The Receding Scandinavian Sun.

August is one of those months that I both love and hate. I love the fact that it is usually very sunny and dry, in contrast to July. Almost as a rule, August and September tease us with the last feelings of summer, even though almost as if by a stroke of magic, from pretty much one day to another, the evenings get colder.

And most of all, darker.

This is very palpable from my living room windows, which offers magnificent sunsets from the early spring to late autumn. I have dedicated numerous posts to this natural, almost theatrical event, as the sunset fascinates me incredibly. Living on a hill right above the city, I love to watch the changes in the journey that the evening sun takes over the course of the year. The White Nights officially ended this past Friday, which means the end of my favorite season of the year and the beginning of the sun recession.

The sun moves from the ultimate southwest in January towards the west and I love to watch it re-appear in late February, when it once again becomes visible in my view. In the course of March through May, it offers breathtaking light shows, setting further to the right in my view, until mid June, when it sets almost in the far northwest. I have to lean out of the window to watch it set, as it leaves a trace of blood-red sky that doesn't disappear, but moves slowly to the far northeast, turning into sunrise, creating the magic of the Scandinavian White Nights.
As soon as July reaches its end, the setting sun is venturing on the opposite journey back westwards and then slowly back to the south in August through October. Until it disappears all together comes November, setting behind the hills in the southwest, becoming absent for at least three months in the depths of winter, starting in early December, making the day about 10 hours shorter then in the summer months.

Already now, the sun has moved back and the day has lost two hours since the summer solstice. For the next two months, the beautiful solar shows will once again take place in front of my windows, reinforcing the fact the nature is the most talented performer.

"Second Bloom".

My parents left today, driving back home to Prague. It is always a bit surreal to have a house full of life one minute and then have it all to oneself again the next.
I enjoy having visitors and my family is no exception. Particularly as the moments we get to spend together are few and far between...

The weather has turned for the better and it has been a wonderful summer week. I am so thankful that my mother and father got to see Scandinavia at it's very best, with beautiful sunny days, when warm easterly winds bring dry air, reviving the last summer month with visits to the beach, creating memories to last through the long winter ahead.

Nature is again all in bloom after receiving the vital sun light. My kaprifolium (honeysuckle) and roses are in their "second bloom" period. I love to see the presence of the fragrant flowers of the honeysuckle at the same time as the dark red berries, which are the fruits of the earlier June flowers. If the conditions are right, the lovely roses will last long into the time of the first frost.

Flashback Friday: "Lady Karneval".

Considering the fact that my parents are visiting right now, I am experiencing a slight wave of nostalgia while remembering my past.

In Czech republic, there is one artist that has been active in the spot light for over 50 years. His name is Karel Gott. His voice and enigmatic charisma with which he conveyed the multitude of beautiful melodies and lyrics created by other talented Czech writers and composers signifies and defines the music of my early childhood.
To me his name simply equals with my introduction to the world of music.

This Friday I will share with you the first song ever that had an impact on my life.
Or so I have been told.
I love music and I believe that my love for music was evident already when I was a baby. My parents claim, that at any time I was unhappy or crying as a toddler and they ran out of options or ideas on what to do to comfort me, they eventually almost always resolved to playing this particular song. As soon as the tunes of "Lady Karneval" were in the air, I was immediately quiet and even smiled.

I have to admit that even today this music still makes me want to dance. Please enjoy the below medley and the feel of 60's and 70's performances of this - to most of you - completely unknown, but unusually talented artist.

Altering A Tag.

Yes, I have been tagged once again and I do not mind. This time by the lovely MelRox.

This is a very interesting meme, which prompts me to list 7 words that would adequately describe me.

I like this one, I have to admit, as it actually proved more of a challenge than I originally thought. I feel at times it is difficult to write posts that focus on my person so directly. It can easily become a somewhat self centered subject, likely boring for others and it is difficult to keep it bias. So I cheated a bit.

I asked my family - my mother and the Irishman - to write down seven words, that they would think describe me. Here are the words that they wrote down (without consulting each other) in no particular order:

creative
individual
determined
enthusiastic
fashionable
sentimental
loyal
nature-lover
sensual
artistic
happy
responsible
life-lover
idealist



Interestingly, the words that I would use to describe myself, were not far removed from those used by my family:

creative
punctual
sensitive
passionate
romantic
curious
stubborn



There you have it, all these together must give a pretty good image of me, I would presume.;)
Anyone interested in doing this tag -with or without alteration- please feel free to be tagged.

