Three Elements.

As Lady Winter steps into mid reign, she tightens her icy grip and throws us into deep freeze.
Yet this fourth season is simply enchanting in its raw beauty - the sights appear so fragile yet the conditions are so unyielding.

Setting out on a short walk along the pristine shores of the North Sea, we were greeted by snow-covered alabaster beach, clear baby-blue skies, frozen ochre colored surf and lazy indigo waters. The waves were hitting the coastline so very softly - a rather unusual sight in these parts.
The arctic air streams to us from Siberia in the far northeast, leaving the usually raging westerly beaches atypically docile, sheltered by the sandy dunes.

We savored the assembly of three elements - frigid air, icy cold waters and frozen earth - while the brave seagulls took to flight, completing an unforgettable, natural sight that left us almost breathless...

Untamed Waters.

Taking a walk along the pristine beaches in the proximity of my home, I am once again reminded of the incredible power of the North Sea.
Watching the surf, the crushing waves bring to mind the run of wild horses, untamed animals in all their feral beauty.
The arctic wind, the salty aerosol, the incredibly enchanting sights of colours and shapes, the roaring sound - they all are the make up of an awe invoking allure of nature.
Yet walking there, hand in hand with a lover, one can not imagine a warmer and safer place...

(All images here taken this week at the North Sea, during our short, romantic getaway.:) 

Liquid Gold.

At times, I truly miss my westerly views.
Those of magnificent sunsets, that played out like light shows in front of my windows at the white house on the hill.

But as always in life; you gain some and you loose some. Thus having lived at the east coast for a decade, my new home at the west coast offers novel views that take my breath away.

Recently, I got the chance to see the sun set over the rough North Sea, something I have never witness before.
The beaches here are wide and they stretch some hundred miles in each direction, with the sand so tightly packed, that cars are allowed to drive across the wast surface, on a sorts of a "highway". The sea is powerful and the horizon free and unlimited.

The skies were cloudy on that particular evening, yet that did not deter at all from the allure of the experience - on the contrary, it only reinforced the pristine enchantment of this rugged, unprotected west coast, known for its strong undercurrents and magnificent surf.

I watched the sun move lower to meet the surface of the waters, as my entire being savored the romantic moment, in the warm and loving arms of a perfect man.
While we gazed in silence at the smoky boundaries, the heavens above slowly shifted colour, anything from light blue and anthracite grey into deep purple and red. Eventually the fiery disc turned a strip of the sea into liquid gold, the wild waters embracing the shores, turning so flamboyant in their untamed beauty, instigating so undoubtedly the sense of absolute freedom...

By The Sea.

I love the sea.
I love its versatility. The many faces of the calm or rippled surface, as it reflects the moods of the given day, the change of seasons and the tides of times.
The North Sea is stunning at any time of the year and I will always stand in awe at its shores, which can come across so infinitely tranquil, as they were on my recent walk. Yet, they can also be wild and untamed in winter and fall.

Still, there is nothing so cleansing and revitalizing as the sound and feel of the sea water on a pristine spring day.

Room With A View.

My bedroom faces east and thus I can enjoy being awaken by subtle sunshine during the summer months, when the midnight sun rules our reality and the dawn occurs late at night.

Most of the views I share with you here are however taken from my large living-room panorama window, which faces west and from which I watch the most stunning sunsets. Occasionally I have shown sunrises, still these captures are rare.

It is also towards the east that another rare view can be enjoyed on clear late autumn and winter day. The view of the ocean.

Only visible when the birch trees lining the view are bare, it is nevertheless a sight that I find incredibly enticing. With my new camera I have been able to immortalize it in a new way, capturing the many faces of the bay lying beneath the hill. As much as the sea can be calm and azure blue one day, its mood can also be dark and menacing, turning to the colour of steel the very next, as seen on the images below, taken a couple of weeks ago, twenty four hours apart.

Sun, Sand and Sea...

As we slowly move towards mid February, the sensation of winter's finale becomes slightly more obvious.
The allure of the Ice Lady is slowly fading, yet we all know too well that her reign isn't ending just yet.

At the commencement of this second month, my entire being becomes slowly infused with a certain longing. A longing that only intensifies in strength by each passing week. It makes me daydream and my perception travels to warmer latitudes, where the tropics rule. Where hot sun is on the menu and the warm sand and the clear sea - in all the shades of green and blue - is the place to be.

