Cattle

There is something special with old country roads…Every autumn we walk some kilometers along this country road, and I guess you might recognize parts of it, even if it changes over the years. But, that is one of the reasons why I like to photographs this walk every year.

This part of our neighbouring village was always an agricultural area with many small farms.

Today farming is mostly a business for big farms with much land and large machines to work it.

This house is a typical old farmstead, but I am not sure anyone lives here anymore. It looks abandoned – even though you can see furniture and lamps if you look in the windows. There are even withered house plants in some of them, and a sign with the owner’s name. It looks like the owners just walked out the door left it that way.

Old wagons and tractors are left at the road side or in an abandoned garden.

I feel sad looking at it, because farmers work hard every day, every hour on their land – but as they grow old, they reach a point where they cannot manage it any longer. Being a farmer is a lifestyle, and that must be hard to give up.

There must be a few farmers still working though, because there is cattle in the small fields and meadows.

Aren’t they beautiful, making bypassers feel the harmony and the beauty of the landscape! I wonder what their story is…

Scrapydo at http://scrapydo.wordpress.com/ invited me to take part in a Virtual Blog Tour on Monday August 11, 2014. Thank you for inviting me!

Being a retired teacher from the Netherlands and South Africa, she now lives in New Zealand. She’s an animal behaviourist and her best friend and mate is Trompie – a sweet Schnauzer. ”In March it is going to be my third year in N Z. I love it to be here,…”, she says. I understand that completely, as I had the pleasure of seeing something of NZ for a month some years ago.

Do visit her creative and interesting blog! She loves everything crafty – and her lovely companion!

Virtual Blog Tour

The Virtual Blog Tour is a relatively new project for bloggers. The rules are fairly simple:
- Compose a one-time post which is posted on Monday (date will be given to you from whoever passes on the tour)
  1. What am I working on?
  2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
  3. Why do I write/create what I do?
  4. How does your writing/creating process work?
- Answer four questions about our creative process which lets other bloggers and visitors know what inspires us to do what we do.
- Then pass the tour on to up to four other bloggers. Get their permission first and give them rules and specific Monday they are to post.
So –
1. What am I working on?
I am still travelling and still loving photography even if I’m not a trained photographer. Attending a photography course is one of my goals once I retire from teaching. My trips this summer went to Scotland and Denmark and all those photos have not been sorted out yet…And, I’m constantly loving my dog, Totti, of course.

From Scotland – Highland Cattle grazing – while a ship is sinking…

17th Century house in Köge, Denmark

2. How does my work differ from others of this genre?

Maybe it doesn’t differ that much… but I try to show the world around me, focusing on nature and other architectural marvels. Usually I give some information about the photos too, or show them as a short story in a gallery. I also have a blog for photos that I cannot easily fit in to a story, but are favourites anyway. http://faialflores.wordpress.com/

And, recently I started a third blog for the love of trees, for my hikes and car tours, http://treetreats.wordpress.com/ – here I also want to feature guest posts!

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I think this started because of my work as a teacher. I spend so much time correcting students’ papers and essays – but I never get to write or express myself only because I want and need to. Another reason is my neverending love for nature. Nature is soothing and ever changing, listening and answering many of my questions…I think maybe it’s giving more than me some of the best reasons for living on this planet Earth. Creating posts here is also a must when I try to relax after a tough day at work.

Photography gives me the opportunity to capture special moments as well. Literature, theatre and movies are other great interests – I try to review as many as I find time for in my blog.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

It usually starts with a view…a photo, or a series of photos, and then I try to give some interesting information around it/them. Sometimes facts I have read and sometimes I just try to put the reader in the same mood as I was when the photo was taken. I love weaving short stories of photos.

Can you feel the mood in this one – ?

Now I also hope to have the pleasure of introducing you to Maria at http://mariayarri.wordpress.com/ : I love animals and especially dogs … I´m half way to the hundred and during my life I have always been a person who like our nature in generally and forest in particular; and I try to combine that with my other interest photography

She is a marvellous nature photographer and doesn’t forget to include her friend Yarri in her posts. He usually has his say about things too…The other important part of her blog is about ageing parents and how to deal with Alzheimers.

Thank you for joining us on Monday, Maria! We’re looking forward to your contribution.