Exotic Plant.

The previous owners of my house were definitely not tending much to the terrace. When I took it over, it was in need of attention. There were no flowers and the few plants around, including the hedge, were not thriving.

With that said though, I have often wondered whether they had an expert in a form of a landscape designer, or a gardener to design the patio and suggest the plants to grow there, as they are very unusual and seem to have been perhaps expensive.

One of them is a very exotic looking thing. I have been told that this is a common plant here in Denmark, but I have failed to identify it. It is a sturdy plant, with long, narrow leaves, I would say almost cactus like. I have seen it previously in Tuscany and it made me conclude that it needs very little water to survive. That made me view it as exotic, combining with the fact that it does look a lot like some sort of agave.

It is an evergreen and the most interesting feature of the plant must be the flowers. They shoot up slowly, as thin, long stems in mid June and then continue to grow exponentially to almost the height of two meters. Then they start branching out over a couple of weeks and the result is branches carrying big, creamy white, bell-like flowers.

Does anyone of you know the name of this exotic flower? (Please click images to enlarge.)

Mr. Toad.

Recently, the lovely Jill posted some fun pictures of a toad, called Charming, which lives around their house.

Well, it so happens, that I too have such a tenant living on my terrace. I am not calling him Charming though, he is simply called Mr. Toad.
I will have to conclude that he is a perfect tenant. He is quiet, non intrusive and keeps my patio free of annoying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. I see him very rarely; only notice movement between my flowerpots from time to time, or among the plants, when I water them. Sometimes he startles me when he jumps, but all this I accept and find amusing.

The other day Mr. Toad was out and about and almost looked as if he was enjoying the sun. I guess even frogs and toads think we have had enough rain by now.

Scandinavian Sky.

I love to watch the sky here in Scandinavia, as it is never the same. The sky, just like the sea in which it is reflected, is moody and changes its colour from season to season, even from one day to another.

On a winter day, it is milky white, fading to grey. It can look this way for days, weeks and even months at a time. Heavy clouds make the sky feel low and menacing, intrusive and oppressive at times.
But once the sun returns in spring, the sky changes as if by magic. Upon a clear summer day, the zenith is always baby blue. Almost transparent, it never reaches the deep blue color of the tropics. Frequently covered by white, light clouds, which are almost never stationary. They move fast with the wind, sometimes they gather in a spot, then dissipate fast as if they never were there in the first place.

There is something inadvertently tranquil in watching a summer sky. Every time I do, I recall a scene from the movie "Girl with a Pearl Earring", where the object of Vermeer's affection and his model for the famous painting, is asked to define the colour of the sky. She is quick to say "blue", but upon a moment of contemplation she realizes that is not correct. Nothing around us have one single colour, but is a plethora of nuances, of light and dark tint, creating shades and reflections. Making everything seems alive.

Such is the Scandinavian sky.

The Season Of The Indigo Blue Flowers.

I am always amazed by the relativity with which each season moves forward. The tides of time relentlessly splash over us, without mercy, without delay. Each year starts and ends, but it is never the same.

Ever since I was a child I was fully aware of these changes that this life cycle brings on in nature. I recall trying to document the views out of the windows of my room, depicting the changes in the foliage of trees, the bloom of flowers and the versatile animal life.
Today, with all the advances in technology and our access to state of the art cameras and processing, I fully enjoy cataloging the changes I see around me.

The summer has peaked and so has the season of the clematis flowers. The end of its blooming season always signifies the fact that the summer is preparing for its departure. Slowly but surely, the days are getting shorter and the sun weaker. The warm season in Scandinavia is short and elusive, yet very intense, colourful and lush.

Mandevilla Trellis.

A few days ago I purchased a new plant and I simply love it. It is a a climbing flower, resembling a vine with deep red flowers. Named Mandevilla, it seems to be sturdy and the blooms are abundant. It is always exciting with a new "living" addition to the household. I have placed it next to my entrance door, in a azure blue pot. It seems to thrive and makes the entrance look inviting.
Today is my fathers birthday; it has been many years since I have had the privilege to celebrate both my parents birthdays in their company. I am trying to enjoy the precious time we have together as much as I can.

I hope everyone is having a splendid Saturday.:)