in the leaves – Not on the anemonies, Milo!!!

I also visited a newly found friend. I met her through an old friend of mine, and we have spent a couple of hours painting together. Now we were invited to her home, and the location of her house turned out to be a dream surprise.

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.

– Loren Eiseley

As a child I always dreamt of having water running through my garden. It doesn’t have to be a river, a brook or creek would have been perfect. The pure harmony of the sound is soothing to every human ear – and I guess to nature itself.

Cats rule the world. – Jim Davis

Yes – I fell in love with her cat, Morris.

A real beauty – but a fast and cunning hunter as well, I learned. Cats are, of course, but he must have held some kind of record…

When my friend told me that Morris had caught five squirrels in a few days, and killed her garden robin and a wren… I was happy to have taken my photos before I knew about that. He was good at posing though –

Talking about posing nicely – the hectic love affairs going on in the pond made me sit down for a while to watch the multitude of frogs – I guess there where more than a hundred in that single spot. I caught this one smiling, while guarding its offspring… Who knows, one of them might be a prince? I can easily resort to fairy tales these days to forget about the craziness of this world.

So, what did I learn from my outing then? Good friends are priceless, Spring glory makes me happy and alive, I still love cats – and I agree with Cameron Diaz:

I’d kiss a frog even if there was no promise of a Prince Charming popping out of it. I love frogs.

Last week we had Egidio guiding us through Wild Life – thank you for all your exciting wild wonders, a treat every one of them!

Now I am looking forward to seeing your outings and what they brought! Link to my post and don’t forget the Lens-Artists tag. Next week Anne will be your host – please go to her site and get inspired!

Lens-Artists Challenge# 334 – Cats and Dogs

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.

– Anatole France

Tina has chosen a theme close to my heart – and I guess to many of us this will be a feast of memories!

In the first gallery you will find my own dogs, (I just had to…) the Lagotto Romagnolos. Originally waterdogs, but as Romagna (Italy) lost many of its water- and marsh lands, these dogs were taught to find truffles instead. The breed is known to be very harmonious and friendly, and these dogs never shed any hair.

Next gallery shows some of the unforgettable dogs I have met on my travels. Often it is the eyes that does it, but they all have their own stories.

The first one was a cosy dog we met on a hike in the Pyrenees. He was chained to his little house, which is forbidden in Sweden. So we stayed some time to talk and pat. In the middle are two ”mustcuddle” dogs from Scotland belonging to a blogger friend of mine. Before our Lagottos, we had a Bearded Collie in excactly the same colours. Then, there is a shop assistant in Bhutan…

The blue-eyes was a stunner in Lodz – never seen anything like those eyes. I know I have posted this several times – but how could I not? In Georgia we met many dogs, but this was the sweetest, most harmonious picture of a young boy and a stray dog, relaxing together in the sun. I saw a lovely story in this one…the two of them seeking each others’ company, maybe after school? Even if the boy is on his phone, his hand is resting quietly on the dog. And they breathe together. In silence.

The last gallery is for the cats! We always had cats when I grew up, so there is a special bond…even if I nowadays prefer dogs. (Or my husband does…)

Cats and dogs generally go well together- if they grow up together – but if not…well, in this meeting the dog turned stiff as a statue and the cat froze with lowered ears. Again we visit Tblisi, but also Norway, Iceland, the Amsterdam Catmuseum and lastly, Sweden.

The two siamese cats belong to a very good friend of mine. (Borrowed photos!) They are a Siamese and an Oriental Shorthair. Those two finally became good friends ( after half a year or more… ) and are now inseparable. Just for fun, my friend used one of her apps for deciding animal species – and the Oriental Shorthair is…according to AI… a bat! True enough by his looks! But he is very social and sweet, and ”talks” very much to us all.

Be sure to visit Tina’s inspirational site for beautiful wild cats as well – I cannot provide you with any (except Aslan in the header) and link to her post including the Lens-Artists Tag. We thank Egidio for last week’s Complementary Colors challenge, and all of you who responded with your beautiful images. Finally, we hope you’ll join us next week when Patti leads us once again on her terrific Pilotfish blog. Until then as always please stay safe, be kind and true to yourself.

Lens-Artists Challenge #331 – Resilience

/ Leya / 51 kommentarer

Anne‘s theme this week is Resilience. And that is what we all have to show to survive. Resilience is the ability to maintain psychological well-being in the face of adversity. It’s the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences.

