Spring Report

Every year I take photos and post a report on the progress of spring on or around May 1st. This year we were travelling on May 1st, so the photos on that exact day shows the spring progress on Iceland, which varied a lot even within quite short distances.

The photo above was taken at Jökulsàrlon, a lagoon created by a retracting glacier. Icebergs break off the glacier and float round and round in the lagoon till they melt, as the opening is too narrow for them to float out into the ocean. They are quite a sight.

A few miles from the iceberg lagoon, we stopped to look at this old church, – the last one to be built in the old Icelandic manner with turf covered walls and roof. The dandelions were blooming on the roof, sheep and lambs were out and about nearby, so this was infinitely more spring like than the icebergs.

This primrose was blooming on one of the turfed walls of the olde houses in the photo below.

And this low bush similar to pussy willows was also in bloom:

I am not sure what the correct name of this bush would be.

As for the home scene, I will have to make do with before and after photos this year.

The two photos above were taken on April 26th before we left.

And here are the after photos of the same views….

… taken on May 6th.

We seem to have moved backwards into winter instead of forward to spring.

Eldrid

A Portrait

When taking a walk in the nearby area, there is a good chance of meeting up with some  interesting personalities.

When they see I am wielding my camera, some of them can get quite pushy. It is a good thing there is a fence between us.

“Hey you! Yes, you with the camera! I would like to have my portrait taken, please!”

“Is this good, do you think?”

“Maybe we should try the left profile too?”

“Lift my chin, you said? Like this?”

“I think I’ll go for this one. Would look nice in my passport.”

Eldrid

Short Fairy Tale

The Three” Billy Sheep” are reinforcing their strength before they are tackling the bridge.

Here they are resting on the other side of the bridge. The troll is nowhere to be seen, so has probably gone down stream.

Eldrid

A Sunday Trip

…. to this place was a vey nice experience.

This is Hakallegarden,  – a small farm at a 20 minute drive, a ferry ride, and another 60 minute drive, from home.

So, what is special about this farm, which I do not find on the next-door farms at home?

One thing is the variety of animals, – and many of them not penned up, but were ambling back and forth in the yard, mixing with children and grown ups as the most natural thing in the world, – no skittishness at all.

Only the sheep kept their distance, – or maybe they just liked the grass on the other side of the fence….

.. and this one just lazed under a tree, ignoring the fact that a very, very tired “Irene” was doing her level best to drench all and sundry with her showers of rain during the day.

This is also one of very few farms where they raise alpacas, and also sell alpaca wool and yarn for knitting.

The farm is open to the public at weekends, and the children love to come here to ride on horseback or in the tractor wagon, to feed the animals, to cuddle the kittens, and everything else you can do on a small farm.

After theese cuties had had their fill of hay, they walked around the corner, – very slowly, so there was no problem in following them.

Then they disappeared into the lower part of the barn, – and a very special barn it is.

This is almost like a sitting room; – brightly coloured, paintings on the walls, lovely lamp shades, and a bird in a cage on top of the chest of drawers. If animals are the least bit like people, I think they would like it very much in here.

The upstairs part of the barn has been converted to a small shop, with lots of colourful mugs, cups, plates and bowls, and clothes made from alpaca and silk.

There are also tables and chairs so you can sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, and freshly made “svele” or waffles, hot from the iron. While enjoying the coffee (or tea), you have time to look around and see if there is anything you fancy. I admit to fancying some cups and a mug from Pip Studio, – can’t help it, I’m afraid, – they were too cute to not come home with me.

Outside in the yard there are all kinds of stuff placed along the walls all around. I am still pondering what exactly makes the difference between junk and art, but I am not sure there is an answer.

Here it was definitely artsy, and every small detail added to the atmoshere.

I especially liked the pink bed looking out over the sea and islands below the farm.

The day after we were there, we heard on the news that the owners had received a special prize for the way they are running the farm and taking care of the landscape.

I hope this means they will not have to close their doors anytime soon.

Eldrid

Spring Status Report

Last year I posted my first May 1st report on the progress of spring.

Spring was very cold and rainy then, – even snowy, – so there was not much greenery to be seen when May arrived.

This spring seemed to be progressing along the same lines for a while, but the last week’s fine weather has boosted everything big time.

Suddenly the woods were all green almost from one day till the next. My narcissuses in the photo above have all come out during the last two days.

This morning the ones in the shadiest corner had not come out yet.

However, this evening, just after sundown, I took the photo above, and they are nearly all out here as well. With this kind of weather, they will all be finished in a week, I think.

I’ll just have to enjoy them while they last.

The earliest rhododendron bush will soon open up completely.

The tulips by the south wall have been blooming for a few days already. In the photo they look like they are a red and yellow mix due to the direct sunshine, but in reality they are only red.

I love the way the narcissuses brighten up the garden even when it is nearly dark.

So in conclusion, this year spring has behaved itself much better than it did last year, – so far at least. The last week has been excellent, – even better than most of last year’s summer. 

Eldrid

Promises

This time of year there are blogs all over which are filled with crocuses and other lovely signs of coming spring. When we still have snow and cold weather, they make me a little envious.

However, crocuses have finally appeared in our garden too, and each time I walk past and see them, they are a personal promise that spring is on its way, at last.

The photos were taken a few days ago when there was no sun, so they had not opened up yet. Yesterday was a very fine day, however, so when I arrived home in the evening after a trip to visit family, most of them were in full bloom. It was a lovely sight, but sadly, it was too dark by then to get any good pictures.

