Tankar

Lens-Artists Challenge #227 – Home Sweet Home

/ Leya / 81 kommentarer

This Earth is our only home. Together, we must protect and cherish it.

– Ban Ki-moon

Tina is our host this week, and she asks us:

”If a foreigner were to spend a week or a month traveling your home country with you, where would you take them? What sights would you tell them to be sure to see? Where have you found some of your own favorite images? What is it you truly love about where you live, or places you’ve seen in your home country?

This might be the most challenging challenge of all…because I love so many things about my home country. But I will try…starting in the Southern part of Sweden, where I live. Sweden is a very ”long” country, 1 600 kilometers from north to south and 500 kilometers from east to west. This means that it can be winter in the north while it is still late summer in the south.

Spring and apple trees – a must see. Orchards and farmland is the sign of southern Sweden, because we have the best soil in the country. I grew up in an orchard, so this is true home for me.

I would want to show some of our famous parks and gardens, where Ronneby Brunn was voted the most beautiful park in Sweden.

From south to north, we have 30 National parks and 5 342 protected areas/nature reserves. I have visited several of them, and old trees, mostly oaks, are often in my lens.

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

– Maya Angelou

Those nature gems are indeed worth visiting – and I can bring Milo along too.

Läckö Castle, 13th century. One of the most popular ”fairy tale” castles in Sweden.

Castles, castles – we have many of them in Sweden and many in Skåne, where I live. There are often different activites around them, medieval jousting, games and markets. Hovdala Castle is situated 15 kilometers from my home. It might be ”my home castle”, as I go there about once a month for hiking or other activities.

Our capital, Stockholm, is of course a must if you want to see Sweden. Founded in the 12th century and called the ”Venice of Scandinavia” because it was built on many small islands.

Kosta Boda glass hotel might be needed after this extensive traveling…here I want to show off our famous glass (Orrefors and Kosta Boda), and the hotel and spa is filled with glass art. The bar and chairs are all in blue glass!

Home is the nicest word there is.

– Laura Ingalls Wilder

Hornborgasjön is a gathering place for migrating cranes – and for birders of course. This is an unforgettable experience in April every year. Some 20000 cranes are eating, dancing, mating. The sound is incredible…as is the very sight of them!

Where thou art, that is home.

– Emily Dickinson

Graveyards from the Viking Age has a certain mood around them. The concept of time inevitably hits you. They can be found everywhere in Sweden. This one – a kilometer from my home.

We have to visit Tännforsen, one of our amazing nature reserves that treats us to spectacular beauty any time of the year.

Jokkmokk’s market has a tradition of gathering people for 400 years in a row (not the same people of course…) – this is a place for trade and racing reindeer. Warm clothes are recommended – sometimes the temperature drops to minus 40 C.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.

– Lin Yutang

Jukkasjärvi Icehotel, the first one in the world, is of course an experience even if you don’t stay the night…They do have famous food too, and every room is specially made with different ice sculptures.

Hiking up north to see the Linnaea borealis, Carolus Linnaeus’ favourite flower.

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

-Jane Austen

And so, ending our trip at the very north and Lapland, we will return home.

What about a refreshing Forest bath now? Quite an exhausting tour it was, but I hope my guests are happy with their tour!

Home is where the heart is.

– Pliny the Elder

Sincere thanks for your patience as I went through some of my favorite places here in Sweden. Now we’re looking forward to seeing your own favorites! Please remember to link to Tina’s original post and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you.

Thanks also to Jude for Guest Hosting last week’s Textures Challenge. Both her challenge and your responses were original and beautifully photographed. Thank you for joining in the fun! Our next challenge, Diagonals, will be hosted by Patti on her Pilotfish blog so be sure to check in next Saturday at noon EST. Until then, please stay safe and be kind.

Thursday Thoughts – Mushrooms I have met…

/ Leya / 42 kommentarer

I think this was the last walk of colours – two days ago the first snow arrived. Grey November has taken over our days, so I will post some golden autumn memories while there were still leaves on the trees.

As you can see, there were not many colours this year, but still some gold. And sun! Now we have almost forgotten the feel of sunlight. These are some of the shortest days of the year.

The hidden gems are there if you look for them, and I have grown more and more a mushroom lover. But almost only for photography…I am too afraid of picking something poisonous.

This is a tiny gallery from my walk. I find mushrooms intriguing. One day they are not there – the next day they have just popped out of the ground. A little rain will bring them out.

