One of the most beautiful places in Skåne, Sweden, is the Hills of Brösarp.
A small taste of them – and rural harmony –
a late afternoon in Spring.
Gentle cowslips glowing in the grass. I guess you can tell, May is my favorite month.
Nature
Wordless Wednesday
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #95 – All Wet
Tina’s challenge this week is a wet one. See her fantastic bear shots at Travels and Trifles!
My first thought for All Wet, was of Galapagos and its many water living animals. So, two of them are playing in the opener.
These are some of my favorite ”wets” – all from the archives.
A wet forest in Sweden
A hot hot day (42 degrees C) in Bilbao, Spain
A disappearing building in Barcelona
Autumn rain in my garden
I like girls who like the countryside, put on walking boots and can bend with the wind a bit. If you’re going to live with me, you need to be able to embrace the countryside and wet dogs.
And I will end this short, wet story with my favorite dog, my first lagotto romagnolo – the legendary Mille. Why ”legendary”? Well, for eleven summers in a row, he was standing, running or walking in the sea, at our summer house, from early morning until late evening. Chasing bubbles. This was his kingdom. (From the beginning these dogs were water dogs in Romagna, Italy, but the area was drained and the dogs were taught to dig for truffles instead.) Every man and woman in our little village knew him, every tourist, every child patted him and played with him.
We lost Mille in 2014, but people out there still (2019) remember him, and tell their own memories of him. My children planned to make a statue to sit on ”his” beach, so he would forever be watching the sea. But that dream was not realized. I have had many dogs and cats in my life – but nothing and no one compares to him. Also, he was always All Wet.
Thank you for last week’s peeks at Amy’s At home – a challenged I think more than I enjoyed very much. Hope to see you next week again, for Patti’s Challenge #96.
Thursday Thoughts – A Spring Hike
A refreshing hike in our area – we had not visited for many years. In Sweden we are fortunate to use the outdoors even now – if we stay close to home and not travel far.
I think the images mostly speak for themselves – it was a glorious family day.
At the parking, there were no people except us.
Sunny – cloudy – taking turns all day.
Some wood anemones still surviving.
Milo loves trunk balancing – of course he jumped off when I got the camera out…
The goal for the day – the falls.
Looking back is always a good idea.
There are many lovely cottages in this area – thatched roofs are popular. My aunt once had a thatched roof that caught fire during a thunder storm – a frightening experience.
Sweet Veronica leaning against the barn wall.
Back at our starting point again, we walked around the hostel houses – closed during corona times of course. But so charming and so Skåne, my part of Sweden.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge#94 – At Home
This week, Amy invites us to share photos taken at home. But, I will start by thanking all of you who so generously shared your mornings with us last week – they truly brightened my days. So many sunrises and mugs of coffee or tea – no problems getting up early then!
Home is the nicest word there is.
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Staying at home is what we all do now, and for me this is not difficult – on the contrary, I love my house and I am also fortunate enough to have a garden. And all the living things here…
are precious to me. Now, a visit at my place means you will have to share with my dogs. Milo always wants to follow me Everywhere, which sometimes may be inconvenient …
My home is a ”jungle”, according to my husband, and I have lost a pot or two over the years when he is vacuum cleaning… Too many plants everywhere. I used to count how many once a year, but not anymore. They were 144 some 5-6 years ago.
If you look closely, you will encounter several critters and creatures hiding here too…
Spring has arrived, and I’d love you to take a walk in my garden – to find more living things! They are everywhere now, bees, bumble bees, spiders, lady bugs, butterflies, birds…and I love watching them buzzing around searching for food, bathing or mating. It is good to know that Life still goes on out there – This year it seems we have starlings as well – they haven’t resided here for many years, because I had to take down their home. The magpies would not let their fledglings alone – so weeks of parenting chores were all in vain. I could not stand watching the parents lose their young every year.
I love the seemingly clumsy bumble bees landing
For every child we planted a tree – this is my son’s plum tree
Bird-cherry trees are favorites with me – oh, that lovely scent!
The fourth insect hotel is now in place, waiting for guests flying in. They will soon arrive, I hope –
Nature is Life, and sometimes we can help animals and plants to regain some of their old and rightful place in life. As we humans have destroyed many of their habitats, it is our duty to try and restore what we can. We will be greatly rewarded in the end.