To all of you who too feel the onset of mild winter blues and long for some sun and sea, I dedicate the collage below.

It is compiled of photographs depicting the stunning shores I have visited in my life - some were rocky, some were sandy. Some are in the Mediterranean, some in the Caribbean or the Atlantic Ocean. Even the North Sea can surprise us at times with its seemingly tropical beauty. Sometimes the seas were dark blue, at times green or turquoise - but they all had one thing in common - they lifted my spirits and soothed my soul.

(Please click the image below for a larger view)

Ocean Of Steel.

One of my greatest passions is the ocean. I have written about the Nordic Sea numerous times in the past, yet I feel my words can never adequately convey its true appeal.
There is so much beauty that is locked into the waters of the sea, one that can be enjoyed throughout the seasons and in any weather.

The autumn sea harbors a melancholic beauty, that despite the rough surf creates a sense of tranquility. I drive by the ocean every day on my way to work, in fact, the moment the blue waters appear in my view is the absolute highlight of my drive. Still, to walk the same shore is a privilege I enjoy only on rare occasions.  And one of those occurred the other day.

What I love most about the ocean is the fact that it is constant, yet forever shifting. Each wave hitting the shore is new, bringing with it a sense of renewal and the feel of unrestricted freedom. As the weather patterns pass above the bay through the seasons, the surf can alter colour, anything from turquoise and green through azure blue, signifying summer and sun, slowly moving into dark green and the colour of liquid mercury, when the winds change and easterly breeze brings the hint of arctic cold, as the year is closing towards its end.

Such is the state of our sea right now. It comes across as powerful and wild.
As I walked along the shore, facing the weak sun shining from a hazy sky, the cold wind disrupted the steel coloured surface gently, however persistently, forcing me to wrap my jacket around ever so tightly. Despite the cold, I enjoyed the freshness and the scent of the clean, salty air.

That simple pleasure of a mid autumn walk along the autumn sea instigates a sense of purification and in itself almost a renewal. This in such a contrast to the fact that everything in nature is slowly winding down, preparing for its imminent winter rest.

Winter In Summer - And - The Future.

I am combining a few challenges bestowed upon me by my blog friends, in this one post. I have been tagged in the past, but I have also inflicted the tags upon myself voluntarily, as they seem as inspiring as any theme posts can be. I actually enjoy doing tags and memes, in fact, I once wrote a post on the origins of tags, as I find the whole subject somewhat intriguing.

Enough of that, now let me offer an explanation as to the arctic winter pictures here to the left and below.
You see, my very good friend Kat at Kat's Corner posted a challenge about six month ago, as some of you might recall. She urged us to post our favorite summer pictures in mid winter. Obviously at that time everyone was longing and dreaming of summer and we all happily shared pictures captured during the warm time of the year, me included.
This time around, she did the reverse; cooling us down with some fairy-tale like snow pictures in the midst of this vibrant, hot and sunny season.

Now, I am not greatly fond of winter at all, but considering that the summer has been hot and sunny all across the whole Northern hemisphere this year, I decide to join in and share with you some pristine and chilly pictures from our past winter, which was the coldest one in 15 years.
Do you recall our Arctic Beach? Icy cold wind and subzero temperatures for weeks at a time caused our sea to freeze over, a very rare phenomenon. When I took these photographs here this past February, I felt that the winter would NEVER end. I stood on this deserted beach, completely alone, my fingers numb, as the summer felt distant and surreal. Yesterday, trying to take a picture of the same spot on my way home from work, I could barely get to the shore, as the beach even in the evening at eight was filled to the bursting point with people. Everyone kept staring at me as I looked somewhat silly (and suspicious) walking around fully clothed with a camera.

I was surprised at the outcome. In a certain way, the winter picture appears so much more enigmatic and enticing (please see images below). Thus, I felt that these pictures were worth sharing here again; stressing the point that summer, however lovely and beautiful, does not always produce better images.

As for the award here to the right; my thanks and appreciation goes to sprinkles at Wyldechylde, who passed it onto me recently. I am always flattered by this attention.
This wonderful prize comes with a question:

Where do you think you will be in 10 years?

That is an intriguing one to ponder. I truly do not know. If anyone asked me ten years ago where I will be today, I would have never given the answer of my current status. My life was heading in a completely different direction then and changed suddenly just a few years back. Thus, when that time comes, I am hoping I am in good health and that I will be with someone who I love and who loves me.
The rest truly doesn't matter and in a way; not knowing - and not pondering it - is the allure of living in the present.

