Thursday Thoughts – Summer in May

Strange – Summer in May – 30 degrees C today

Late evening biking by the sea – not a cloud in four weeks

Swimmers everywhere, enjoying the coolness of it

Past the old Blekinge cottages – just have to stop for a photo. Love these…

Picking buttercups

Back at our own beach – 23 degrees C, still 10 degrees more than normal temperature

Completely calm sunset and not a mosquito – yet

Bathing – water 18 degrees. Lovely of course, but

– I do not know if I like it – or not. This month of May was the hottest and driest ever in Sweden. And we are not alone. In July this could have been possible though…

On the news they said our newborn storks will starve to death, and I guess that applies to many birds and other animals who only eat living things. There are no frogs, and the worms are digging deep to survive. The birds cannot reach them.

Please let there be rain. And, what about Africa.

 

WPC: All-Time Favorites

I want to thank you again, for inspiring us all to keep blogging – share our experiences and learn from each other. It has been good, so good. And tonight I truly feel sorry about losing this opportunity.

Many of us got to know each other through WPC, now some of us maybe will not have the strength, discipline or imagination to blog that frequently again. But, even in the desert there is beauty…So, I hope we will! – You have been a great help to make blogging fun and addictive in a positive way.

It will not be easy to choose an all-time favorite…I don’t believe it is easier to choose  three or four either. I will think about it for an hour or two…meanwhile, I send my love to you all, and especially to: Krista, Jeff, Michelle, Erica, Ben, Sheri, Donncha, Jen, Sara and Cheri.

I cannot choose a favorite of mine among you either…and why should I? I just felt that Cheri, your words added to your picture – those words touched the heart of my blogging.

My choices… there is much feeling connected to the pictures chosen, memories and heart…While some of them were favorites of yours, some of them maybe are only favorites of mine. But they all are some years old – otherwise they could not be All-Time Favorites, could they? (More of my criteria at the end of the post. )

In the header, a lonely beach on the east coast of New Zealand. My family traveled together for a whole month, and we walked alone on this beach, each one of us…contemplating the beauty of Earth, and the end of our journey. Here is my son listening to the ocean.

Then – a hot night in Barcelona, my family and I was out walking and ended up in the middle of a gigantic motor bike gathering. Foreign feeling – but magical.

This is also a family hiking memory – very dear to me. My daughter resting on a giant pine branch in the Spanish mountains, somewhere between Spain and France.

Spain again – Segovia and its famous aqueduct. I had never seen anything like it – it goes through the city center and is still standing after centuries and centuries. No concrete, no nails – only the stones themselves. I walked, sat, stood in the steps contemplating – for hours. Enigmatic shadows as well.

This photo was taken at our summer house, when I still had both dogs, Mille and Totti. No other photo of them shows so on the spot their special temperaments. Now, who is the wild boy and who is the law abiding one? Fond memories.

My dear blogging friend Maria (Mariayarri), in Jämtland, took me to the Tännforsen waterfall in winter. I had never seen a gigantic waterfall frozen before. It took my breath away – and I remember, many of yours’ as well.

An early spring day some years ago, it started snowing on my way back home from the forest walk. This deer shed was still standing. (Now gone) The photo became a favorite with both my readers and me.

My Princess of the Night in flower for the first time. We waited for hours – and then everything was over within 20-30 minutes. A Wonder. This flower is about 20 centimeters and the scent fills the whole room. A photo is not enough to grasp the event…you need all your senses!

Meeting another dear blogging friend, Seonaid (Greenmackenzie) – from Scotland. She does not blog anymore, but I got the opportunity to visit her two times when she lived just outside Edinburgh. She and her lovely family had three Bearded Collies, and two of them looked just like my Amanda ( – before Mille and Totti). Those few, magical days with them will never leave me. Also a photo with feeling, showing well the character of the dog.

This photo was taken on a rainy trip to China. It rained every day – and the wedding couple here had a speedy walk on the Bond in Shanghai, waiting for their photographer. In Sweden there is a saying that rain in your crown on your wedding day – will give you a happy marriage. I hope this one was/is! This shot was a favorite with Sylvain Landry when he had his weekly prompts.

 

Catedrales beach, Spain. We just happened to find it – a World Heritage – it was not in the guide book…Kilometers of rock formations of enigmatic size and shapes. We spent several hours walking in the sunset. Incredible feeling that such a marvelous place was not marked out in any book. It made the experience even more magical.

The last photo, of Lhasa and the Pothala Palace, also marks what I see as my criteria for All-Time Favorites: Deep feeling, being in awe, magical surroundings, beauty, dream fulfilled or come true.

Turned Ten Yesterday…

Who would have believed it?

A neat bath…,  and lunch on the beach.

Some digging and a roll in the grass…

Towards sunset, the usual walk by the sea…

me and the mosquitos…

Well – all in all a totally lovely day. And I felt it was Mine!

 

Love,

Totti

Hiking Joy – Kivik and Stenshuvud

That day, in the beginning of May, hiking at Kivik and Stenshuvud – Looking at the pictures, I just have to bring you there again!

Stenshuvud is a hill ( 97 m (318 ft) high and faces the Baltic Sea) in the southeastern corner of Sweden, close to the little village of Kivik. Since 1986, it is one of the National parks of Sweden, covering an area of about 3.9 km2 (1.5 sq mi).

 

Most of the area is covered with broadleaf forest, especially European hornbeam.

The sun was lavishing its hot yellow waves this day (27 C is hot in Sweden…), and Totti and I decided to hike close to the sea – hoping for a breeze.

