A sunday in april

I've taken a few flower pics too, now that most of the crocus that wasn't covered by snow and ice last week and the scillas have started to bloom and the hepatica is in full bloom. Can't show them all today, but I do have two pics I took today.

Above's a pic of one of the groups of crocus (the crocus have really spread this year, by the way: I've found single flowers in the middle of two of the lawns). Alla light purple -- apart from one flower.

Ok, now this second pic might just look like black dots on blue, but it's a big flock of cranes that flew around here. Unfortunately I don't think they landed nearby so I can get some photos of them (one year they did stop by just a few fields over). You know it's spring (or autumn) when you hear the cranes. At first I just thought it was more swans, but then I heard it was cranes.

A sunset and a sparrow

Times flies (so much so that I missed Doctor Who this week too...) and so I didn't get around to edit the sunset pics from yesterday and today. I only have this one of the sun setting behind some trees.

And I have on of a Tree Sparrow (pilfink) that I found outside my bedroom window earlier today. They sometimes sit in the earler bush or on the barn roof just outside my window. It's especially nice summertime when I have the window open and hear more of their song.

I claim to never get any decent pics of birds. In this case I took the photo through the window in order not to scare away the birds and that window haven't been cleaned for ages. Just look at this:

Wait a minute, you might say, is that pawprints? On the outside of a upper floor window? Yes it is. I'll see if I can find the pics so I can show you how they ended up there and made a dirty window even dirtier. Though I guess the kitties consider it beautification...

Winter birds

I'm no good at photographing birds -- unless they're water birds or at least by the sea -- so this is an unusual photo. For those of you not familiar with birds, it's a nuthatch (nötväcka) on the left and a blue tit (blåmes) on the right.

This photo's from a big bunch of pics I just downloaded after filling the memory card with photos of a yet again snowy landscape. While it'd be a lot more fun to show those, they still have to wait as they need to be resized and cropped before showing them. Not to mention having to pick out a reasonable number of photos from the over 400 I took. That would be a tad much to show all of those, don't you agree? Also, when my memory card was full I took some pics with my sis' camera so they need to be retrieved too. So until then you'll have to make due with the little birds here.


Well, ok, here's a little sneak peek of what I hope to be able to show you more of later in the weekend (as in probably Sunday, won't be home tomorrow).

Båstad and Laholmsbukten *image heavy*

I sort of promised to show some photos of Bjäre clad in snow yesterday, but without much advance warning by sis and I decided to tag along when mom drove to Båstad so I spent most of my time yesterday there. My sis had her camera with her, more or less by accident, but it turned out to be a fab thing. When we reached Italienska vägen, the road leading into the village of Båstad, we could as usual get a great view of most of the bay Laholmsbukten, the bay between the Bjäre peninsula and the province of Halland. Seeing ice covering it almost all the way out to Norrviken, we quickly decided that we just had to got down to the sea after running the bank errands that had originally prompted my sis to go.

So the good thing is I've got some new sceneries to show instead of the same old spots I always post about.  And maybe I should warn that this post might get picture heavy. As always you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

We went down to Brunnsparken, which really isn't much of a park: it's just a strip of grass and some trees separating the shore from the houses and Strandpromenaden, the promenade stretching along the shoreline from east to west.

You can't see it in the photos, but our old school is just down by the promenade. Not many people have had the luxury of having a "seafront school" and indeed today no school would be placed at such an attractive location. No, it'd be nothing but top class hotels and millionaires' villas. In art class we would every now and then be allowed to go down to the beach on a good day to draw swans, seascapes etc, sitting in the sand or on the old WW2 concrete bunkers (part of Per Albinlinjen) and enjoying the sunny weather. You can see the bunker in the pic below.

This is a view of the shoreline stretching towards Malen.

The ducks and gulls saw us straight away and swam/walked to use in a big, loud group. They were very disappointed when realising we hadn't got any food for them. No swans to be seen, though. (As for that last pic I don't know why, but when I uploaded it Blogger rotated it like that. Tried to do it again, but with the same result.  *argh*)

Turning our attention from the birds, I took some photos of the sea. The first photo is taken on the pier.

We then proceeded to the harbour and I took a photo of Båstad as seen from the pier. And one of the ridge, Hallandsåsen. As you can see, it more or less surrounds the village on all sides. Well, except for the seaside of cause...

We continued west, passing Hotell Skansen and the old cannons protecting us from the russian. Or at least they used to do that in the old days. These cannons were in fact used against the russian navy, who attacked the village in the summer of 1788. The bath house belongs to the hotel. This beach, Skansenbadet, is one of the most crowded in the summer, being next such popular places as Pepes Bodega and the centrecourt.

I know it sounds weird, me living on a small peninsula and all, but I haven't been down by the shore in wintertime for years so the frozen seascape really fascinated me. Sure I see (and take lots of pics of) the icy sea from a far, but I very rarely get this close.

