Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts – Magical Horses and Dragons

/ Leya / 16 kommentarer

The visit to Gothenburg some weeks ago included ”Universeum”, a house for practical experiments and for animals and plants from all over the world.

Don’t we all love these little creatures? I remember from early childhood a series about the little seahorse. It was one of the first TV-animated series I really loved. I was glued to the screen.

According to Wikipedia, a seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. Hippocampus comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos, itself from híppos meaning ”horse” and kámpos meaning ”sea monster”.

Seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons (Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx) they form the family Syngnathidae. I am not that familiar with the names of sea creatures, but I do love these two. After some thinking, I remembered a visit to the Blue Planet in Denmark that Vivi and I did some years ago. I photographed a seadragon then, and – I found it after some searching. I hope you enjoy!

In the header – the cranes are here!

Thursday Thoughts – Anemone hepatica

/ Leya / 36 kommentarer

Little blue eyes among the winter leaves – not many yet, but still –

– a sign of hope

“Come with me into the woods where spring is
advancing, as it does, no matter what,
not being singular or particular, but one
of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.”
― Mary Oliver

For Cee’s FOTD

Thursday Thoughts – I Need Light and Flowers!

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

And I guess you need that too! Enjoy some harmonies from Gothenburg Palm House (built in the 19th C), modelled from the Crystal Palace Exhibition in Hyde Park, London,1851.

A ”winter rocket” from South Africa

More magnolias

Water beauties with adianthum –

and in the opener, what could be more appropriate than an air plant?

Thursday Thoughts – A Hope of Spring

/ Leya / 22 kommentarer

As March is here, maybe winter is letting go of its grip. A sunny walk by the lakes was envigorating and I found that the ice was almost gone. At least out in the open spaces. Not many birds around, but – they will soon arrive.

The leaves frozen in ice, reflecting the blue sky – there’s hope for a spring to arrive.

Thursday Thoughts – Orb Formula!

/ Leya / 63 kommentarer

As so many readers have been asking how I made the water droplets for LAPC’s last challenge – here is the formula. Originally I learned it from always innovative and informative Dina and Klausbernd at The World According to Dina.

1) Open an image in Photoshop
2) Crop it to a square format
3) Go to filter – distort – polar coordinates and click polar to rectangular
4) Go to image – rotate – flip vertical
5) Go to filter – distort -polar coordinates – rectangular to polar
6) Expand canvas: go to image – canvas size; expand to your liking but choose the right colour before saving

A small warning though…you will get addicted! Here are a couple from my garden last year – snow on the tiny spring flowers. The original scilla image is in the opener.

Scilla and daffodils after a snowfall

And here is what is coming in a month or so – sweet Anemone hepatica.

Have fun ”orbing” your world! Please tell us about it or post some of your results! We certainly need some fun these dark days, don’t we. ♥

Thursday Thoughts – A Favourite Artist

/ Leya / 41 kommentarer

After years of trying to get there, (Corona restriktions and more…) we finally reached Sandgrund gallery in Karlstad. The owner of this museum/gallery is our Nordic watercolour master, Lars Lerin. When I was young, I tried my hand on this difficult task – watercolour painting. It is not easy. When the Corona restriktions started in 2020, I decided to give my painting efforts another try. I had more time on my hand, and I entered a couple of courses. I was happy. I cannot say I am any good at this, but I love it.

I want you to visit Sandgrund with me, to meet this skilled artist – I hope you enjoy!

A sensitive loner, traveller, artist, painter, writer – in fact he has written and illustrated more than 50 books. Many of them about his travels around the world. In later years he has written several children’s books as well. One of his books, with his thoughts and philosophy on life and the importance of our healing nature, won him the August Prize in 2014.

Lerin always had a dream of living in Lofoten, by the sea. And in his thirties he moved there to live with a Norwegian artist for 13 years. At times he was relying on drugs for his deep anxiety, but managed to leave the destructive life behind. Now he is a free man – married and a father of two.

I loved this study on ice and reed – where he explores his skills of light and shadows, textures and colours.

Elsa and her 28 cats is a children’s book – but it can be read by any age. The book cover shows the splendour of a Swedish summer in Värmland, where he was born. Lerin often writes about people who are different, and stand up to it – just like Elsa, whom he met as a young boy. Can you find some of Elsa’s cats? I bet they were all happy and much loved.

Thank you for letting me introduce you to Lars Lerin, I hope you enjoyed the variety of his skills.

Thursday Thoughts – Sitting

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

Today I came across this picture, which is a much treasured one, because the bench and the roses are no more. In the header you will find the most relaxing place I have ever been to – the Amazon. Sitting in one of those hammocks, listening to the sounds of the djungle…I have never felt or slept better in my entire life. I brought home some of those sounds.

I kept searching for places where I have much liked to sit down and contemplate life and the beauty around us. The lovely bench with a rose garden, was in Ronneby, our summer town. We went there at least once every year, but now the mansion is sold and the garden is down.
In another file I found this colourful tent from a park in Madrid, and I know I visited it at least twice with my students. A very colourful and harmonious place.

In 2016 we traveled in Spain and followed parts of the Camino. This friendly hostel along the road had a wonderful man in charge – with his Alsatian as a trusted companion. I can still feel the silence in that yard.

A cafe’ in Lodz, Poland, became a favourite I visited several times. I must love colours…and harmony…but who doesn’t?

My most loved place to sit is of course in nature, but the next best thing was on the stone steps to my grandmother’s house. But they are no more. So, stone steps it is, now at our summer house. I love sitting there, on the sun warm steps, mornings, evenings, – yes, any time of the day. Watching the sunset, the terns diving and the swallows sweeping over the sea for some late evening food.

Thursday Thoughts – In My Windows Today

/ Leya / 30 kommentarer

Time for a glimpse in my windows again – one of my greatest joys is the dayly watering and checking in and through my windows.

The first thing I do in the morning, I go out and feed the birds. Then I watch them arriving – my favourite is of course the Robin. I have got two Robins, but I have to feed one of them on the other side of the house…. They are very territorial.

Most of my Phalaenopsis orchids are flowering now in January, February – and some other plants as well.

Then I have some very special cases… The Amazon lily is resting in my bathroom because it got little creatures this winter…but I have successfully got rid of them now, and new, fresh leaves are coming up. I have also bought something called a Nut tree – a chestnut. Lastly, my window lamps are like flowers themselves, aren’t they?

In my glass house, the Acacia is coming along nicely – sending a lovely scent as I open the doors and enter. It would have been nice sending a soft puff from her to you – but I am afraid you have to imagine! Spring and summer dreams…

Thank you for coming along to my morning chores – much appreciated company!