Out and About

I'm still feeling a bit "knocked out" by the hot weather here. The temperature may have gone down a couple of degrees (C) compared to the weekend; but instead it's now more humid, with occasional thunder and rain showers. Still too warm indoors; and as my study faces south-west, I'm limiting my time at the computer... 

Today I managed to get out for a walk (or a "stroll") between 10-11 am; just my usual paths around the old cemetery, and down to the little park by the river for a bit. 

 

Yellow water lilies in the river, blurry because zoomed in from quite a long distance with my phone camera. 

 

 
A number of similar flowerbeds in blue are found in different "park" areas of the cemetery.

I have shown several photos before of the hares living in the cemetery - or at least I assume that they "live" there, as that's where I usually see them. However, it happens that they also visit the lawns between the apartment buildings where I live. But it's usually in winter evnings that I have spotted them there, and not least when snow on the ground, so I have kind of assumed that it's been when they've had difficulties finding food elsewhere.) But a few nights ago (Saturday) I saw one grazing on the lawn below my balcony, and it wasn't even dark yet! And certainly no lack of greenery in other places, less frequented by humans. (It was unusually quiet in the neighbourhood at the time, though - not children out playing etc.)

Multiple images of one and the same hare, zoomed in from my balcony on Saturday evening.

Was a Sunny Day

♫ Was a sunny day
Not a cloud was in the sky...♫  

... Ooops, not quite true: There was one ...

  

Hot (Skywatch Friday)

 

15 July (from my balcony, shortly before sunset)

Even here in Sweden we now seem to be in the grip of the European heat wave, with temperatures up around 29-30'C (85'F) in the afternoon - and even hotter in direct sunlight, of course. (I put a thermometer out on my balcony for a while in the afternoon today and it went up to around 40'C/104'F...) So just now, between noon and sunset, the best alternative is to keep balcony doors and windows shut, and all blinds and curtains drawn - and fans going in every room. (No I don't have A/C. Very few Swedish homes do, and especially not rental apartments. In general, our houses are built to keep heat in, not to let it out.)

I find the heat very tiring, so have had to cut my walks very short the past few days. And my sleeping pattern is even more upside down than usual, as I've also fallen into "siesta" habits (i.e. sleeping in the afternoon). Sometimes for much longer than intended, and even making it hard to recall what day (or time of day) it is when I wake up again! 

 Below are some more evening "skywatch" photos from my own balcony

14 July

The last three were all taken within the same minute last night (18 July), close to sunset.

 Linking to Skywatch Friday

Sea Gulls

 

It's the time of year when there are not just a lot of birds in the air, but also young ones walking about on the ground. A comment on my post yesterday (about oystercatchers) also reminded me of these photos of a young sea gull that I snapped on my way back from town on Monday. 

A number of sea gulls (Larus canus) always come up the river from the coast in spring to nest and bring up their young here over summer. For me their arrival is always a sign of spring... They can indeed be a bit *too* noisy sometimes - not least in their "parenting" season when they hover above their young ones walking about on the ground. And no doubt probably also sometimes a bit too bold when it comes to snatching scraps of food from outdoor restaurants, or picnics in the park... Now and then our local newspaper reports complaints about them. I think I'd actually miss them if they weren't here in summer, though. It's a bit like they bring a whiff of the seaside to our inland town, for us who don't get to travel to the coast ourselves all that often. :)

Adult gull swimming in the river (photo from 2021) 

 

Links to some previous posts of mine about sea gulls:

Baby News  (16 June 2015)

 

They Grow Up so Fast (22 June 2015) 

 

Young Gulls-Part 3 (17 July 2015)

 

The Oystercatchers

As you've been able to gather from my recent posts: even if we had some rain here lately, it has hardly been of biblical Deluge proportions. So when this morning I spotted some Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) on the lawn below my balcony, I kind of wondered if they too have come to rely on human weather apps for information, rather than going by their natural instincts... (The Swedish name for them is strandskata, which would literally translate as "Beach Magpie" in English.) 

