Thursday Thoughts – An Outing to Laxbro

29 april, 2021 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

An outing to Laxbro is always a treat. I usually go in the Winter to see the icicles, but, how about a Spring tour?

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #145: Getting to Know You

28 april, 2021 / Leya / 69 kommentarer

Priscilla of Scillagrace is our lovely guest host this week: ”The artist’s gaze, the photographer’s eye, when cast on a subject begins a relationship.” And from then on, the road leads to Getting to Know You.

When I was young and just had met my husband to be, I did not know much about the part of Sweden he originally came from, Blekinge. All I knew was the great number of oaks living there – and as I always was a tree lover, I was looking forward to seeing them. The Oak Tree was later voted the Province Tree of Blekinge.

Of course I fell in love with the landscape – forests, farmland, water and a renowned and prize winning park.

Many walks and many beautiful views – I never get tired of the Park in Ronneby Brunn with its numerous grand Rhododendrons.

Our summer house is an old fisherman’s cottage.

I have come to love it very much, and Midsummer is spent with the family here every year.

Ronneby is an old (700 BC) summer town – called the town of roses. The cobbled streets are steep and every house is adorned with roses in one way or the other.

We have got to know many lovely friends in Blekinge – some surprises as well…

To my great joy, our garden is filled with wild flowers, just like home, but different species from where we ordinary live. The soil is more sandy here as it is close to the sea.

The warm evenings are filled with walks and late evening swims. The swims mostly for the children and the youngsters nowadays…

I have also learned to love the sunsets in Blekinge. As we have no sea close to where we ordinary live, this is a special treat.

I know, I have learned much about Blekinge, and I have come to love it very much.

Thank you Tina, and all of you interesting participants, for last week’s Taking Flight. A great variety and so much fun! We hope you will join us this week for Priscilla’s inspiring “Getting to Know You Challenge.” Please visit her site for the details of the challenge and see her expressive and beautiful photos.

Next week, it’s Patti’s turn to lead the challenge. Next Saturday at noon, welcome to the “Focusing on the Details” challenge. Until then, have a wonderful creative week and please stay safe.

Wordless Wednesday

28 april, 202125 april, 2021 / Leya / 26 kommentarer

Wordless Wednesday

21 april, 202121 april, 2021 / Leya / 34 kommentarer

Macro Monday

19 april, 202116 april, 2021 / Leya / 6 kommentarer

Thursday Thoughts

15 april, 202114 april, 2021 / Leya / 45 kommentarer

We truly live in a magical world – not only in my many corona jigsaw puzzles.

As the sun is warming up my forest, I walk slowly and rejoice in the small signs of life returning from its winter sleep.

The brook is alive again, and lying on the ground I could easily fall asleep listening to its happy rippling. Milo and Totti do not agree with me there…they run into it, happily splashing while I quietly laugh at them – trying to save my trousers from getting all wet.

There is a special light in the air, a light that only arrives with spring…soft, silent and promising. And the song thrush throws his clear tunes into the open sky.

The little wren is fluttering in every corner of the dense forest floor – letting his clear voice be heard while he is watching me watching him. Isn’t it magical how such a tiny bird can harbour this great voice? He will not let me photograph him though…

Tiny buds are coming out – and soon the forest will be all green. I always love the forest, in all its shapes and costumes, but maybe the most this time of the year. In spring it is ”transparent”…and I can see everything before it becomes hidden in green plumes.

The sun is luring the ants to come out. Seeing them swarm like this always makes me think what a dreary life they must have. Work. Only work. When I was a child I felt so sorry for them – no fun ever! My mother and I used to give them a lump of sugar – a feast to wonder at. Of course I did the same thing with my own children as well.

The spring wonder is arriving. And I am more grateful than ever – it has been a long and hard year.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #140 – A Change of Scenery – Hunting for Spring

24 mars, 2021 / Leya / 66 kommentarer

A Change of Scenery – Our guest host, Beth, challenges us to show images of somewhere different from where we usually like to take photos. It doesn’t have to be far from home, and photos from the archives would be good, too.

*Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.* – Eddie Cantor

I have been waiting for a sunny, and less windy day, for my outing. This area is about three kilometers from my home, and I visit every year at least once, looking for orchids. But that is in May-June.

So, this was the first time in a winter month. Usually there is too much mud on the trail this time of the year, but we have had a fairly dry period since February – so, for a change of scenery, I went after breakfast.

There were many fallen trees covered in mosses, some with rolled up bark sleeves – and I happily noticed that the lapwings are back!

*The really happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery, even when they have to take a detour.*
― Sir James Jeans

About half of the hike is on boardwalk, and it was of course the other half of it that I was worried about. But there was no need to be, it was perfect. No wet feet or shoes, only bouncing trails and singing heart.

Last year’s leaves lingering, waiting for youngsters to let them go… and catkins heralding the spring, but …

*The key to a better life isn’t always a change of scenery. Sometimes it simply requires opening your eyes*.
― Richelle E. Goodrich

…the real green so far is only sweet moss. There are some more weeks to go before swelling buds and the new leaves dare showing their faces. Always a long wait…but when spring takes the leap, everything almost always goes too fast. We want to keep it slow…making that special feeling of Life returning last as long as possible.

Thank you all for sharing your special moments with us last week – very positive and inspirational! – and some tears as well…

Click here to visit Beth’s beautiful “A Change of Scenery” of a small town on the Gulf Coast of Florida. We hope you will join us. In your post, please include a link to her original post and use the Lens-Artists tag so everyone can find your post in the WordPress reader.

Some More of Green – or Yellow?

23 mars, 2021 / Leya / 23 kommentarer

Just had to…because there is no green spring up here yet… For Jude and Life in Colours.

Leaves, walking with Frank at his Beach Walk today. If you would like to collaborate with him, he is searching for you! I am happy to walk a soft leaf walk this morning – waiting for spring to arrive in Sweden..