CFFC: Cold

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Cold

Finally, winter is here. 10 degrees below zero today, and refreshingly frosty – and cold!

Frost 2018 078-3

 

 

Macro Monday – Jewels

In my garden, there are not many colours left – unless you look for them –

A macro perspective is of great help – things unseen will reveal themselves…

I was concentrating on a tiny mushroom, and clicked. Once on my computer – I found this little friend sneaking up from nowhere.

And I never get tired of the morning jewellery.

CFFC: Funny

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Funny

Surprise, surprise!

Why do you feed reindeer on the road? Because you have all the time in the world when you are on vacation, because it is fun…and you seem not to care if they get hit by a car. Quite a few of them were limping and were in no hurry to leave the road.

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word in November – y3

For Paula, at Lost in Translation, I am always lovingly waiting! And gratefully learning something new from every Pick a Word.

Cerulian in the header

Palatial

Comic

Spurting

Radiating

 

Macro Monday – in My Morning Garden

Some surviving flowers in my garden – but not many. In the early morning light – this Aster Princess wearing her crown.

Less spectacular, but very saffron – is the millimeter lichen on my old apple tree.

And the Common Spindle – with a delightful fruit. I collected some seeds in the forest 6-7 years ago – and got these lovely results.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #19: Magical Light

Magical Light – thank you, Amy, for a magical challenge! Hear a photographer’s voice:

I am forever chasing light. Light turns the ordinary into the magical.
Trent Parke

 

Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.

William Wordsworth

A gray day provides the best light

Leonardo da Vinci

Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light

Theodore Roethke

While we are alive we should sit among colored lights and taste good wines, and discuss our adventures in far places; when we are dead, the opportunity is past.

Jack Vance

Be a light unto yourself

Gautama Buddha

Every moment of light and dark is a miracle

Walt Whitman

There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen

To love beauty is to see light

Victor Hugo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Closing the Door – A New One Opens

Hiking with my dogs yesterday, the change in Nature, from just one day back, was very obvious –

Yesterday was a short ”between time” in the forest, where some parts still were extremely colourful, even if the colours had turned more harmoniously yellow/brown.

No wind and a clear, chilly day, we all enjoyed what we understood from the weather reports, would be the last remaining bright day this autumn.

Inside the dense pine forest, I could still find some yellow beeches, shining beacons in the darkness. But out in the open – the misty light had closed the golden door behind us.

Macro Monday

As we are approaching winter, the birds are partying on the last fruits and berries in our garden. Late blackberries that never got the chance to ripen, and rose hip in their glory.

 

 

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #18: Blending In – or Standing Out?

As I walk in the forest every day, I notice that the tracks and paths are slowly disappearing with the falling leaves. In the thick carpet of autumn brown, yellow and red, I lose my dogs more easily because of their blending in, and today I could not find the main path ahead at all…

Blending in – essential when you are a child, and in Nature it might be of crucial importance. A matter of Life or Death. How important is it to us humans today?

Blending in is of less importance in this shot, though. A domesticated animal in the first frosty days in the forest. But here blending in brings harmony and beauty to the eye.

 

Somewhere in Spain, I came upon these cats – and as cats still are hunters, and often wild in these areas, I guess they take advantage of their good camouflage colours.

In the Galapagos Islands the animals don’t have many enemies, but here are two fine examples of perfect blending in:

The Galápagos Dove, like many other animals on the islands, is endemic, and has developed perfect colours and behaviour to blend in.

The Yellow-crowned Night-heron was standing perfectly still, and spotted only when the panga came very close to the rocks.

Standing out, then – is also of great importance. In the world of animals, the female often has to blend in to survive and to protect her young, while the males often must stand out in order to attract the best females.

When it comes to us humans, some hundred years ago I guess it was mostly women who strove to stand out – for the men to pick and choose. At least in the western world. (Read Ovid and his advice for women on how to get/please/keep a man…) Today, men too put make up on, and wear fancy and colourful clothes (- and powder and body painting exists since long in some societies.) Moreover, for our young it has become important to define themselves early in life.

Somehow, everybody must learn how to play the game…when to blend in and when to stand out. And be prepared for swift changes…

A people who do stand out beautifully, is the Sweden living Sámi people. Their colourful culture shows off mostly strong blue, red and yellow clothes for festivities – and here the men are most spectacular. The different colours are used to show heritage and kin.

 

So, what is most important to you – blending in or standing out? This week’s challenge is to show us your thoughts in a photo!

 

Last week we all had some very entertaining posts to enjoy, have you seen these from Patti’s challenge Just For Fun?

Scillagrace was a happy wedding photographer…

Pauline takes us to a strange hotel…

And at Journeys with Johnbo, something really cool popped up…

 

The next challenge (#19) will be hosted by Amy on Saturday, November 10 at noon.  Welcome to join in! For more information on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, click here. Most importantly, remember to TAG your post ” Lens-Artists ” so it appears in the Reader.

 

And finally, have an outstandingly(!) inspiring week!