Anyone who is up for any of these challenges, please feel free to be tagged.

Beautiful Blue.

The 8th of June was in 2009 declared as the official World Oceans Day, even though it was proposed as such already in 1992. As this past Tuesday marked the first (official) anniversary of this splendid concept, the collage below is my own tribute to the body of water that will forever hold my outermost admiration and appreciation; it is a combination of all the images of this beautiful blue in all its variations; from steel grey to turquoise green, which I have shared here with you in the past.

To me the ocean is an undying symbol of freedom and power, a source of life and hope, inspiration and serenity. It is ever changing, encompassing the variety of human moods, anything from stillness to motion.
Yet, there is nothing more tranquil and purifying than letting one's gaze lean against the surface of the azure blue water, following its curved outline until it meets the horizon, while letting our minds wander and our perception become as clear and deep as the sea itself...

(Please click image to enlarge.)

Maritime Art.

I love the ocean.
I have mentioned this numerous times in the past and many of my posts are dedicated to this large, enticing body of water.

To gaze across the ever changing surface of the sea is the most liberating sensation. Standing in its proximity, while listening to the sounds of the surf, feasting my eyes on the mixed colours of the rolling waves, tasting the salty air as the ocean kisses my lips and with every breath I take, drawing in the scent of the maritime aerosol mixed with the fragrance of seaweed is in essence an experience for all my senses.

The most intriguing fact about the ocean is that it is never the same. Every time I see it, I am in for a surprise. Not one snapshot I carry in my memory is identical to the next. Even the slightest change in the wind, the presence or absence of clouds above it, not to mention the seasons, make the view of the sea always seem brand new.

Whenever I get the chance, I take walks on one of the many nearby beaches. Last Friday I stopped by the sea on my day off, a day full with sunshine and the first presence of spring in the air.
Only three weeks ago, this beach had a feel of the arctic, with its water front frozen solid. The heavy ice is now all gone, as if it never existed, thus dispersing my fears of the opposite.
The sandy beach was clear and even though the remains of snow could be seen here and there, the beach appeared quite a different place today than in February. The sound of gentle waves hitting the shore felt soothing and comforting.
The sand was littered with small treasures in the form of seaweed and sea shells, creating a beautiful maritime art, using the white sand as a canvas. Some of the shells and stones looked almost as if they belonged in a jewelry piece, shinning with blue luster and pearl essence.

My walk on this early spring beach cleared mind and soul, filing my entire being with optimism. The air was still and the absence of wind made the place serene and tranquil, bringing back the memories of the summer sea.
We are not quiet there just yet, but getting closer by each and every day.

The Rising Moon.

Driving home from work on Monday evening this week, as I was passing the coast, a magnificent moon was seen rising just above the bay. It was almost full. The evening sky was jet black and absolutely pristine and the image I saw was mesmerizing.

The disc was large and very bright, reflecting in the surf of the "arctic beach", which is still snow covered, but yet once again ice free. Almost as if suspended in the horizon, the nearby lighthouse could be seen underneath the moon as a small light dot, turning on and off with regular intervals. All this created an almost enchanted landscape. I simply had to stop to take a picture.

With my camera at home, all I had in my bag was my iPhone and the pictures I took became unclear, resembling a rather diffused aquarelle, doing no justice to the reality as I recall it on that magical Monday evening.

Determined to capture a better picture on my way back from work at the same time a day later (yesterday), I was equipped and ready with my camera, battery fully loaded. The evening was yet again clear, but to my surprise, no moon was in sight. Bummer! Compared to the sun, which rises and sets with minimal difference from one day to another, the moonrise can differ as much as one and a half hour within a span of 24 hours.

Not that the pictures would have been much different. Not being able to capture adequately the image of the moon has caused my irritation level to rise on many occasions. I love my small "point and shoot" camera, but it has no zoom to speak off and thus my moon pictures continue to look bad.

Just before bedtime yesterday, as I was extinguishing the lantern outside my front door, the white disc was once again visible in the night sky. Smaller then the day before and partly obstructed by clouds. I could not resist taking one more fuzzy shot, this time with my camera.

This natural satellite of Earth holds my everlasting fascination and thus I can not help continuously trying to capture the beauty of this celestial object, no mater the quality of my pictures.