CFFC: Red Flowers

1 januari, 2016 / Leya / 8 kommentarer

For Cee’s Red Flowers – New Zealand’s Pohutukawa or Christmas Tree, and a velvety red one from my neighbour’s garden.

A Better Year to Come

31 december, 20151 januari, 2016 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

I hope the world will see a better year, 2016, with peace and love in heart and mind. And I hope for a joyous, Happy New Year to you and yours!

My last post this year, is from my walk in the forest today. Contemplating 2015 and what will come with the new year. The sun spilled its glory from an almost clear sky – so – what better to do than spending the whole New Year’s Eve outdoors, hiking?

Freezing cold from the start…

…with the sun trying to reach over the tree tops.

Succeeding now and then – here from the south.

We had not walked here since the last great gale, and several times the path was totally covered in fallen trees.

The untouched parts were shimmering in the low, golden sun.

Some parts remained white and slippery, and my boys had to walk slowly not to fall into the mud.

Some of my favourite ice – in Sweden we call it håris (hair ice) – and if you look closely, you will understand why. (The header picture)

Heading home again, the sun setting and the real cold returning.

2016, we do not know what lies ahead of us, we can only hope, and work each one of us to make a better world for ourselves and for our fellow passengers on this planet.

The road may be uneven, slippery, narrow, filled with obstacles…but I want to believe there is a light shining us through. Safe travels!

SL-WEEK 25: Macro

23 december, 2015 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

For Sylvain Landry – macro, frosty leaves.

4 Days to Go – Thursday Thoughts

18 december, 201519 december, 2015 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

Soon the winter solstice will be here. Much longed for, maybe more than ever this year. No snow – except for one single, great day – and many dark and drizzly days.

Here a series from one of the better days, this week in fact. Notice the play of warm and cold this time of the year. Warm colours if you turn in the direction of the thin rays of the sun – and the cold colours or darkness if you turn towards the sun itself.

One of my favourite spots in ”my” forest, is the passage between two of the grass meadows to the west. Here, Mille used to stand waiting for me by the big oak tree.

The other spot is on my way back from the open landscape to the forest path. The majestic beech trees all aglow with the last rays of the low sun. 2.30 pm.

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Faraway

17 december, 201517 december, 2015 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

Cee is asking us to present something faraway. Switzerland is rather representative for this in its landscapes. I chose one traditional photo of a glacier for the concept ”faraway” and the other one following Cee’s example with something up front, close, and then the rest faraway.

SL-WEEK 24: Machine

15 december, 2015 / Leya / 8 kommentarer

Machines I’m impressed by are the mountain trains – here in Switzerland. They climb, sometimes very steep, several thousands of metres and they go down the same way. Seemingly undisturbed, effortless. And they are comfortable as well.

For Sylvain Landry. What machines are you impressed by? Join in and let us know!

Thursday Thoughts

10 december, 201511 december, 2015 / Leya / 20 kommentarer

My thoughts today are in Paris. Tomorrow is the last day of the Climate meeting, and an agreement MUST come. If there is no agreement signed – the Earth and mankind are as good as dead. All hope for the world gone. If the agreement is too weak – we are as good as dead anyway.

It should be very simple. In my own tiny sphere of the world, there is no snow anymore. Any living person in my neighbourhood can notice such simple facts. All the way up to the glaciers’ melting and the arctic areas dissolving, The polarbears starve and die. In fact they even drown because the ice is gone – it is from the ice they catch their food.

Don’t the leaders in the world have their own eyes…we really do not need any more research, any more scientists’ statements, anything…Just open our eyes and see – that the beautiful world we once had is no more. Stop blaming El niño, stop blaming each other, stop thinking only of oil and money and …Start doing! NOW. TOGETHER. It is as simple as that.

We only have this one planet, Earth. We have to save her. Don’t you think she is worth it?

A Fine Forest Day

9 december, 2015 / Leya / 20 kommentarer

We found a new hiking track today – at least we had never walked there before. I was totally excited – many mice to dig for… Many nice scents as well, and – a horse! I adore horses, and this one stood, solid as a rock, quietly watching me.

I stopped often to do some digging, but I could feel …that maybe I shouldn’t. The yearly Christmas bath took place yesterday, and I was still rather good-looking…or so I felt at least.