nature – Page 16 – Owlnature

New Year, amaryllis flowers, freezing cold…

Now some more amaryllis flower pics. The first four pics I took on New Year’s Eve.

The second flower was opening.

And the snow we had, melted, the day before – can be seen through the window…

The scent of the amaryllis flowers is gentle, sophisticated, lovely…

The last pics of Christmas hyacinths, on New Year’s Day.

And yes, it snowed again, on New Year’s Day! It snowed a lot at one point. 🙂 And the snow is still there today.

The scent of my four hyacinths was at its prime – marvellous! I’m dreaming of a yellow hyacinth for the coming spring…

The second amaryllis flower… and the third and the fourth opening.

I heart…

A majestic plant!

The next two pics I took today.

Four flowers. And still one bigger bud and two smaller buds. I honestly thought that there would be three flowers. A fairly nice surprise. 🙂

Okay, we think about (and try out) the growing of amaryllis as a green houseplant, here in Owlnature, a bit later, after this flowering…

It’s freezing cold today. The temperature’s been between -15 degrees Celsius and -20 degrees Celsius – the last mentioned was at night and in the morning. But the sun was shining today as well! The sunlight even felt slightly warm on one’s face. 🙂

The funny black sister to her tiger brother: “I’m sorry I punched you in the face when I was hungry…” (“And, by the way, I’m not as fat as I look in this pic…”)

Yeah well, she’s not, I confirm, but oh… oh my, this really happened on New Year’s Day! – These two were lying side by side on the couch! 😀 Here in my blog you’ve always met these two separately – that’s just the way it is, they don’t normally sleep together anymore – when they were younger, they often did, but nowadays, no no, only, like, two or three times a year at most we see this. Okay, they started off 2017 like this. 🙂

And yes, that princess is in the habit of punching (not scratching) her brother in the face, with her claws, when she’s hungry or bored, or whatever… She just does it – out of the blue and randomly. But our cats do play or fight with each other,too. They have always lived together – really a sister and a brother. 🙂

-Leena

Nice days

There was no snow at Christmas – it was raining! – Water! Christmas Eve really was the only day that’s been a rainy day lately, but… yeah, well, there’s nothing unusual about that – we are actually accustomed to exactly that kind of a situation in southern Finland and on the west coast… In the central parts of the country, and naturally, in Lapland, they usually have snow at Christmas, and this year was no exception. Okay, in northern Finland and in Lapland they always have snow at Christmas and in winter. 🙂 Yeah, but, the weather here didn’t affect the Christmas spirit! I must admit that I actually stayed inside the whole Christmas Eve… because it’s what’s inside that counts… 😉

Okay, this was today, this is actually already the second day that we have snow here now – it started to snow right after the Boxing Day – how convenient! (Yes, that’s happened before as well…) But okay, we’ve had some sunshine lately, before today, too. It’s warming nicely, a bit. And the days are getting longer all the time now!

Aaand now some flower power! – There’s no Christmas without it!

We, too, have a poinsettia – the traditional and well-loved Christmas flower or plant.

My favourite colour of poinsettias is red – the traditional and Christmassy red… cosy – the favourite colour of these flowers has always been red in my family. 🙂

And even more Christmas flowers…

…my first ever Amaryllis is opening her bud! Hopefully I get to take more pics of this plant…

—

“I don’t think I’m able to, and I don’t believe I’m, like, ready, to do it now, right now… But… if you just bear with me for a moment…” :

“…it will happen… soon… any minute now… wait for it, juuust wait for it…!”

“Okay, the ball’s in your court now. Noticed?”

🙂

-Leena

Snow light

It started to snow on Tuesday, rather late in the evening. We went for a drive – that’s what we often do when it really starts to snow. 🙂 And we’ve noticed many times that some wild animals become very active when it’s snowing. – We usually see at least hares and deers – yeah, one has to be careful driving out there! On Tuesday evening we saw a hare and a fox.

These pics I took yesterday and today.