Unfortunately there was nothing of the kind…

The park also contains heaths, meadows and swamps, and because of the mild climate and varied habitats, many different animal and plant species can be encountered here. If you are lucky, you can meet rare animals as the hazel doormouse, the Eurasian golden oriole or the European tree frog.  But, except for the usual birds and some other dogs, we only met this little green friend.

 

Since the surrounding landscape is relatively flat, the hill can be seen from a great distance and has traditionally been used as a landmark for seafarers.

According to local folklore, the hill got its name (”Sten’s head”) from a giant living here in a cave.

Back in the forest again, several orchids dotted the wood anemone fields.

And some blue eyes on fragile stems.

The forest and trees are indeed enchanted…

…but so are the orchards. Kivik is famous for its apples and all of their refined juices.

Stenshuvud 7 maj 2018 107-2

Hope you enjoyed the hike as much as Totti and I did – after all, a refreshing bath is not bad before returning to the starting point.

Thursday’s Special: Pick a word in May

Paula of “Lost in Translation”   has posted a great set of words  for her  Pick a Word challenge  this month. I love this challenge, not only because I find it interesting how people interpret words, but also because I learn new words and build my language at the same time.

iconic

cleaved

 

 

 propagation (the litter of one grand lagotto romagnolo)

marginal

zoomorphic

 

 

 


jupiter najnajnoviji

The 3 Day Quote Challenge : #2

So, how can I resist the lovely ”Gypsy” turned into ”Living in Paradise” – as I have followed her adventures with faithful Matilda and handsome Jack? Through gardening, rough wilderness and gentle house sitting, and today more of her talented art…Thank you for nominating me, dear Pauline! I am so glad you are back again –  I will go for it – after all… it is only 3 days!

The rules :

  • Thank the person who nominated you.
  • Post a quote on 3 consecutive days.
  • Share why this quote appeals so much to you.
  • Nominate 3 different bloggers for each day.

Today I am offering all interested to join in! A volunteer wrote as well wanting to contribute,  Blank paper, you are welcome!

 

The more one gets to know of men, the more one values dogs.

A Toussenel

Resting

Sleeping

Playing

Loving

Sharing

Man’s Best Friend – For Real

I have never, during my travels, seen so many dogs as I did in Bhutan. And definitely never dogs that well kept. They were everywhere, and they were all quite lovely. Our guide, Rinzen, told us that a dog chooses a door – a house – to which it will return and wait for food every day. And they are fed. With joy.

Here are some of all those that I met, and something of their tasks…named by me…

In Thimpu, we had a hotel with a view – of dogs. There was a construction site outside our window, and some dogs had made it their home. Here is, in short, their story with us.

There is rabies in the country, but mostly on the border to India in the southern part of Bhutan. Thousands of dogs have been vaccinated, and there are many sterilized as well. The government is dealing with it in a constructive and loving way.

Bhutan had many special dogs…but a couple of them more special than the others.

We had lunch at a farmstead one day – an interesting experience and very good food. Then, when we were about to leave, I saw a beautiful dog standing in the garden, looking at me. I lifted my camera slowly while talking to him. But no, he shied away and tried to hide around the corner. I kept talking in a soft voice.

Finally – when I had given up on a photo – he came out on the road to our car, went straight up to me and let me pat him on the head and on the back – touching his thick, shining coat. Surely you can understand from his gentle eyes how sweet he was.

Then he slowly turned around and walked away.

 

 

 

 

 

Saving the World – And the Contents of a Pouch

Listen to this hopeful and brilliant TED talk by an intelligent and sound soul. Humor and sensibility are essential in this approach. This is Bhutan and its people in a nutshell.

My contribution is my own pouch findings in Bhutan…Tshering will show you the whole potential of his Gho.

 

Walking Home – Slow Contemplation

After Paro Tsechu, we decided to walk home to our hotel, Nak-Sel, in the lovely evening light. Some kilometers that would take about an hour on the narrow, dusty road.

 

A walk well worth the effort in the thin air – giving us the chance to take in the beautiful countryside and to talk to some of its harmonious inhabitants.

The Bhutanese houses are built to dry the hay on the open upper floor. Even if you don’t have any hay, you build this way – many washed clothes were hanging in this space, and old furniture leaning on the structures.

The last hours of light for hard working farmers.

The old farmsteads lay mostly quiet in the setting sun – and the first cherry blossoms  enchantingly aglow.

Always 108 flags for the dead. Everywhere on the hills, where the wind is blowing. Naturally there is a religious meaning, but according to our guide, the exact reason to just 108 is lost in history.

An overwhelmingly interesting day had come to an end. And with the stunning views of Jomolhari, 7326 meters, we reached Nak-Sel and went to enjoy a lovely dinner.

CFFC: Kind and Caring

For Cee this week – Kind. To be kind and caring is essential in my life. And so I believe it should be in everyone’s life. A good start is to teach your children to be kind to animals – and to other people of course. But, especially to animals, because animals cannot defend themselves. Humans have always got the upper hand.

The Galapagos Islands shows kind co-existence and its benefits for everyone. And at home, in Sweden, a good example was Mille’s kindness towards the new puppy, Totti. Mille let him do anything without punishing him…Totti thrashed his ears twice with his extremely sharp little teeth. Mille said nothing. Did nothing. We had to go to the vet both times to open his thickened ears and empty them from all that blood.

If you are taught right from the start, you will emerge a kind person throughout life. Being too kind is not the aim, but being Kind.