Summer house

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #153 – It’s a Wonderful World

/ Leya / 92 kommentarer

Amy has found a wonderful challenge for us – because even if we all struggle some days, we can clearly see the world is still Full of Wonders, which is the essense of the word wonderful. Amy beautifully used Louis Armstrong’s world famous lyrics in her post – so please, visit Amy and get inspired!

My choice is some Midsummer Magic in the tiny worlds around us – because they are literally wonders in every sense. They also feel more safe to visit in this chaotic world…

We stayed at our summer house for a couple of days to prepare for the Midsummer celebrations next weekend. As you know, the longest day and the shortest night are very important to us in the Nordic countries. However, because of the heat, I find it difficult to sleep well, so I am usually awake around 4 every morning. This particular morning, I went for a barefoot stroll in the early garden dew.

The world is so full of wonderful things we should all, if we were taught how to apprediate it, be far richer than kings.

Ashley Montagu

This curious world we inhabit is more wonderful than convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.

Henry David Thoreau

The World is full of wonders, but they become more Wonderful, not less Wonderful when Science looks at them.

Sir David Attenborough

The European hornet and their master gallery deserves a gallery of their own. And my faithful company this morning was Milo – patiently waiting in the grass…until he got too tired of me and eagerly wanted his morning meal.

We are the inheritors of a wonderful world, a beautiful world, full of life and mystery, goodness and pain. But likewise are we the children of an indifferent universe. We break our own hearts imposing our moral order on what is, by nature, a wide web of chaos.

Colin Meloy

Thank you all for your creative and fun entries for my Shades and Shadows last week! I learned many new things from you, and was very surprised to find that not many, if any language except English, has got two words for the concept.

Thanks to Amy for her interesting challenge – we look forward to seeing your perspectives – and please remember to use the Lens-Artists Tag and to link to Amy’s original here. Finally, until next week, when Tina will be leading the challenge, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy this wonderful world.

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

/ 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.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge#104 Summer

/ Leya / 106 kommentarer

As we announced last week, the team has a special “surprise” for July. We are hosting the theme “Seasons” for the entire month. This week, Amy’s theme is ”Summer”.

This is My summer. My summer is my garden, and our summer house.

This year, 2020, more than ever. In Sweden we call them ”Smultronställen”, (in direct translation:” wild strawberry places”) hidden, secret places where we find beauty, peace and solitude.

In later years, I have focused even more on giving my garden a ”wilder” face. A childhood summer face, a wildlife face, a caring for biodiversity focus.

Dead trees may lie where they stand or fall…
Wild flowers grow high and abundant before being cut down…

Hawk’s beard grow abundantly in the rear part of the garden – and they are humming with bees when turning their yellow faces to the sun.

A closer look at this part of the summer garden reveals my favorite summer flower –  lavender.

– But also Cape plumbago and mallows. As always, click to enlarge.

In the southernmost part of the garden I have plum trees, cherries, elderberry, rowan, black and red currants and rhubarbs, Here there is generous space left for wild flowers.

Many insects hide in the grasses too – lying quietly on my back,  I hear them going about their business.

My other summer ”smultronställe” is our little cottage by the sea. Hiking the many paths here is a joy to us all, and the summer nights are long and soft in the Scandinavian light.

 

Thank you for all your lovely surprises last week! I had some good laughs and some recognizing giggles – and some tears too… and, some Real Surprises!

This week we invite you to join us in a Summer theme. As always we encourage you to use our “Lens-Artists” tag for inclusion in our WP Reader section. Using tags can significantly increase the number of readers who see and comment on your posts. For instructions on adding tags click on this link https://wordpress.com/support/posts/tags/

July 11 Tina  Spring
July 18 Patti  Autumn/Fall
July 25 A-C  Winter

Thank you for your support, stay safe and well – See you!

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #102 – A Quiet Moment

/ Leya / 70 kommentarer

This week, Patti is challenging us to capture A Quiet Moment. ” Maybe it’s a walk early in the morning or the time you sit down with a book and a cup of coffee.  Include shots captured at home or in your neighborhood, or from a trip to a faraway place months or years ago.  It’s totally up to you.”

As my Internet connection has been lost for some days, and I don’t know when it comes back, I am sending from my phone. Hopefully it will work anyway. I apologize for the post being a bit thin because of this situation – and not being able to comment on others’ posts until afterwards, but hope you will enjoy anyway. I am having quiet moments in more than a Midsummer way…

A forest exhibition at Wanås – old, embroidered linen in the silent trees.

My daughter in quiet contemplation over the summer night.

Even flowers have their quiet moments…

Födelsedagsblommor och Millegarne med Emma 116-2

And you don’t have to be alone – you can be quiet together.

Trädgården och Millegarne Midsommar 046-2

As always, thank you for your wonderful support of our challenges, and don’t forget to use our Lens-Artists tag to make people find you in the reader!

Stay well and safe – and treasure the quiet moments given to you.

 

Thursday Thoughts – The Old Sallow

/ Leya / 43 kommentarer

In the garden of our summer house stands a worthy old warden tree – a Sallow. Our children have climbed it every summer, and so did their father when he was a child. Sallows do not get very old, but this tree is a giant, and possibly about 100-150 years old. About double the age it ”should” get.

In the header he was still standing this Spring when we moved in.

But this is the sight that met us when we arrived for the final shut down for winter. Our children were sad to see it, and the only one who did not mind was Milo.

About a third of the trunk had fallen, but fortunately the little house managed without any damage. This sight was what we have feared to meet every Spring on our arrival – and now it was a fact. Hopefully the majestic tree will survive and thrive many years still. There is a sapling striving up right behind it – we tend to it with love.