Yesterday’s light…

By the frozen lake Pyhäjärvi yesterday, the sun was already almost gone for the day. The days are at their shortest now. Here where I’m living, the sun rose today at 9:41 AM and it sets at 15:12 PM – the length of the day is 5 hours 31 minutes.

The rest of the pics I took today.

Lilac bush in December, on our front yard, Christmas or winter lights around her.

They say that this snow might still be on the ground on Christmas – I surely hope so, but let’s see what happens… Not heaps of snow, but enough for the spirit. 🙂

Our backyard peony in December. 🙂

-Leena

A blast from the past III (the last one, for now:)) – a nature-related love poem

A wolf wandering in the wilderness that is dressed up in snow white
The night is falling to caress the silence with the moonlight
The mid-winter frost is biting the paws of the beautiful beast,
For the breeze that the chilly morning sent, has never ceased.

The animal is walking up the slope of the shadowy fell,
Looking backwards where the den of the paleness can be seen well
Beneath the starry cover the frozen lake of the wild is slumbering
The falling flakes reflect the glow, and the wolf’s grey fur is glittering.

On the fell-top the lone wolf many times has cried,
But the howling only is for the moon to hear, there is no one by his side
Yet the beast keeps on yearning for his beloved and the never promised moon,
He knows his endless calling might reach someone any time soon.

And that night the echo brings a message cried out by another loner,
But will they ever have a true encounter, or is everything merely over?

-Leena

(Written by me in winter 2002. :))

Frost & fire

It’s been chilly lately. Frost but no snow. Every once in a while the sun’s been shining through some broken patches of the cloud cover during the daytime, and the moon’s been so bright at nighttime. It’s been rather beautiful and magical, it all. 🙂

The first seven pics I took today.

Decorated in style, naturally…

My land. 🙂

A frosty clover flower.

My land, my power trees… my dreams… It’s good to have your own power trees! Everyone can have those; they are free! – You don’t have to like own the trees… but they are yours – on a much deeper level! 🙂

The last two pics I took on Sunday, late in the evening. I actually think that I have better pics of these things on my Instagram (owlnatureleena) – you win some, you lose some, when you try to take many pics of living fire with your phone and your camera, both… 🙂

A garden campfire… with some stars and the moonlight…

And I was heating my glögi, nicely warm to drink out in the cold.

-Leena

A blast from the past II – writing a nature poem

Late-Night Life in the Wild

A courageous vagabond in the silent wilderness of the fabled north,
For what is his smothered cry worth?
Twinkling stars a comfort for the lonely hermit’s soul
Silence suddenly break by the voice of a cheerfully greeting owl.

He accepted the captivating call of the distant wild,
The whispering condemnation not for the fragile
The glimmering full-moon lightens the path never-ending,
An autumnal message the honest glow is sending.

Strong northern-breeze chants kindly in his ear,
Accompanied by the howling of a whining wolf so near
The brave animal dwells in the shelter of an echoing fell
Lone wolf’s tears for the sacred full-moon are not due to farewell.

If a shiny star should shoot in the black sky,
Would the melancholic man wish or tell a white lie?
Is the blaze of the northern lights an omen of the end of his sorrow,
Or awaits there just another hailing tomorrow?

Bare dwarf birches beside a glittering, dark blue, flowing river
A longingly screaming eagle is giving him the shiver
A campfire sparkling nostalgic warmth which will the nighttime last,
Is the softly singing hermit missing something from the past?

-Leena

(Written by me in autumn 2001. :))

A blast from the past – writing a nature poem

The depth of winter where the moon is rising,
The weak daylight dwindles without compromising
Pale glow takes over, the shadows grow dark
Behind the wood a vigorous dog begins to bark.

The winding road between the fields that are gleaming white,
For evening’s walker the frozen landscape is a peaceful sight
Snow flurry covers the footprints on the ground
Cool breeze sighs, the flakes dash gently all around.

Silence captures the falling night, standing bold and wise
The stars stay awake observing with their bright eyes
A door creaks casting light when thrown open wide,
The shivering dog hears a whistle, and rushes swiftly inside.

-Leena

(Written by me in autumn 2001. :))