Animals

Lens-Artists Challenge #225: Wildlife Close to Home

/ Leya / 58 kommentarer

”Stop. Look. Listen. Doing those three things will help you discover the abundance of wildlife you have nearby.” I will follow Anne’s advice…

This summer we were fortunate enough to have a couple of Hummingbird Hawkmoths in our garden – guess if I was happy! An astonishing little creature that is not often found this high up north.

I love my bees and bumblebees of course, and since I planted even more flowers favourable to pollinators, they are increasing.

This little friend is a guest every summer, and while our plumtree was still alive, the hedgehogs feasted on the fallen fruit.

This Grass snake met a harsh destiny due to climate change. The sun warmed up too early and the snake was lured to wake up and venture out of its winter home. They go stiff when the cold returns, and there is no food either. I couldn’t do anything for him.

It is always a joy when this golden gem, the green rose chafer, visits my garden. Its flight is rather clumsy, but the sight of him is a true joy.

I am no spider enthusiast, but in a net of pearls it is OK with me.

This beautiful red kite was lying under a log in the forest. I don’t know how he got there, but they say this species often fight each other, so I guess that might have been his story. We took him to a gamekeeper, but he could not be saved. His wings were too damaged and he could not fly properly after a week, so he was unable to feed himself.

The nearest lake has its beautiful inhabitants, and of the mute swans there are several pairs. Cold winter mornings make them something extra.

”From squirrels to birds, wildlife is around us. What non-domestic animals live in your neighborhood or nearby?” Let us see your wildlife. Remember to link to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artist tag.

And, special thanks to Sophia for her interesting Exposure challenge. I hope you had fun with it – I certainly had! Next week we are pleased to tell you that our guest host is Jude of Cornwall in Colors. Visit her beautiful site for more inspiration.

Looking forward to seeing you – until then, stay kind and cool.

Thursday Thoughts – Along the Old Country Road

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

There is something special with old country roads…Every autumn we walk some kilometers along this country road, and I guess you might recognize parts of it, even if it changes over the years. But, that is one of the reasons why I like to photographs this walk every year.

This part of our neighbouring village was always an agricultural area with many small farms.

Today farming is mostly a business for big farms with much land and large machines to work it.

This house is a typical old farmstead, but I am not sure anyone lives here anymore. It looks abandoned – even though you can see furniture and lamps if you look in the windows. There are even withered house plants in some of them, and a sign with the owner’s name. It looks like the owners just walked out the door left it that way.

Old wagons and tractors are left at the road side or in an abandoned garden.

I feel sad looking at it, because farmers work hard every day, every hour on their land – but as they grow old, they reach a point where they cannot manage it any longer. Being a farmer is a lifestyle, and that must be hard to give up.

There must be a few farmers still working though, because there is cattle in the small fields and meadows.

Aren’t they beautiful, making bypassers feel the harmony and the beauty of the landscape! I wonder what their story is…

LAPC #203 Local Vistas

/ Leya / 68 kommentarer

What are your local vistas? Where do you photograph when you don’t have a lot of time or are not on vacation? This week, show us your local vistas – Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed, is our host!

Well, nowadays I almost always post on my local vistas – and here I am on my way to the forest some weeks ago. As I was driving down the gravel road, I saw a moose – who of course already had spotted me from the rapeseed field…
When landing in the forest, I bet the Lily of the Valley and me both loved the silence and the last rays of evening sun.

I think you know that nature is the most popular vista in my vicinity, but we also have several castles in our neighbourhood, all within a 30 minutes’ drive. Wanås castle with its beautiful surroundings is often visited – sometimes with friends

– here is me and Viveka (My Guilty Pleasures) a couple of weeks ago. Wanås treats include both outdoor exhibitions and…
…tempting indoor exhibitions.

Bosjökloster castle in spring glory – also known for its exhibitions and tasty food.

Without a car, my dogwalks are often photographed as well… In any season, any weather, at any time of the day. With or without a dog…

Interesting studios in a nearby town can be visited for a fee, and you will be guided by one of the artists.

Back to the castles, maybe my favourite is Hovdala, every year used for jousting and medieval fun.

It is always a treat to go there, for beautiful nature, for exhibitions – and for very good food.

Last week, Sofia lead us into an exploration of minimalism and maximalism. What a treat! Many of us discovered our personal preferences for one or the other, but some people enjoyed using both. Next week, we have a special guest host–Sylvia Bacon, who will lead LAPC #204, so be sure to visit her site. Until then, stay safe and kind.

Remember to link to Anne’s post as you share your local vistas and use the Lens-Artists tag.

 If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, just click this link and join us: https://photobyjohnbo.wordpress.com/about-lens-artists/

LAPC #200 – Every Little Thing

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

Amy is hosting Every Little Thing this week, please visit her lovely site for more inspiration! We invite you to share every little thing that makes you smile. Amy says:

”Small things around us have interesting stories to tell if we only take the time to stop, look, and listen.” With this little mixed gallery, I hope to send you some smiles from me!

The important little ones around us, are both necessary for our survival – and beautiful. Not only spring flowers and Yoko Ono art, but animals, insects (even flies)…

…and tiny worlds to get lost in.

And how about a little sun of your own?

Many thanks to John, and for your special contributions to his Mechanical/Industrial theme. I have had a trying week without my PC, but now I am here! Hope you will participate in Amy’s beautiful theme, and don’t forget your Lens-Artists tag and link to Amy’s original post!

Next week it is my turn, Leya, to be your host. May the sun shine on you – and inside you, until then!

Lens-Artists Challenge #196 – Humor

/ Leya / 52 kommentarer

John is a man of great humour, and a brilliant word juggler – this week he is our guest host. ”I hope, as this is published, we can still find at least a corner of our lives for some humor. ‘We must keep our sense of humor, sometimes it’s all we have left.’”

