I sit in my garden every day, watching the butterflies feasting on Buddlejas and what is left of my plum cooking. The Red Admirals seem to love plums just as much as the ordinary flower table. Golden days now, when summer is drawing to its close.
The beautiful Scarce Copper though, is not to be seen anymore. I guess its season is earlier. I tried to catch some of the Admirals with my camera, but unfortunately – I will try again tomorrow.
We met up for a trip to a pond wellknown for its dragonflies. Rain in the air and rather chilly – so, our expert told us we would not see any dragonflies that morning… Ten degrees warmer and sun is the recipe.
We had all brought breakfast though, so we might as well hike up there and at least eat. Said and done.
After an hour the sun warmed up behind the clouds, so we were a bit lucky in the end. Not many dragonflies were patroling the water, but if you walked through the grasses on the shore, you were greatly rewarded.
Here are some of the critters that we found. We saw 6-7 different species of dragonflies/damselflies and some other beauties. The caterpillar will later evolve into a small tortoiseshell. Some sea birds were talking loudly, and the swallows came sweeping down as the mosquitos woke up. An enjoyable morning!
Click the gallery for more detail.
Amazingly small, but in a shining blue or red armour, striped or checked – we saw them dancing. I learned that many dragonflies live for a month or so, and some species live for almost a whole year – they even fly throughout the winter months here. If you want to hold one, it is the wings you should grab. They are not soft and velvety (as with butterflies), but stiff and hard. If you then set the dragonfly free, it will sit where you put it, silent for some seconds – and you have an excellent photo option!
Sporrakulla is the name of an old farmstead from the 16th century. I went here for the first time almost 50 years ago, and haven’t visited again since my children were small. Last week we decided to drive up to the beautiful farm once more.
When you leave the car, you walk into a harmonious landscape, where time seem to have stopped…and the silence is almost tangible.
The meadows are harvested as in the old days, with a scythe. This is for the benefit of the flora.
The last farmer left in the 1960’s, and now the houses are kept by the local forest authorities. Many tourists visit during summer, and sometimes there are minor events in the garden. Mostly hikers picnicking though. The area is thick with hiking tracks.
The flora around the farm is abundant, and so is the fauna. I could have walked around for hours…
…or just sit and watch the quiet pace of life.
Thank you for returning here with me. Hope you enjoyed the old buildings and the atmosphere. For me – nostalgia, the best kind!
So, I started out in the early morning, to dive into the fresh dew.
To lose myself in the silent meadow beauties.
My grandmother would have been 111 years old today. She loved morning fields just as much as I do.
Driving through the misty morning of Wordless Wednesday to reach these dewy fields. What compares to a summer morning?
– Nothing
Sunday morning will see the last photo of this tour in search of summer silence. I finally reached the river.
Some mornings are made for wandering
Contemplation
And Wonder
Walking through the forest
And out in the sunshine
I wonder at the glorious gifts we have been given on this earth. We should treasure it to the full and keep it safe…for coming generations.
Stensjö By – an old heritage village left just like it was in the 1920’s. Nothing removed, nothing added.
Today we have to motivate people not to destroy, and to leave nature as they would love to see it. ”Leave it as you found it” is not always relevant though. I often bring a paper bag and pick up what other people have thrown away. I don’t know how it is possible not to have noticed how much waste there is, how much plastic and what it does to animals and to ourselves – to our very existence here. Is it too late to learn this lesson again? And it all depends on us, and the parents to the new generation… It is almost as simple as that – What I learned from my parents, I have taught my own children.
Midsummer is the best time in Sweden, and Tuesday this week was the summer solstice. We spent most of the night outdoors. Something to celebrate. The longest day. A walk in my garden gives me much pleasure, and this is the time to send some of that love with the warm winds to you, wishing you beautiful days wherever you are ♥
Aren’t they very human? Click the gallery and join in the conversation!
Don’t we love it…
sharing the limelight!
Västervik town had three big street art festivals 2019-2021. We went there for a couple of days to enjoy the beautiful town and its art. The weather was not the best, but good enough. Some works from the festivals collected here. In the header we have an Ollio/Curtis Hylton.
Ketones 6000 – Australia
Curtis Hylton – England
Telmomiel – Holland. This one was my favourite.
Leya 
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