Thursday Thoughts – Early Mornings

Spring is my favorite season, and early Spring mornings are my favorite hours of the day.

Everything is calm, but – nature is so very alive, vibrating with life.

The meadows bloom, the waters flow merrily in the streams.

I rejoice in the birds’ song, and feel the joy in every living thing…

I wish we could all feel that joy and contentment. Harmony. At least some moments every week. I know I am lucky to live in the middle of nature, but I also know that nature is the best healer for most things troubling our human life.

Go seek it – Harmony. If you have an open mind, you will find it. In Nature.

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #47 – The Five Elements

Our challenge this week, hosted by Amy,  is about the Chinese theory of the five elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Welcome to join in!

This Theory asserts that the world changes according to the five elements’ generating or overcoming relationships. Generating and overcoming are the complementary processes — the yin and yang — of Five Element Theory.

Generating processes promote development, while overcoming processes control development. By promoting and restraining, systems are harmonized and balance is maintained.

Wood fuels fire

Fire forms earth

Earth contains metal

Metal carries water

 

 

 

 

World Bee Day – Every Day!

Today is World Bee Day – build them a hotel, plant attractive trees, flowers or herbs, leave a wild space in your garden, work for farmers to leave the edges of their fields for wild flowers, and do not use pesticides!

Did you know that every third bite of your food you eat is only made possible because of pollinating bees?

Macro Monday – Beech in Flower

The beech forest is at its loveliest this time of the year – and this year there is an abundance of flowering trees. Pollen is everywhere. Walking in the forest covers you in this fine ”dust” and the lakes and brooks all have a thin yellow layer on their surface.

We guess this is all due to last years’ dry conditions.

 

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #43 – Less is More

Amy challenges us to think Less is More – and that, is always a challenge… In photography we often talk about simplicity, and a photo standing on its own. No need for words. Often Black and White is helping us to achieve that.

So, let us slow down…because “Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

Less is More even when the ground is covered in spring flowers below a blue sky,

or when a lonely path strives to reach the mountain lake – because colours matter here –

The history of the phrase Less is More, is that it was adopted in 1947 by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohem. Since then, the aphorism is one of the most used (and abused) in design and architecture.

Originally though, this is a 19th century proverbial phrase, first found in print in Andrea del Sarto, 1855, a poem by Robert Browning. And it still is a phrase very much alive!

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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”   – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Thank you for all your innovative and creative contributions to my hosted challenge Creativity last week!

 

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Weekly Challenge #39 – Hello April!

A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew,

a cloud, and a rainbow’s warning, 

Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue –

— An April day in the morning.

– Harriet Prescott Spofford

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.     

William Shakespeare

So, with a young spirit’s illustration of William Wordworth’s lovely daffodils’ poem, I say Hello April from Sweden!

Thank you, Amy, for a lovely April morning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Feelings of Spring

Amanda of Something to Ponder About invites Spring – even if it is not that time of the year down under. It is here now in Scandinavia – it really is. Today we had 15 degrees C, and I think it is far too early for that. But we all know what is happening to planet Earth.

Anyway – Spring is my favorite time of the year, so let’s enjoy!