Go to his site for inspiration! I will try my best to find something in my archives…but I don’t have many laughing people, instead it will be mostly words and signs that made me laugh. And dogs of course.

The first gallery is from China and New Zealand – fun wording and signs. I too wish car explosions were forbidden everywhere…And who would want to keep in touch with the evil looking figure on the sign?

Great fun is to be had every day if you have animals around. My dogs (almost) always make me smile. Totti was a funny dog, he had his favourite chair, and once he had occupied it – no one could remove him from there. His daughter, Belezza, was fast as lightning, but obviously Totty never was…Swoooosch, and she left him bewildered, sitting, lying or standing…take a look at the expression on his face!

Special thanks to Anne for hosting last weeks colourful contributions! They really brightened up our days. For this week, your good humor will be greatly appreciated! We look forward to seeing your responses. Please remember to link them to his original post , and to use the Lens-Artists tag to help us find you. Next week’s host will be Tina, but until then, why not follow John’s advice…

”Stay well, stay safe, be weird, wonderful, shapely and designed, follow your bliss, celebrate your celebrity, be choosy and serene. Have a good year, and above all, keep your sense of HUMOR!”

Thursday Thoughts – Magical Horses and Dragons

/ Leya / 16 kommentarer

The visit to Gothenburg some weeks ago included ”Universeum”, a house for practical experiments and for animals and plants from all over the world.

Don’t we all love these little creatures? I remember from early childhood a series about the little seahorse. It was one of the first TV-animated series I really loved. I was glued to the screen.

According to Wikipedia, a seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. Hippocampus comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos, itself from híppos meaning ”horse” and kámpos meaning ”sea monster”.

Seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons (Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx) they form the family Syngnathidae. I am not that familiar with the names of sea creatures, but I do love these two. After some thinking, I remembered a visit to the Blue Planet in Denmark that Vivi and I did some years ago. I photographed a seadragon then, and – I found it after some searching. I hope you enjoy!

In the header – the cranes are here!

Lens-Artists Challenge #185 – Change

/ Leya / 62 kommentarer

Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.

– Albert Schweitzer

This week, we’re delighted to welcome John Steiner as a new member of our Lens-Artists team. For his topic, he asks us an interesting question: What does change mean to you? John has some clever answers worth visiting!

The opener shows the change we all are waiting for now – at least here in the northern hemisphere. But it will not arrive for another two months…

Change is inevitable, and I believe Charles Darwin says it best: ”It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who will best manage change.” But survival comes at a hard cost too. I have chosen changes from my own life. A mixed bag of joy and sorrow – Life is.

I love photography, even though it sometimes has to rest for a while – now much due to covid times… This photo is from a dam close by, always an autumn hiking treat. With different possibilities in computer programs, you can play around and get almost any change you want. Photosketcher used here. It is nice when you are in control yourself, isn’t it?

My hiking interest is huge – I have to visit the forest every day for dogwalks and fresh air that will keep me breathing and happy. Some favourite paths are gone, but other areas have become new favourites, and new trees will be planted where the old ones once stood.

In the autumn 2020 we finally decided for a glass house. The old stump from the big birch tree had to go – and make room for so many other plants. I have never regretted building the glass house, because all my special plants will easier survive winter. (And you might get some nice pictures of them too…)

Lastly, some changes are not wished for at all, but belongs to our closest circle of life. I lost my dear mother in 2020, and I lost sweet Totti. Little Milo has now grown up to be my handsome number 1 companion.

Many thanks to Amy for her ”Travels Have Taught Me” challenge, where we learned a great deal from your travel lessons! Next week, we’ll be looking forward to Sofia Alves’ challenge topic. Be sure to visit her beautiful blog!

Lens-Artists Challenge #173 – Interesting Architecture

/ Leya / 98 kommentarer

Tina’s challenge this week is all about interesting architecture. As I guessed you would all have fantastic examples of modern buildings, I decided to focus on the birds and the bees…and only a little about human buildings. The opener shows weavers’ nests in the Amazon, Ecuador.

I am always impressed by magnificent woodpiles – and my grandfather was an excellent builder of these. But, while they often are set behind houses or hidden in a barn in Sweden, I found this special display in Switzerland. Elegantly leaning against the house and beautifully framing the window. One of a kind.

To me, one of the most interesting Nordic building is Hállgrimskirkja in Reykjavik, Island. It looks almost like a spaceship icicle with smaller icicles attached to it. Everytime I visit Iceland – it is a must see again.

In Sweden we only have one skyscraper – Turning Torso by the famous architect Calatrava. I never liked it – despite it being beautifully built, it doesn’t fit in among the older buildings in Malmoe. I believe storks have better ideas about how and where to build a high rise building…Modern too – electrified!

Magpies often build high as well, and their nests are very intricate. They are durable, domed structures made of sticks and twigs and contain an interior mud cup and lining. Every nest has got two entrances – one close to the top and one from the side or under – and it can reach more than 1 meter in height. Not the nest to the far right though, that is a small but sturdy bird’s nest found during a winter walk.

The three middle pictures show the enormous European hornet’s nest we had in our summer house last summer. A fantastic and elaborate construction. Finally, my last image is from Bhutan and a monestary covered in bees’ ”pouches”. As the Buddhist monks care for everything living, they were happy to have the bees and their nests hanging there.

We thank you for your beautiful responses to last week’s “A Day in My Week” challenge – what a terrific variety of amazing days you shared with us!

We hope you’ll join us this week with some interesting architecture from around the corner or around the world. Be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag to appear in our reader, and to link to Tina’s original post.