Nature

Lens-Artists Challenge #68 – Layered

/ Leya / 61 kommentarer

Amy is our host this week, and she suggests we look for layers. Have a look at her inspiring post from Plitvice, Croatia!

Here are some layers from my favorite world of mountains, rocks and stones. In the header – the Pancakes of New Zealand, South Island.

Ireland, Giants’ Causeway.

The Hellnar cave.

 

And last, Iceland, south west part, Snæfellsnes peninsula – the cave at Hellnar. Look closely, and you will find a mink looking for young gulls nesting, or some eggs for dinner.

Hope to see you joining in the fun!

 

Thursday Thoughts – Before and After

/ Leya / 63 kommentarer

This Autumn my daily forest walk ended. Not the walk itself, but everything around me – was not anymore. So, while drying my tears, I decided to find some of all the lovely images from here over the years – and photograph from the same spots today. Not easily done, but I finally gave it a try. This forest and I have a long story together, more than 40 years. I am very grateful for all of these photos. Today I just wanted to give you a touch of how I feel about it. A piece of my life and soul is gone.

 

Before

After

Before

After

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After

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Before

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After

In loving Memory…

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Challenge #65 – Pick a Place and Catch its Spirit

/ Leya / 52 kommentarer

Last week Amy challenged us to share images of the countryside and/or a small town. This week Tina is hosting, and she is ”…asking you to look a bit farther afield. Each of us at some point has visited a place that holds special memories. It may have been a small town, a big city, or even better, an entire country.  We’d like you to capture the spirit of a place that is vivid in your memory. What was it that drew you in and why did it capture YOUR heart?”

 

I guess many of you already know where my heart lies – Iceland. I have been returning to this country again and again, for more than 30 years now. There is no end to the fascination. This is my attempt to find out Why.

The vast, open landscapes

The mountains and glaciers

The fresh air

The volcanoes and geology

The flora

And maybe most of all – the Light

– morning

– evening

– and night

There is so much more of Iceland to love – horses, waterfalls, lava landscapes, hot springs… and beautiful Reykjavik with Hallgrímskirkja of course.

 

Hopefully you are all inspired by now – Patti, Tina, Amy and I are looking forward to seeing your special places!

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #64 – Countryside – That is Where I Belong

/ Leya / 81 kommentarer

To me, Magical goes well with Countryside – I am a country girl. Even if I love to visit big cities, I know where I belong. This week, Amy is our host, and as I often post about my own countryside, you will get some pieces of Icelandic countryside instead. Iceland is a bit more harsh and rough, and we remember – once Iceland was only for the tough guys.

I consider it the best part of an education to have been born and brought up in the country. – Amos Bronson Alcott

The country is lyric, the town dramatic. When mingled, they make the perfect musical drama. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I long for the countryside. That’s where I get my calm and tranquility – from being able to come and find a spot of green. – Emilia Clarke

I really feel that my body craves to be in the mountains or by the ocean or in the countryside. – Miranda Kerr

I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. – Albert Einstein

The country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God, but in cities little else but the works of men. And the one makes a better subject for contemplation than the other. – William Penn

Thank you for all your Magical posts last week – they made every day into pure Magic!

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #63 – Magical – My Magical Garden

/ Leya / 259 kommentarer

Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden – in all the places.
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

I read The Secret Garden as a young woman, and over the years it has occupied an enchanted and magical place in my heart. Now Autumn has arrived here, where I live in Sweden, and that means There’s a magical tie to the land of our home, which the heart cannot break, though the footsteps may roam. – Eliza Cook.

But Magical can mean so many different things to everyone of us – At Lens-Artists, we have already had Magical Light as a theme, (last year) but this time it is all up to you! What is Magical to you? People, places, things, nature, adventures, moments… – this week we are looking forward to having some of Your magic!

As usual – click on the images to enlarge.

The magical, supernatural force that is with us every second is time. We can’t even comprehend it. It’s such an illusion, it’s such a strange thing. – Anthony Hopkins

Picking plums today – waiting for the lovely Comma to finish basking on my ladder…

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

An oil painting can, maybe, make the magic last forever…

Garden as though you will live forever.  – William Kent

 

Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it – Rumi

Poetry is a fresh morning spider-web telling a story of moonlit hours of weaving and waiting during a night. – Carl Sandburg

I am sure there is Magic in everything, only we have not sense enough to get hold of it and make it do things for us
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden 

Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? – Douglas Adams

– But there are, Fairies dancing in my garden.  Contemplate the lovely writer Roald Dahl’s words:  Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.

 

Thank you for all the wonderful silhouettes for Patti last week! If you haven’t seen her beautiful post yet – please pay her a visit!

Have you seen these:

A lovely first time, Welcome Carolyn – of Carollynnlife.wordpress.com – by the waterside

Smruti gives us a true silhouetted philosopher

Oneletterup is ever so mysterious this week…

And a first time Welcome, for Pam of i choose this, with beautiful beach shots

 

As always, Amy, Tina, Patti and I hope you will join us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts – Hidden Hot Spring

/ Leya / 25 kommentarer

Hunting hot springs in Autumn would have been great – but left them in Iceland. In Sweden it is getting colder now, and there is no more bathing in the sea…so, back to Iceland memories!

We had read about a very little hot pool, hidden in Landbrotalaug not far from the volcano Eldborg on the south coast of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. We decided to go for it.

The weather was splendid and the beautiful white cottongrass grew here abundantly…

Just when we thought we were lost, the hot water tap finally revealed the place.

With Snaefellsnes in the fond, we spotted the little pool – right out in the wild landscape. Two tents and a couple of people were there already. The bath can only take 1-2 persons at a time, so, Patience – and you will be greatly rewarded!

Wish I were there again!