The lawns may have been given a decent watering over the past couple of days, but if they were hoping to find oysters, I think they must have been disappointed...

Just joking, of course. The river is only a few hundred meters away, and I have occasionally seen these birds around the neighbourhood before - even if not recently. They are rare guests compared to our usual everyday summer mix of seagulls, pigeons, magpies, crows and jackdaws. But yesterday morning, three or four visiting Oystercatchers seemed to have taken over the territory of this lawn from all the other kinds of big birds usually seen there, and had it all to themselves. And I found this interesting enough to go and fetch my Sony camera with some zoom possibilites, and snap a few photos...

Wikipedia tells me that despite the bird's name, oysters do not form a large part of the Oystercatcher's diet. It still lives up to its name, though, as few (if any) other wading birds are capable of opening oysters. It seems the shape of their bill can vary between individuals. Oystercatchers with broad bill tips open molluscs by prising them apart or hammering through the shell, whereas pointed-bill birds dig up worms.

So I guess what we see here is more a case of  "the early bird hoping the catch the worm"...

 

Unpredictability

 

Coleus plant brought by my friend

My friend E.A. came visiting today, and brought me this coleus plant. Very similar to the one(s) I already have; but not exactly the same:

Coleus plants on my balcony, from cuttings of an older plant of mine.

 As I know coleus can shift quite a lot in colour depending on how much light they get (they get much paler indoors in winter) it will be interesting to see if they will continue to differ, or if they will become more alike with time.

Our original plan for this afternoon was for E to drive us both to a lakeside café on the outskirts of town. However, the weather forecasts for today turned out as threatening as yesterday (i.e. more or less predicting the end of the world by lightning and floods). So I suggested that if she was brave enough to venture out at all, perhaps a cup of tea and a muffin in my flat would be adventure enough. She accepted, and as things turned out, she even managed to get a lift with her husband rather than driving herself. (He had some errands in town and then came back to pick her up again after a couple of hours, when he was done with whatever it was he had planned.) 

Just like yesterday, lightning and floods decided (presumably) to hit on some other spot rather than just around here, and all we got was some rather ordinary rain. My friend and I both agreed that "staying home" was still a better choice for this afternoon, though.

Looking at various weather apps for tomorrow now, it seems that we may then expect warnings for temperatures rapidly rising to "too hot" instead... Ah well. As Scarlett O'Hara (in Gone with the Wind) would have said - "I'll think about that tomorrow"! 

Second Bloom

 

The geraniums I bought for my balcony some time back in late spring are now springing into their "second bloom" (after a period of rest). 

 

Today I haven't been out except on the balcony, because for one thing I had the laundry room booked for the afternoon, and for another it's been a day of severe weather warnings issued: threatening us with storm, heavy downpour, flooding and traffic problems. However, in my immediate neighbourhood, one clash of distant thunder + a few short gentle showers (with the rain falling straight down) have not yet (9:30 pm) lived up to those threats. 

 

But the temperature outdoors has dropped considerably over the past hour or two, so just now I'm letting fresh air in through balcony door and windows before going to bed.

 

Yesterday was sunny and warm. I called my hairdresser in the morning to ask if she could fit me in. I got an appointment for 1 pm, which meant a rather hot walk into town and back; but at least my hair should not need cutting again until September. 

 

Every now and then I'm still dipping into envelopes of old photos from my dad and granddad. Below is one of me that I had half in mind to link to the past weekend's Sepia Saturday as an example of hairdos from the 1950's... (I didn't get round to it, though, and now it's already a new week.) The thing is, I have just about the same "look" after washing my hair now as I had at the age of 2! (Just not quite as amused about it now as back then!) 😄

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend Reflections

 

After some rainy and windy days, Wednesday brought back the sun, blue skies, fluffy clouds, and rather perfect conditions for some river reflections... 

