The Night Before Christmas

23 december, 201423 december, 2014 / Leya / 24 kommentarer

I have been sitting in the darkness by the Christmas tree. It’s raining. Some days ago I went to see The Hobbit – the last movie on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. I enjoyed it even if there was too much war and fighting. A sad ending – of course. I was reflecting upon it, there, in the darkness.

I remember when I was young and read all his stories…just How Much I loved them. I think I still do. Black and white – not much grey. And, sometimes I still wish for a Magician to come and put everything right in this world…even if I know things will go wrong again – it’s human nature.

In order to restore my happy mood, I persuaded my children to watch The Intouchables (2011) with me. I love that movie, and I knew they would love it as well. It’s based on a true story, and its positive views and humour concerning the grim life we lead here on Earth cannot be overestimated.

From a dark and rainy Skane, Sweden, I wish you all a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To my help, I’ve had a little Magician of my own – Totti. Maybe that’s why you perhaps do not recognize him in this picture…

Vintersolståndet – Winter Solstice

22 december, 201422 december, 2014 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Finally it’s here – now – Welcome Light!

Natten mellan söndag och måndag inträffar vintersolståndet och detta klockan 00.03 För övrigt är det sista gången det här århundradet som det inträffar 22 december – något som har att göra med skottårscykeln. Från och med år 2018 inträffar vintersolståndet den 21 december även det tredje året i skottårscykeln.

I år är alltså den 21:e och 22:e december i praktiken årets kortaste dagar. Här ser du hur pass många timmar den varar:
Grafiken visar dagens längd, dvs. antal timmar och minuter som solen befinner sig över horisonten. I Sverige är dagen som längst längs Skånes sydkust, där solen står lite drygt 7 timmar över horisonten. Ju längre norrut man kommer, desto kortare är dagen och i landets nordligaste del går solen överhuvudtaget inte upp över horisonten.

WordPress Photo Challenge: Yellow

19 december, 201423 december, 2014 / Leya / 53 kommentarer

Yellow is a very strong and happy colour, life giving and stands for intellect. In some countries in the West, it’s representing cowardice, but in Old China it was the Emperor’s colour, the most beautiful and prestigious colour of all.

According to Wikipedia, the word ”yellow” comes from the Old English geolu, geolwe (oblique case), meaning ”yellow, yellowish”, from the Indo-European base, gʰel-, as the word yell; gʰel- means both bright and gleaming, and to cry out.

Wearing yellow though, is not easily done for everybody – but looks stunning on people with dark or tanned skin, and preferably, dark hair. Lucky you who can shine in this beautiful colour!

To me, yellow means sun, spring and autumn. And, of course, the yellow houses in Denmark! For more of Yellow, click here.

Professional photo guide

18 december, 201422 december, 2014 / Leya / 11 kommentarer

A perfect help with your photos you can get when Otto von Münchow offers to help with picture critique at http://munchow.wordpress.com/picture-critique-2/. I sent in one of my photos that I wanted some advice about, an got a valuable, constructive and friendly answer.

Leya says:

December 6, 2014 at 15:07

Hej! En fin möjlighet att få hjälp – tack på förhand! Jag önskar hjälp med hur man tar en sådan här bild. Det här är ett stenbrott i Blekinge, med underbart blått vatten och vackert formad “bassän”g. Jag kan inte förstå hur jag ska ta bilden för att bli nöjd. Hoppas på dina proffstips!
Ha en fin helg önskar
Ann-Christine

https://faialflores.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/the-old-quarry-iii/

Otto von Münchow says:

December 9, 2014 at 22:26

This is an interesting picture. I am intrigued by the pond. Is it man-made or is natural? And what secrets or enigmas does it hold deep down there under the surface? There is something intangible about that deep blue pond and its surface without any ripples. Of course, the blue colour is a reflection of the sky above, which only adds a dimension to the photo. The pond feels very deep, mostly because of the steep walls or rocks leading down into the pond. The palette of the photo is mostly blue and green, which creates a cool atmosphere. To me the photo is a little bit overexposed, which is particularly noticeable in the rocks. If you had darkened the photo a bit, it would have increased the feeling of mystery by making the blues of the pond go even darker. In addition, the rocks would have gotten a more correct gray tone. I like the way you have omitted most of the sky above the pond. It’s not important, most notably because without clouds it would have been quite boring. On the other hand, I am not so sure about the open space the positioning of the pond in the lower two thirds of the left side do for the composition. It feels not quite there and somewhat off balance. At the same time this open space emphasizes the mystery of the pond because it feels like it could drop down to unlimited depths. I wonder if some silhouetted branches sticking up from the lower left corner would have help the composition without destroying the mysterious feeling. Another thought: Since this picture is all about the mystery and the pulling of a deep pond – at least for me – I might have gone back and tried to shoot the same picture at dusk or during twilight. I think that would have enhanced that feeling of ambiguity.

