Tankar

LAPC #218 – Over The Hill

/ Leya / 79 kommentarer

We are pleased to have Donna of Wind Kisses as our guest host this week, and she wonders what ”Over The Hill” means to us. Please visit her wonderful site for some more inspiration!

My interpretation is mostly an intuitional one…and my first thought was of The Great Wall of China. Climbing all those hills and mountains, at the cost of thousands of lives. And they were all buried in that great wall…

I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.

– Henry David Thoreau

Literally…these children are walking over that hill.

”Over the hill” also means the hardest climb is over and the view is terrific. So, after 12 years at school – you are over the hill too!

Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

– Arthur Schopenhauer

Hiking in the mountains often brings amazingly magical views. Again and again…

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

– Nelson Mandela

In Switzerland we saw this nun contemplating the grandness of God’s Creation, and maybe the road meandering over that hill.

Over some hills you don’t reach another hill – but something totally different – maybe a volcano abyss…like this one in Iceland.

And after a volcano eruption, there are endless lavafields covering the land – the plains, hills and mountains.

I will turn 65 next week…and as I’m ageing I often wonder… when I finally have struggled up that hill – will I see The Light? The Light that our religion talks about?

And what about our animal friends? They must be even more overwhelmed by the vast views from up there…especially if you are a cat on a (hot) tin roof…

And what an impossible task for the tiny scarabs climbing this seemingly endless hill of sand.

But remember:

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from the top.

– Arnold Bennett

Thank you, Tina, for last weeks fun challenge of Opposites! So many clever and mindblowing examples. Hope to see you all this week as well. Tag your entry and link to Donna’s original post.

Next week, Tina will lead us again – on a treasure hunt…Until then, please stay safe and kind.

Thursday Thoughts – Autumn

/ Leya / 29 kommentarer

By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.

― Helen Hunt Jackson

In my garden, autumn colours are arriving – summer’s beautiful farewell.

Red and yellow…

…and the soft colours of ripening grapes.

LAPC #217 – Opposites

/ Leya / 67 kommentarer

This week Tina has put together some interesting opposites. Please visit her beautiful blog and get inspired! Once you have started, it is difficult to stop… ”just think about it, they’re everywhere!”

Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it. Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin.

– Hermann Hesse

Soft – Hard

Morning – Evening in the Sahara desert

Old and dilapidated ( but warm and ornamented…) – Modern (cold and straight)

Cold and hot climate

In the header – opposites in the same image with day and night in one – midnight sun! Above – two in one as well – hot springs in cold ice and snow.

Special thanks to Sofia for last week’s Urban Environments challenge. It was great fun seeing
the many urban examples you all shared! ”This week we invite you to show us some opposites – big and tall, round and square, new and old….”

Remember to link your response to Tina’s original, and to use the Lens-Artists Tag to help us find you. We look forward to seeing what you come up with. Finally, we’re excited to announce that next week’s Guest Host will be Donna of Wind Kisses so be sure to check out her wonderful site. Until then, as always please stay safe and be kind.

LAPC #216 – Urban Environments

/ Leya / 58 kommentarer

You know, I don’t really understand a suburban environment. I want to be out in the woods, I want to be where it’s wild, I want to wake up and hear birds, I want to walk outside and see a gaggle of turkeys bouncing across my lawn – I want to be someplace like that – or I want to be right in the middle of an urban environment. – Karen Allen

This week Sofia asks us about urban environments – I used to love visiting big cities now and then, for a week or two. But, due to covid, the last three years we have stayed at home. I must admit I miss those adventures…

I will tell you something of why I liked visiting the cities chosen.

Edinburgh is an absolutely lovely city with castle and all, but Greyfriars Kirkyard offers both silence and contemplation when needed. One day I saw this young man sitting alone, quietly reading his book. I had to have his portrait. And I love the way they speak, the Scots.
Rome is a city to return to again and again… Mezmerising. But on my first visit I was only16, and the young ladies laughed at my ”childish” sandals – they all wore high heels…

But you can find anything in Rome…

I have always loved London – the ”gentlemen”, the musik and the theaters. And of course the language…a visit to Foyles was always a great pleasure. I used to buy loads of books, for my students too.
Warsaw was a very positive experience. I loved the newer architecture, and the people was good-humoured and generous. And the food! Delicious!
I never dreamed of going to Madrid…but I went with my classes a couple of times. For its history, literature and architecture, fantastic museums (Museo del Prado and Museo Reina Sofia), good food and animated people – and Madrid did not disappoint!
Århus, Denmark – the new, spectacular area was a dream walking through. Innovative and beautiful in Nordic light colours. Expensive living…but very nice people all we met. Mostly young people in fact – who had made their fortune in IT or business.

A gallery of the kind of urban environments that I love the most. Narrow alleyways and old buildings. But as Sofia says, new architecture can also be interesting. Like Bilbao in the header and Århus in Denmark.

Finally, my nearest big city, Malmoe – the photo taken from a plane flying in from somewhere in the world. Santiago Calatrava’s Turning Torso shining in the evening sun.

”This week’s challenge is about how you view any urban environments you came across, either by visiting as a tourist or the place you live in or commute to every day. What makes that city or town special and how do you capture it.” Please link to Sofia’s marvelous original post and tag with Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.

Last week John emphasized the way of transport to your destination. An inspirational challenge where the different interpretations were varied and interesting.

Next week is Tina’s turn to host, please have a look at her wonderful site and join us if you can.

For more information on how Lens-Artists Challenge work, please click here.

Macro Monday – Hummingbird Hawkmoth

/ Leya / 32 kommentarer

Guess if I was happy about this little creature last week! Some years ago we had one visiting – and now he had me smiling again. In fact I am still smiling…

Thursday Thoughts – The Last of Summer

/ Leya / 37 kommentarer

The Buddlejas are having a second bloom, and the butterflies are still here. But the air is chilly and the nights near frost. I love my Heleniums that gather hundreds of pollinators. It’s a joy standing close to them, just listening to the busy bees.

The little white aster was new last year, it shines in the darkening evenings now. And so do the tuberous begonias standing in the shadow of the vines. They glow in the late sun.

There is still colour left, and we hope for some more bright days before winter is here. I hope you too have enough colours left to savour Autumn.