So many textures again… multiple shapes in tiny landscapes. The low sun is making miracles in the dark of the forest floor. New worlds unfolding.

And a cat musing in the grass – not happy to be disturbed by Milo…

He was happier though – a ”friend” to chase! The story does not tell of the outcome…but we can guess…

LAPC# 226 – Textures

/ Leya / 63 kommentarer

Jude of Cornwall in colours is our guest host this week, and she has decided on Textures – an interesting choice! Please visit her impressive site for more inspiration.

There are so many textures in this world…I cannot imagine how many. I have chosen some of my favourites from the natural world. Randomly or no special order.

Winter has arrived today, and we have got some snow too. On the east coast and in the south east they got about 30-50 cm in one day. This icy pattern was found on my glass house.

I like the smooth water and the many coloured round stones right under the surface. Often it is opposites or interesting juxtapositions that bring out the interest.

Or, sometimes it’s just enough to view things from both sides.

Manmade and rusty – but it goes so well together with the round, ”soft” green shapes.

More round shapes, now together with spiky ones…

– they enhance each other.

Some of my absolute favourites are the hydrangeas – all seasons.

Trunks fascinates me, and some trees more than others. Birches have so much character…even as fallen and dead.

Somehow this looks like a big smile!

Last year’s heavy snow took its toll in the forest…many branches lost on this one, but the tree lives on!

Finally, a gallery with some different textures found in my garden and out hiking.

We are very much looking forward to seeing the different textures you can find in your world. Please link to Jude’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Sincere thanks to Anne Sandler for a marvellous challenge last week.  Your Wildlife Close to Home took us around the globe and showed us the wonderful variety of wildlife in and around your area.  Next Saturday, Tina will be our host for LAPC #227, so be sure to visit her amazing site Travels and Trifles for inspiration and details.  Until then, stay safe and be kind.

Thursday Thoughts – Walking in Porto, Things that Caught My Eye

/ Leya / 35 kommentarer

Today I feel like sharing another random walk…in Porto. When we walk it is not always a scheduled walk, I love lonely walks without a meticulous plan. Just to see what cathes my eye…so, come walk with me. Not many words needed.

Abandoned places always speak to me…

Walking on bridges gives you a different view of things.

Narrow streets are often tempting to walk…quite irresistible.

Realising the scale of things can be breathtaking.

His view?

This one! The young Brasilian playing was a complete virtuoso. He played among other wellknown artists, Carlos Santana. It was almost impossible to stop listening.

Just for fun.

Old houses and new art.

And who can resist a sight like this?

Some more of the beautiful wall art.

And we ended our Porto tour with a beautiful play of light and music in the neighbouring church.

Lens-Artists Challenge #225: Wildlife Close to Home

/ Leya / 58 kommentarer

”Stop. Look. Listen. Doing those three things will help you discover the abundance of wildlife you have nearby.” I will follow Anne’s advice…

This summer we were fortunate enough to have a couple of Hummingbird Hawkmoths in our garden – guess if I was happy! An astonishing little creature that is not often found this high up north.

I love my bees and bumblebees of course, and since I planted even more flowers favourable to pollinators, they are increasing.

This little friend is a guest every summer, and while our plumtree was still alive, the hedgehogs feasted on the fallen fruit.

This Grass snake met a harsh destiny due to climate change. The sun warmed up too early and the snake was lured to wake up and venture out of its winter home. They go stiff when the cold returns, and there is no food either. I couldn’t do anything for him.

It is always a joy when this golden gem, the green rose chafer, visits my garden. Its flight is rather clumsy, but the sight of him is a true joy.

I am no spider enthusiast, but in a net of pearls it is OK with me.

This beautiful red kite was lying under a log in the forest. I don’t know how he got there, but they say this species often fight each other, so I guess that might have been his story. We took him to a gamekeeper, but he could not be saved. His wings were too damaged and he could not fly properly after a week, so he was unable to feed himself.

The nearest lake has its beautiful inhabitants, and of the mute swans there are several pairs. Cold winter mornings make them something extra.

”From squirrels to birds, wildlife is around us. What non-domestic animals live in your neighborhood or nearby?” Let us see your wildlife. Remember to link to Anne’s original post and use the Lens-Artist tag.

And, special thanks to Sophia for her interesting Exposure challenge. I hope you had fun with it – I certainly had! Next week we are pleased to tell you that our guest host is Jude of Cornwall in Colors. Visit her beautiful site for more inspiration.

Looking forward to seeing you – until then, stay kind and cool.