Be sure to link your post to Amy’s here, (use the original post link NOT the one from the WP Reader) and add the Lens-Artists TAG so that we can easily find you. We’re looking forward to your Home contributions – keep up your creativity!
Next week is Tina’s (Travels and Trifles) , #95 on May 2nd.
Thursday Thoughts – Hiking, but not 2020
For so many years we have hiked this beautiful national park during April…
…but not this year. We used to go the whole family, and all our dogs have made it to the top of the mountain at least a dozen times each. We follow the water for about an hour,
then the track turns around the bend and for a while we walk the footbridges.
I searched my archives to find some memories from years gone by,
and here is something of the early spring loveliness as we struggle up the tough slopes.
On the plateau, old trees have come to rest, and younger ones softly lean over the precipice. We stop to admire before the long walk down to the pond where we started.
I miss this hike, but this is 2020, the year of corona and covid-19.
I will be back though – I promise…maybe next spring.
Mother Earth Day
The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth – Thich Nhat Hanh
Thursday Thoughts – Thankfulness
Camera and binoculars packed – an Easter walk one of these beautiful mornings. The stillness in the air promised some lovely hours in my favorite place.
The old sallow stands waiting for its summer guests again – a different spring for us this year, but not so for the birds. Nature is still out there for us whenever we return.
The giant beech with sweet wood anemones at its feet. A joy that they managed to survive the freezing cold nights we have had for weeks. Down to 8 degrees below zero.
Glorious blackthorn in the sun! They grow everywhere here in the meadows, and I always walk up to the top fields to see them basking in the open air. They Are Sunshine.
Today the farmer was out too – his growling tractor the only sound disturbing the merry flute tones of thrushes, chaffinches and robins.
In April I always walk to the wetlands looking for the first marsh-marigolds. In 2018 many of them were lost because of the heavy drought. This year another blow came from the numerous wild boars. But I found a couple of them. When I was a child I tried to pick some for my grandmother, but alas, I soon learned they drop their petals immediately put in a vase. Grandma’ just smiled, saying they only love the outdoors.
I am so deeply grateful to be allowed to walk in the forest this spring too. I know that this year not all of us have this possibility – but there Will be more opportunities for us to go. We just have to be patient. Mother Nature will open her arms when we arrive.
Stay safe, stay well and stay in contact with each other.
Wordless Wednesday
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #92 – Going Back – the Second Time Around
”Considering the current world situation, I decided to focus my challenge to your sharing images from your previous travels rather than asking you to go out to photograph new examples to share. If you visited a favorite place more than once, how did you approach the second trip photographically? If you’ve only been somewhere once, what would you do differently the second time around?” This week we welcome guest-host John Steiner – please visit his post at Journeys with Johnbo for more inspiration!
My choice for a walk down memory lane, is the tiny island of Madeira, a hiking paradise I have visited five or six times.
Two times with our children and my mother. These images are all from 2010, when my mother turned 75, and we celebrated with Madeira for the second time together. This is the first time I brought a camera. For the orchids and for our hiking.
You often go by bus to the staring point, early in the morning. Then, you walk the chosen hike along the levadas – long or short, and return with another bus from the end point.
My mother used to be an avid hiker, and we walked together until one or two years ago. She loved Madeira, and with the youngsters on the path as well, we had so much fun.
In the early morning, it was rather cold in the mountains, but so quiet and beautiful.
Following the lifting mist, and listening to the murmuring of water – always running by your side. Once built to bring water from the mountains to the different parts of the island – the levadas are now also used by hiking tourists.
The air vibrates with bird song, and the soft scent of mosses and soil – everything breathing harmony.
This year there had been a storm, bringing down many trees. Still impressive though.
Lush green wherever you walk – and the stream always accompanying you.
Nature is reflected in their art as well – and I happen to love the tiny lizards –
Maybe some day…I will return. Who can tell. My mother turns 85 this summer, and can no longer go hiking. When I show her the old photos, she can still remember – something of those days, sometimes.
In closing, I’d also like to add a special Thank You to all of you who joined our “Simplicity” challenge last week. Thank you for sharing so many moments of peacefulness, beauty, and fun. In these challenging times, you help make us all feel better and know that this too shall pass.
Next week, it is my time to be your host – and we are back to our ordinary schedule.
- April 18: # 93 Ann-Christine of Leya
- April 25: # 94: Amy of The World is a Book
Stay well and safe, keep connected to your loved ones, and keep creating!
Leya 
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