We continued passed Lejontrappan with it's lion fountain -- a lion with a very wonky nose as it's fallen of several times and been patched together -- and the fancy villas. This part of the promenade was actually closed as they are still restoring the walkway after the damages done by the advent storm I wrote about here, but no one was working at the part we were on so we walked there anyway (as many others had also done).

Then we thought it was time to go back and decided to take another route through the village, following Lindallén and Aghardsgatan, instead of going the same way back again. These pics are from Aghardsgatan -- houses for the rich, just like the villas.

On the short end of one of the houses on above mentioned street you can find this cannon ball embedded in the wall. It is said to be a memory from the attempted russian invasion that day in August,1788. When I was a kid I thought it had lodged itself there when fired from the ship's cannons. A lot of kids have thought that. Nor is it conclusively proven to be a russian cannon ball at all, but a good tale is always a good tale.

And again Blogger has rotated the portrait format pics. Why, Blogger, why??

Well, Blogger's issues aside I hope you've enjoyed reading through this long post. And I hope you like the seascape as much as I did.

Snowy landscape

Well, we had a little sun around noon today so I took the opportunity to take some more photos. No masterpieces, but a way to enjoy the snow while it lasts. I wanted to get a photo or two of the birds, but with three kittens in tow the birds weren't keen to approach the feeding spot. Did get this pic of a nuthatch and great tit, though.

And some mixed photos:

And early tomorrow morning (our time), the winter solstice occur, meaning that the days now will get longer again. Together with the snow, the days not just feel longer but also brighter, compared to the grey darkness of November. So let's hope there will be a (moderately) white season this winter again.

Sometimes you're lucky

Like I mentioned in the giveaway post earlier, I feel like I've won several giveaways and prize draws lately. It's always been my intention to do something to show off on the blog and thereby also send a little thank you to the generous people that've given these beads and components to me. But seeing how I've not blogged much lately, I haven't really gotten around to do that. Sure, I've mentioned a couple of the things on my other blog, but today I thought I'd at least show you some of the things I've got and who I got them from.



This first pendant -- without the bail I've added just to test an idea of mine -- is from Clay Designs by glee. I won it in a Beads of Clay open studio event. If you, like me, love ceramic beads, be sure to check out the Beads of Clay website and blog.


Recently -- ok, probably some months ago, but it feels recent -- I also got some lovely patinated bronze clay components and a polymer clay heart by Staci Louise Originals from her Artisan Accents jewellery components line (in a giveaway at Lorelei Eurto's blog). One of the bronze pieces are missing from the photo.


What more have I got? Yes, I won a monthly prize draw as a Rings & Things blog partner. (That was probably a few months back by now -- time flies!) This included sparkly Chines rondelles and a small swarm of butterflies.


I love the butterflies, but one thing I really liked was the colour in these little rondelles. It's called 2-tone green and it's a sort of light sage green finish on crystal, which glitters with hints of mauve and also a slight blue tint. And, boy, does these rondelles sparkle despite their small size (3 mm)!


Then, this week I got this loot by Beads Direct. Not a giveaway, but a prize I won in their "bloggers and writers competition". I was one of three winners with my blog post "Grey looks best with colour!". In line with the colour I chose, I got this handpicked mix of monochrome beads. I especially like the lentils. I'd probably never buy them myself as I don't use chunky lentils that often and would've focused on other beads, but having them here in my hand I just love them.

(Click on each pic to enlarge it: they don't look as dark then.)

*

There you have it, just some bragging. Sometimes it really pays off to enter giveaways and competitions, even when it feels like you never win. Because one day you will. I'm not luckier than anyone else and see what I got! It's just a matter of not giving up just because of the odds and of finding the opportunities.

One good way of finding these opportunities is of cause to follow blogs (as well as following people on Twitter and FB) and sign up for newsletters. In the newsletters, shops and magazines will announce upcoming and current contests they arrange. As for blogs, follow blogs where you know giveaways are common, but it also pays to follow other blogs as bloggers often gets extra chances to win if the blog, tweet or write something on Facebook about the giveaway they want to enter. Some bloggers -- like me, over at Manekis Pärlblogg, or Michelle Mach -- will also blog about contests, calls for submissions etc that we hear about.

If you're active on a forum, there might be a section where members can post tips about contests etc. If not, you might want to start one. You can also start a section or thread with giveaway tips. Help each other to find all the fun contests and giveaways/blog candy online.

Most of all, if you find a giveaway or competition, don't pass up just because you keep telling yourself you never win. Who knows, this time it might be your name they draw or your creation the judges will choose. Maybe you win, maybe you don't. You won't win most of the time, that's just the way it is, but hang in there and you will win one day. The only way you're definitely not going to win is if you pass up when the opportunity arises. And it's always the things we don't do, not the things we do, that we regret later. So take the chance whenever you can. Find the opportunities. Just do it!