There is so much trouble in the world today, so we have no other choice. The most obvious example here in Europe is the Ukrainian people. When everything seems hopeless and impossible, they rise again and fight back. The fires now in the US, the war in Gaza – somehow most of us manage to go on – Life works that way. Be resilient – or break.

I guess you all know my love for Iceland, its landscapes and its strong inhabitants – people, animals, plants. Living in constant danger of disaster molds you to be resilient. And it is not only people and homes, but their whole livelihood – cattle, horses, sheep. They must be resilient in a volcanic area that often ”comes alive” We have visited Iceland several times, and sometimes soon after eruptions too.


This is Eldfell volcano after the big eruption on Vestmannaeyar, 1973. We went there in 1979, when the surface had cooled down and it was allowed to walk everywhere. Then we returned in the summer of 2019, from when these photos are.

Some of the half buried houses were left as a reminder of the disaster. This is Heimaey, the main town on the islands.

Luckily their whole fishing fleet was in the harbour those days because of a storm – so within 6 hours 5300 people were safely evacuated. Only one life was lost – a man who walked into a house to get medicin, but was poisoned by the gas.


Krafla erupted in 1984, and Hekla’s last one was in 2000. Hekla is a well known volcano that always displays a trail of smoke – erution or not. The picture shows Eyafjallajökull during the first day of eruption in 2010. This eruption caused a stop in the air traffic in the whole of Europe. The planes could not safely fly because the ashes could destroy the engines.


One of the gigantic lava fields in Iceland. You should not risk walking out there – holes deeper than 200 meters hide under the moss. Here resilience from nature is shown in flowers, grasses and mosses that came back rather fast.

The newest volcanic island, Surtsey, was created from an eruption in the ocean in 1963, south of Vestmannaeyar. Now it is a World Heritage site, but only scientists are allowed to visit. In 1965 the first living plants were discovered there and today birds are living on the island too.

Horses, I have to mention the Icelandic horses, they are among the toughest and sturdiest – and most resilient breeds on Earth. They stand close together in the winds on the open plains, often with their backs to the wind, and don’t seem to suffer at all. For this Viking people, they are priceless treasures.

This week the hosted Lens-Artists Challenges are resumed, after the fantastic Favourite Images of 2024 last week. Anne is leading us with this timely theme and her post is truly inspirational. Please visit her beautiful site and when you join us, please tag Lens-Artists and link back to Anne’s original post.

Next week it’s Ritva’s turn to host so make sure to visit her magnificent site Saturday 18th January. Until then, take care and stay curious.

Lens-Artists Challenge #318 – Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places

/ Leya / 38 kommentarer

Patti is challenging us with a very important thing – to find beauty where we might not immediately think we could. Because, there is beauty everywhere if we just look for it! Please visit Patti’s inspiring post for more!

This is Highgate, London. Below the massive growth of ivy, this beautiful statue of a resting woman had just been rediscovered when we visited in 2014. We admired every detail – the artist made her look so real, just sleeping -about to wake up any minute.

In Tblisi, Georgia, 2019, most buildings and open places were dilapidated or worn down. Walking past this yard, I was really taken by the shadow and reflections, the tranquility, and the lovely cat.

More Tblisi. After a climb up one of the hills, three resting beauties awaited us in this yard. So calm and relaxed as only cats can be in the sun, they even let me take some photos.

A burnt down house lent some of its books to a beautiful photo. (An exhibition by Helene Schmitz) I often find great beauty in old and worn things, but these books sent an ache in my heart. Books should never be thrown away or burnt. This artist really found a way to make the disaster in her own home into something beautiful.

Finally, a stinging nettle in evening light – a dangerous beauty!

A special thanks to Tina, who invited us to explore our neighborhoods last week. Thanks for sharing your “world” with us. Next week it’s my turn, Leya, to lead. Until then, be safe, stay curious, and be kind!

I hope you will join this challenge – as we search for beauty in surprising and unexpected places. Beauty is seen in a wider context–beyond the typical. For an added challenge, Patti suggests us to come up with a surprise – something that you find beautiful but other people might not. Show us your beautiful and unexpected finds and tell us where you discovered them. Be sure
to link to Patti’s original post and include the “lens-artists” tag so we can enjoy your images.

Lens-Artists Challenge #310 – Zigzag

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

We are back again – and a big thank you to all our guest hosts! Patti is hosting this week, and the topic is Zigzag. Let’s start with my favourite – Danish architecture – and more.