Reply
- Leya says:
  
  December 12, 2014 at 01:21
  
  Very good advice – of course, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity too. There were (unfortunately) no branches to bring into the photo, but I will certainly follow your advice about everything else. I’m glad you describe the mystery of the blue, deep water, and ways to enhance that feeling, because I was rather entranced by it.
  Thank you for letting me in!
  
  Reply

Travel Theme: Above

29 november, 201423 december, 2014 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

I love seeing things from above, and the first picture is from my neighbourhood, Hovdala. The little toy tractor in the autumn harvest.

Rome and the view of the bridge leading to Castel Angelo.

In an aeroplane the view is of course even more impressive. The Alps make me long for snow this winter.

But, my all time favourite for this theme is of course this photo: https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/weekly-photo-challenge-the-golden-hour/

For more of the theme Above, click here.

On darkness

20 november, 201420 november, 2014 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

November. How dark can it get? The sadest month of the year up here – grey, foggy, drizzling, cold. Every day is a mental struggle. And I do. Struggle to cope with it.

In younger days I used to love Autumn. To snuggle up with a cup of tea and candle light. As the years go by, I find it harder every time to enjoy this season. And November is a month I would love to see wiped out of the calender.

I need light in my life. Tonight there must be some remedies…

Walking Totti in the drizzle – on the look out for some LIGHT and colour …Here we go!

A glimpse of bright green and yellow between the dark trunks lead me up to these beacons. The last months have been extremely warm in Sweden. Flowers are not totally lost and some trees are still wearing some green and yellow finery.

Mushrooms are always a joy, and these pretty ones grow en masse, sitting close to each other on the fallen trunk. Keeping warm. Snuggling up.

Looking closer, they are all little wonders. Like fancy fans or the soft ears of a cat.

Back home again I compare a golden leaf from Ginko Biloba to the mushrooms – they are very much…the same structure. When you come close.

I send you all some sunny Cheers – for you who are lucky to live in the light, and for the light that’s coming back to us next year!

Travel Theme: Belonging

14 november, 201420 november, 2014 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

Belonging could mean many things…For Ailsa, I had to think…

I guess you know by now that I love plants and flowers, trees and – Nature itself. Ferns are some of the very special species on earth and come in many different shapes. I love spring when they peek their curled heads up from solid ground, and I love to see them slowly unfolding their fascinating faces – always hidden in the shadows.

I grow ferns as pot plants to be able to love them through winter as well. And two winters ago I had one of my old dreams come true – I went with my whole family to New Zealand, the land of the silver fern. The koru (Maori for ”loop”) is a spiral shape based on the shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond and symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace. It is an integral symbol in Maori art, and naturally I bought a koru pendant in jade for myself. I wear it with love, joy and pride. New Zealand will always have a special place in my heart.

So, my son, who works with graphic design, made this picture for me – I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Minimalist

7 november, 20147 november, 2014 / Leya / 39 kommentarer

I guess I don’t have many of these…but I found a couple from Jämtland last winter. The second one I have published here before. The colours of winter bring out the monochrome feeling and clear freshness. Minimalist.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: The Color Green

22 oktober, 201422 oktober, 2014 / Leya / 36 kommentarer

The colour Green for Cee – I must choose spring in Sweden, because that’s my first association to the word Green. When the beeches’ leaves are at their freshest, a walk in the forest is pure joy! They flutter in the wind and when the sun shines through their fragile softness – my heart sings.

From Scotland is my next green friend. In the lovely garden I visited in Aberdeen, this giant cactus spreads its ”wings” like a ball.

And as the last green friend of mine here – moss and lichen on a bubbly, bouldery ground in the nature reserve in Kivik, Sweden.

Autumn Dew

17 oktober, 201417 oktober, 2014 / Leya / 26 kommentarer

I’s raining. Not much sun these days, so when it doesn’t rain – we go out. Totti is not much of a man for wet weather…open the door, he sticks his pretty little nose out, turns around and snuggles up in his bed. ”I can wait…”

Whe we do go out, the air is dewy soft and trees and grasses are all in pearls. In the forest, there is a dim light between the trees.

In the open, there are many different spiders and many different webs – depending on where they live and what they want to catch.

Maybe the wheel spiders are the ones we love the best – or at least those are the ones we firs recognize.

Everywhere on everything growing, you will find them. Pearls, necklaces, ethereal. When the sun shines through, they are almost lost to the eye…

…especially in the grass on the ground. But now – they are visible, beautifully intricate. And many!

From a different angle we can see how thickly woven and how close (3-4 cm ) to the ground. It must be quite impossible for a moth or a fly to get detangled from this…

On our way back, the sun finally came out and the misty dew lifted – no more spider’s web to be seen! Instead the few autumn colours shone – the spindle-tree being one of my favourites.