Searching for Summer Beauty

Tonight I went out to search for flowers in the nearest marshland.

And what joy to find they are still there!

Even by the road some have survived –

In the stillness of the late evening

Sommarkväll blommor och grodor 2018 087-2

– I rejoice in their presence

Sommarkväll blommor och grodor 2018 041-2

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts – Reality is…

Thinking about reality and truth…

This is what my garden looks like today. Everything is dried out, and a single survivor is standing there, in the middle of what once was a lawn. A sweet Marguerite.

 

Then, if I look closely, I might find some more survivors – in the flowerbed at the back of the house, and of course I have tried to save some of my outdoor plants – the Tejas lilies and some begonias are coming now. Everything develops very fast though, in less than a week, they come – and go.

My most faithful friends are the Lavender and the Buddleias. I water them every day, and the wine as well. So – this small part of my garden, about 4 x 2,5 meters – is this the true picture of our summer 2018? No, but sometimes we can choose our own truth. I believe some people always do, but I prefer honesty and trying to show different angles or both sides. Life is never only going one way, and I think that is a good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts – Drought

Midsummer and all the festivities surrounding it – is over.

But this Midsummer was a different one. Usually we have rather chilly Midsummers, and a bit rainy – but many beautiful wildflowers. This year I had to take the bike out for hours in order to get the midsummer flowers – the result was only one, single bouquet…

This year, the heat in Sweden has been overwhelming since May, and many elderly people and newborn babies have difficulties with it. Not to talk about Nature and wildlife. There are no worms, no snails, no grass for the cattle and no flowers for us to admire. I pour water in seven different pots in the garden – for the birds and the hedgehogs. Wild fires are frequent in the southern part of Sweden, where I live.

I keep some of my flowers alive though – My Flammentanz roses seem to cope rather well. I water them late in the evening or around midnight. Watering is forbidden in many places now, and soon we will get that message too.

In fact, the cherry tree is the only tree liking this heat – or maybe it works like the pine trees – they produce cones in several hundreds when they think they are going to die. Anyway, the cherries taste delightful, and the tree has never been this blessed before. I planted it when my daughter, Emma, was born, in 1990. My son David got a plum when he was born, in 1992, and his tree brought us many kilos of delicious fruit last year, but this year maybe – 5 plums? But that is the way trees work.

Now it is getting late – Good Night to you all. May the rain fall and the sun shine on us all.

CFFC: Piles or Stacks

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Piles or Stack

For Cee this week – one of my favorite stack photos is this one,  with my mother walking between what once was my forest. In the header: boxes of butter!

Before Sunset

Just before sunset, they walk out in the open – the forest animals. This hot and dry May and beginning of June – I am glad to follow their example…

Driving to the forest I pass many fields, and all of them are being heavily irrigated… We all want new potatoes this summer of course! Soon watering will be restricted – in many parts of Sweden it already is.

Most summer flowers come and go fast. When I visited here a week ago – the flora was totally different.

Being a wild animal is never easy, not even in the summer. I do hope there will be rain soon – all brooks and puddles are dried out.

Two hours’ walk, then time to return. Birds are still singing, but I guess in a couple of weeks the forest will be more quiet as feeding the little ones now comes first.

On driving back, this gentleman was sitting in the field, just keeping an eye on me. I stopped the car to see his ears move around – they are quite lovely – his ears.

Behind me, about the first clouds seen in a month, are elegantly sailing over the fields.

And the farmers are still working – or their machines are – to give us food on the table.