If you go looking for it, natural zigzag can also be interesting…

Beautiful European adder met on the path some years ago while hiking. I have never seen it rise like this one did – and we backed off…

Winter snow bending the straws in elegant zigzag.

In a Narnia Park, we found the broken stone table from the story of Narnia and Aslan by C.S.Lewis.

The sand dunes of the Sahara desert made me think of a soft zigzag pattern.

A walk in Porto is a great joy!

These are all from Tblisi, Georgia – a lot of zigzaging there. Buildings, construction sites and staircases. And fountains!

Have fun with the challenge and we are so looking forward to seeing your choices. Be sure your post includes the “Lens-Artists” tag and a link to Patti’s challenge post.

Next week, I, Ann-Christine, will take the lead for LAC #311, so be sure to visit next Saturday. Until then, stay safe, be curious, and be inspired!

Thursday Thoughts – Hachikō

/ Leya / 32 kommentarer

Everyone who once has owned the friendship of a dog, will love the story of Hachikō – Japan’s most famous dog.

Hachikō was an Akita-inu, born in 1923. He followed his master to the Shibuya station in Tokyo every day and met him there every night when he returned.

But one day, professor Ueno suddenly died and never came back. Hachikō waited for almost ten years for his master, sitting at the same place outside the station. Many people cared for him and helped him, so…

…his story got wings and travelled around the world, even to Sweden. As a child I read about him and was very moved by his faithfulness. At home we always had both cats and dogs, so my heart was aching for his fate.

In 1934, his statue was unveiled, and Hachikō himself was present too. Today there is always a long queue to his statue – young and old – everyone wants a photo with him by their side. Even if it is heavily raining…The station gate and exit wear his name and on the wall there are several Akita-inu dogs portrayed.

This was one of my must-see places in Tokyo.

The whole story of the faithful Hachikō is here.

Lens-Artists Challenge #302 – AI and Photography

/ Leya / 55 kommentarer

The question for today is to what extent AI makes the work something other than photography and at what point should it be identified as such. John is our eminent host. I encourage you to take a look at his site and give the question of AI some thought. He takes a thorough look at it. We are there, and if we listen to the experts – we cannot go back from it. We don’t have to use it though… but do you think it is ”photography”?

Personally I edit my pictures with a light touch – when I edit. I have changed skies, but that is when I work with scanned pictures I cannot make better. And, I write it when I have. Before this post, I had never written a prompt for a totally new picture – To me, this is a different kind of art, fun to try, but I don’t think I will ever do anything but playing with it. So, here we go! I will try the WP AI, as I was so inspired by Donna, and because with WP, we can all try it, even if PS or Lightroom is not an option on our computer. Use the right bar!

My first try was, like Donna’s, to use my blogname. I wrote ”A Lagotto Romagnolo and Cattleyas”. I was not at all happy with that one, and changed it to ” A brown lagotto running in a field of cattleya orchids” That picture is in the opener. The orchids are not cattleyas, but AI could produce a reasonable picture of a Lagotto Romagnolo. Milo is nodding too.

For the second picture I wrote ”A Geisha in a Japanese temple”. For both pictures I tried 7-8 different suggestions.

For the third one, I wrote ”Tokyo Sky Tree”. This option I liked the best, but none of them met my expectations. It was an interesting lesson though.

My last try was a macro, and I found this one acceptable. WP’s AI is not good at making the picture feel real, but I saw Sofia’s Firefly play – and they were really really good! My biggest fear is not being able to tell what is real or AI. In fact, today I am more careful with pressing ”like” or adding a heart on instagram – there are too many AI generated pictures. In that perspective, WP is better – those are undoubtably AI… I strongly believe that if the major part of the picture is changed with AI, the photographer should say that in the text, and if the whole picture is AI generated, it is a must. Then it is no longer a photo.

For John’s question about the peninsula picture – the second one shows very strange waves, so, that might be the AI?

Thank you, Sofia, for last weeks floral enchantments, and the chance for me to feature the Japanese Wisteria garden!

Donna will host the challenge next week, go to her inspitational site and see what she is up to! If you’d like to participate in the challenge responses each week but aren’t sure how to get started, check here.

Macro Monday – Transparent

/ Leya / 10 kommentarer

I found this tiny spider in one of my indoor plants – it was totally transparent. Almost impossible to photograph.