The second photo was taken from the bridge you see in the background of the first one, looking in the opposite direction.

I must have posted hundreds of photos of the same views over my years of blogging - and yet, because of ever changing skies and seasons, they're never exactly the same... :)

"Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty;
 from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, 
it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable 
that we hardly notice the progress." 
— Charles Dickens 

 Linking to Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday

Postcrossing, Unicorns and Bubble Tea

 

 I've been a member of Postcrossing since May 2013. When I started, it was because I had inherited a lot of unused, but still usable, stamps from my dad (who died in 2011); and I arrived at the conclusion that the most fun I could have with them was to send them out into the world on postcards - and get interesting postcards from strangers all over the globe in return. In Postcrossing, you don't get to choose to whom you send your own card  (you just get an adress allotted to you), and it is also not an exchange in the sense that you get a card back from the same person that you send yours to. But the system does keep count, and you do get a card back for every card you send. (Unless the postal services happen to lose it somewhere on the way... That does occur, but not often.) 

Over the past decade, postage has kept going up, up, up, though - and having run out of old "free" stamps of usable value, in later years it has instead become quite an expensive hobby. Besides, my collection of received cards has also grown - and requires a lot more space than the old stamps ever did! So, I've gradually been cutting down a lot on my participation, compared to the early years. I still send (and receive) perhaps one per month or so, though.

Last week I received two. The one above, with the unicorn and the postbox, comes from Poland, and the sender writes: "This is a postcard from last year's [Postcrossing] meeting* in Lodz. 'Unicorn' was theme of it because in Lodz is big monument of unicorn."

* A Postcrossing Meeting is when postcrossers in the same city/country get together in real life and write and send a lot of cards at the same time. Often they also have a special card printed for the occasion. I have received a number of such cards from various countries over the years. If actually written at the meeting, also usually signed by lots of people. 

Photo by "Zorro 20212" (Wikimedia Commons)

A tourist website from Lodz gives further background on the unicorn statue:

"We all believe in unicorns. Yes, we do. In the centre of Lodz, at the intersection of Piotrkowska and Mickiewicza streets, a large, pastel-coloured, optimistic tram shelter catches the eye of passers-by. Because of its colourful canopy and unique visual qualities, the locals call it - applause for imagination - the Unicorn Stable. The name quickly caught on and has stuck to the building ever since. --- Thanks to the popularity of the Unicorn Stable, the Unicorn Monument by Japanese artist Tomohiro Inaba was erected nearby in 2019. It depicts the unicorn in dynamic motion, giving the impression that it is dematerialising in front of our eyes. Right next to the monument is one of the most popular selfie spots in Lodz."

 From Taiwan I received this card about "bubble tea".  

 

The sender writes: "... the most popular drink in Taiwan, Bubble Tea. It's invented in the 1980s. We put milk tea and tapioca pearls together o make bubble tea."

I love tea, but have never come across "bubble" tea. As for tapioca, I don't really know what that is either, even if I've heard/seen the word...

Google AI to the rescue! Tapioca is "a starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant, a shrub native to South America. It's a versatile ingredient used in various cuisines, often as a thickener in both sweet and savory dishes. Tapioca is naturally gluten-free and can be found in different forms, including pearls, flakes, and flour" - BUT... "Tapioca starch has a high glycemic index, which means it can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels". 

As I prefer my tea without both milk and sugar, I don't think bubble tea is really my kind of drink. But both these postcards were reminders that Postcrossing (just like blogs) can be quite educational! :)
 

The Beast of Littleton Woods (Book Review)

 

 A "cosy" murder mystery series that I have enjoyed following in later years is T.E. Kinsey's books about Lady Hardcastle and her lady's maid Florence Armstrong (more like best friends than employer and employee, really). The books are set in the beginning of the 20th century,  in a small village in Gloucestershire, where (in the first book) the two women came with the intent to live a quieter (hm) life after a number of adventurous years abroad (including them both having been involved in espionage). But English village life turns out to offer its own challenges, and they soon find themselves frequently "helping the police" to solve murders and other mysteries...

