Tankar

Thursday Thoughts – Hiking Gedaryggen

/ Leya / 40 kommentarer

We went with a hiking group last weekend. We always walk alone otherwise, but were invited by a friend to join in. 20 people in the big forest. All vaccinated except me. A great day.

Normally, the beeches would have been green by the first of May – but this year has been very cold so far. Today the Maiden Fall and the Maiden Stone were the two main attractions – besides walking in the forest of course.

Do you see the eaten cones on the stump? Never in my life I have seen this many! We saw one every 5th meter. The forest must be a complete mice den…but, we did not spot a single mouse scuttling around.

Our eminent guide, Bo, is a real nature’s man – and a natural forest man. He sleeps in a hammock under the canopy several nights a month – and he asked how many of us who wanted to try it in June…and got some three – four positive to the idea!
This was really a great hike, and the resting places were beautiful. Young and old had their imagination filled with new mysteries, and climbing through the stone was an adventure. The sites have their own story about the young maiden, Elsa, hiding there and staying in the forest to escape followers during the Scania war 1675-1679. Nobody knows if there was a happy ending though…the story does not tell…
After 6 hours of hiking Gedaryggen (”The Goats Back”) we were rather tired and some had sore feet. My left foot (operated on a couple of years ago) told me this was enough for the day.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #146: Focusing on the Details

/ Leya / 107 kommentarer

This week, Patti invites us to join in for LAPC #146, Focusing on the Details. We can include photos of details from one subject (a person, a place, an object) or many subjects.

The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events – Jim Jarmusch

I want to take you along with me to a 10x10m area along this trail. Maybe it doesn’t seem to have much of interest…looks rather empty except for the trees, doesn’t it… But, let’s start looking for details – and this time I know what I am looking for.

The first details I see are these late blooming twigs…and I notice that the trunks reflecting in the water, show the sandy waves at the bottom of the creek instead of the patterns on the trunks.

What we are looking for in this forest is the fiddlehead fern or ostrich fern, 100–170 cm (39–67 in) tall and 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 in) broad, long-tapering to the base but short-tapering to the tip, so that they resemble ostrich plumes. They would have been very difficult to find if last year’s leaves hadn’t been sticking up like brown feathers.

They are giving me the fern look…- I am being watched. They know I will soon be coming for them, because these ferns are edible, and absolutely delicious. It’s the only edible fern in Sweden. Here, in this wet area, they grow abundantly and in a couple of weeks, they will cover the whole forest floor below the trees. They should be picked when new and fresh, like the tallest ones in my images. Boil and eat, maybe with some delicious meat…soon!

Details are important, always.

A special thanks to Priscilla of Scillagrace for her fabulous Getting to Know You! challenge last week. As always, your posts were varied, surprising, delightful, and inspiring. On Saturday, May 8, Amy will host LAPC #147, so be sure to visit her beautiful and thoughtful site for more inspiration.

Until then, have a wonderful creative week and please stay safe.

Life in Colour – Purple

/ Leya / 26 kommentarer

This month Jude will be looking for Purple. A secondary colour made from red and blue. Here we go – this is one of my favourite colours.

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.

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word – April 2021

/ Leya / 34 kommentarer

Pick a Word!

Paula is here again – ”Here is the newest Pick a Word with five words for you to interpret in photos. As usual, you can post a photo for one word or more or all five. I am glad to be here and will be happy to see you entries.”

Here we go – of course I had to have both of my furry friends!

FURRY (header: Totti, below: Milo 9 weeks old)


PICTURESQUE


RAPID 


SUBTERRANEAN


APOCALYPTIC

Thank you Paula, for giving us interesting words to work with as ususal!

Thursday Thoughts – Earth Day

/ Leya / 31 kommentarer

”EARTHDAY.ORG’s theme for Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our Earth™, which focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems. In this way, the theme rejects the notion that mitigation or adaptation are the only ways to address climate change. It is up to each and every one of us to Restore Our Earth not just because we care about the natural world, but because we live on it. We all need a healthy Earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health & survival, and happiness. A healthy planet is not an option — it is a necessity.”

Earth Day is every day. Every day is Earth Day. What will you do extra for Mother Earth today? What do you do to help saving our only home?

I believe in doing positive things every day, small improvements will grow bigger when we do them together! One of my ongoing projects is making my garden an insect’s paradise. Food, space, home. I grow insect friendly plants and I provide food all year around from Spring to Winter. I let old fallen trees lie, I never use toxics in my garden and I see to it that plants are in flower all possible seasons.

Bee hotels are rather effective to use – I have four of them in my garden. Without bees in the world – we will not survive. Your every third bite is only there with the help of pollinators, bees.

Wishing you all a wonderful day from me and my garden – soon to be filled with flowers and happy creatures again!