While I was browsing around the garden taking the photos above, I also came across this collection of shells nested in a hollow in one of the tree stumps left from the trees we chopped down a couple of years ago.

They are the tangible memories of last summer’s visit from the grandkids, and a successful foray on the nearest beach on a fine August day.

The boys enjoyed themselves immensely. . . . .

. . . . collecting lots of small treasures to carry home…..

. . . .  to play with in the sand.

Then some of them ended up on the tree stump as well, where they have spent all winter underneath the snow and frost.

Their lovely blue gradated colours caught my eye;  – they are as decorative as the crocuses, in their own way. . .

. . . and hold as many promises too.

Spring is a lovely time.

Eldrid

Spring?

Today is spring equinox, and in some places we see signs of springlike activities, like snowdrops popping their heads out of the ground. But in other places, it may take some time yet before spring arrives.

Last year I posted some winter photos which were taken at our daughter’s place. I also took the photo above of the same playground that was posted here, but from a slightly different angle. Also, snow like this was to be expected in January.

A few days ago we visited again, and I took the photos below. It is the same playground, although you can hardly tell because of the snow.

The structure sticking out of the snow is the top of the swings.

You can just glimpse the top wire of the fence in the path our grandson made when crawling through the snow.

It snowed when we were there, and it has snowed since.

The ground has been covered since October, so everyone is weary of snow, although the children are having fun from time to time.

- I’ll better pop  out and check if spring is on its way yet.

- Naaaah, doesn’t look like it.

- I think spring needs some help.

- WE WANT SPRING NOW!  WE WANT SPRING NOW!

 

- Let’s go and do something else while we are waiting.

 

Today it is raining, so there is hope.

Eldrid

Hexagons Everywhere

On the last day of a record cold November month, I took my camera along as I walked the couple hundred metres to collect the mail.

The last weeks’ frost has almost covered the small river next to our house with thick ice. As long as there are a few small holes left, we can hear the water underneath making hollow, clucking sounds. When hearing the clucking through the walls, it sometimes sounds like there are people talking outside the house.

When the holes disappear, the river will be silent.

Hoar frost has been forming where there is a bit of humidity. It starts very small.

Then it grows outwards, and it looks like the grass straws have grown needles.

Looking closely at the tips of the “needles” one can see the hexagonal shapes that are beginning to grow, – and they are branching out.

In this part of the field the ice crystals have grown quite large, – it looks like the grass is covered in a layer of thin, white, butterfly wings.

A closer look reveals the hexagonal shapes, – layers and layers of them.

Lots and lots of variations and repetitions of the same form.

They are very thin and brittle….

… and reflect the light wonderfully.

When the full moon was shining last week, it glittered and sparkled everywhere when I was out walking in the late afternoons and early evenings.

But it is difficult to catch such glittering beauty on camera, – it is one of those things that are best when experienced “live”.

However, the details shown above, are hard to see without the help of a camera.

Eldrid

Nature’s Pearls

. . .  a gift from the fog:

From a walk in the garden on a Saturday morning in May.

Eldrid

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Spring 2010

Amy, – Park City Girl, – is once again organizing the Blogger’s Quilt Festival over at Amy’s Creative Side.  Every blogger is encouraged to show one of their quilts and link to the event. It is great fun to surfe all the different blogs and see and read about the many different quilts displayed.

This year I have decided to show you a small and very simple quilt, which has some fond memories attached to it.

When my mother turned 80, my eldest sister, who then lived in the north of Norway, arranged to take her along on a trip to see the Kola peninsula, and Murmansk. Since two of the original party had to cancel, my youngest sister and I were invited to join. So there we went, mother and three sisters, happily driving along the roads in the Arctic. We were able to see part of the Varanger peninsula before entering Russia, and the trip was prolonged so we also drove through Finland and Sweden and ended the trip by enjoying a week in the Lofoten area.

We kept a travelling blog, and since I was appointed “official blog photographer”, I could really indulge in using  my camera, and try everyone’s patience more than I otherwise would have done (perhaps). However, they all thought it went a bit too far when I wanted to photograph the fog near Ekkerøy, – and on our first day too.  The fog!!? Why?

My argument was that I thought the fog was decorative, – which made everyone laugh, but my sister stopped the car, and I got my photos.  We had a lot of fun with the “decorative fog” throughout the trip, – my companions pointing out to me every clump of fog or mist, and as we went on, every interesting house, or flower, or green straw that I might want to point my camera at. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in the course of two weeks as I did then.

Afterwards I used some of the photos I took to make up some of my fabric panels, and chose the one from Ekkerøy to make into a small quilt for my sister, who arranged the trip.

A friend of hers owns the red house in the background, which has been turned into a restaurant.

I used hand painted fabric for the border, and used silver metallic for the quilting. Of course I called it “Decorative Mist”.

On this page on my website I have explained more about the general inspiration for the fabric panels, and what went into the making of them.

Although we have more fog and clouds here than most of us would prefer, I still think they add to the scenery in some ways, and are fascinating to look at. Sometimes the landscape is softened, like in the first photo, and at other times it adds interest or drama…

……. . . even mystique.

Some of my fabric panels will be given as prizes over at the Blogger’s Quilt Festival, so be sure to go to there and submit a comment on the post to enter the drawing.

Eldrid

Here are my previous entries:

Blogger’s Quilt Festival October 2009

Blogger’s Quilt Festival April 2009