One reason that I felt drawn to this charming series to begin with is probably that in my own family history, there is a sister of my grandmother's who worked as travelling lady's maid  in the same time period (and onward). (I don't think she was exactly involved in political espionage, though...) 

Anyway, I just finished listening to the 12th installment in the Lady Hardcastle series, entitled The Beast of Littleton Woods. 

It is the year 1912, and after a prized sheep has been found mysteriously mauled to death, rumours start circulating in the village about some mysterious wild animal stalking the countryside. And when the owner of the sheep is killed in a similar way, the terror spreads...  Is there actually a dangerous wild beast on the loose? Or is there some other possible explanation? 

Meanwhile, there are also some comparatively "minor" mysteries going on in the village, but none the less causing a great deal of headache - like someone regularly messing with the post sorted at the local post office, so that letters end up delivered to the wrong people.

Lady Hardcastle and Florence don't hesitate to offer their help solving any kind of mystery, big or "small"... And I thoroughly enjoyed following their efforts, and some rather unexpected findings and answers.

I also don't think you really need to start from the beginning with this whole series, but could probably just jump right in with this one, if you're feeling tempted. 

Weekend Reflections

 

A "leftover" reflection photo from Monday, 30 June. An old curved factory building that always makes irresistible reflections in the river on a calm and sunny day...

Somehow, 30 June already feels like a long time ago, as since then, the weather has gone from sunny and pleasant, to too hot, to thunder and cooling off, to raining all day today. Really rather typical of Swedish summer weather; but it can still be quite hard to keep up and adjust, sometimes!

Anyway, today has been an indoors day for me; and too much of it has been spent on trying to adjust to a different kind of change: A lot of settings on my phone needing to be revised (and figured out again), following an update to Android 15 on that device...

Linking to Weekend Street/Reflections # 232  

Thunder (Skywatch Friday)

 

Wednesday Evening - Waiting for Thunder...

 
"I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; 
I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. 
I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, 
I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, 
that this cruelty too shall end,
that peace and tranquility will return once more." 
~ Anne Frank ~

 Thursday afternoon

Linking to Skywatch Friday 

  

 

Hot

 

While here in Sweden we haven't had summer temperatures as high as the southern parts of Europe (and are not very likely to end up there either), we have had a few days a bit above my own "comfort zone".  

On Monday morning it was still quite pleasant, though, and I went for an "early-ish" (as in before lunch) walk into town, and bought Swedish strawberries from a stand in the main square.

 

Yesterday was warmer still, but as it was laundry day for me, I didn't really feel it all that much until after 4 pm, when I was done with that and went outside... "Not a cloud was in the sky", and it was beautiful - but I cut my walk short (and did not go out again later, either).

Today I woke up to 26'C indoors (in spite of fans going all night and a window or two slightly ajar); and outdoors feeling clammy, with threat of thunder. I decided to go out before lunch rather than later, and again that was no doubt the right decision. This time I found my strawberries (and a few other things) closer to home - there is a small "corner" grocery shop only 5 minutes away, which I've come to appreciate more and more... They don't have "everything", but they do have a wide assortment of fruit and vegs. This time of year, with a lot of it on display outdoors, it also almost gives me a feeling of being on holiday somewhere exotic, without going through the actual hassle of travelling!

Tonight there are weather warnings for thunder and heavy rain in the southern parts of Sweden, including the area where I live. Not having to be out in it, no serious worries for my own part, though. (Better keep my windows closed, though!)

 If I'm finding it too warm even at 26'C (78.8F), I dare not even think how I'd feel about 46'C (114.8F), like they've been experiencing in southern Spain and Portugal...

 

(Map from one of our major Swedish newspapers, DN, 1 July)