Easter Tree

This year in the town square we have a giant Easter Tree

Rhododendron

Mosaic Monday: Happy Easter!

See more Monday Mosaics at Mary's Little Red House

Sunday Reflection

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Spring Sunset

Birch Collage

I know these are going to be causing me problems soon. (Pollen allergy.)
And still, just now I'm glad to see them.

The Break-Up of the Ice

Yes. It's leavning now...!

The Snow Monster

You can see it, can't you?
Hopefully the rain yesterday will have diminished it... Snow Monsters don't like rain!

Reflection

Mosaic Monday: Looking Forward To Spring

Oh no. Just as I had decided to choose this collage for Mosaic Monday, I looked out of my window - and it was snowing again!!!


Well. All the more reason to remind myself that spring IS on it's way... Even if it will be a few weeks yet before we get to see these spring flowers in nature (wood anemones and coltsfoot). 


For more Monday Mosaics, visit Mary's Little Red House.

Fog

“Like a man travelling in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the road he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and also the people in the fields on each side, but near him all appears clear, though in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them.”
~Benjamin Franklin~

When the Snow Melts...

... you get Little Lakes in places where you do not wish to have them...
I don't know the name for the kind of vehicle to the right (with pumps and hoses to get rid of unwanted water) but right now they are more in demand than the snow ploughs.

I Just Wish It Gone

In spite of quite a few sunny afternoons, and now rain, there's still too much of it left: snow and ice (by now in many places in town heavily mixed up with gravel). Can't wait to see it all gone, and some spring flowers pushing their way up instead...!

Last Year's Rose Hips

Above: Some rose hips that "survived" the winter (photo from 14 March).
Below: The same picture in context with rose and hips from early autumn.

Powerful Engine

In yesterday's post, I asked if you could guess the original purpose of this building (now used as exhibition and concert hall). I gave you the clue that it once housed much heavier things. Here is the answer:



The building was a "garage" for railway engines. My dictionary suggests "engine shed", but I have my doubts whether "shed" is quite the right word for a building this size. A direct translation of the Swedish name for it would be "engine stables", which I suppose makes sense, since with engines you talk about horse-power!



Nowadays, the building just houses one old steam engine, as a reminder of its original use.

     

The sign next to the engine gives some information about technical details: The total weight including coal and water was 31 tons, and the maximum speed allowed was 45 km/hour.

My father is a railway enthusiast and in his day wrote and contributed to three or four books about Swedish railway history. I have not inherited the interest... But knowing there are some train-lovers among my fellow bloggers too, of course I had to take photos when visiting the premises!

Creative Power

This building is nowadays used for events like trade fairs and concerts.



Close-up of some impressive icicles still left on the roof:





The reason for my visit there this weekend was a scrapbooking trade fair.
(Read more about this at my other blog, The Island of the Voices.)

Once upon a time, this building housed quite different and much heavier things. Can you guess what?
I will be giving the answer in a separate post on Wednesday.

Mosaic Monday: Tulips Collage

For more Monday Mosaics, visit Mary's Little Red House.
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The River

"How could drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry~

The River is now more or less ice-free (at least in this spot!), but there is still plenty of snow left on the ground.

Old Factory Building

Back in February, I was showing pictures of a set of icicles along the roof of an old factory buildning, and I got a question if I had a picture of the whole building. I didn't, back then, but I said I'd think about it the next time I passed there with the camera. Because of all the snow and ice lately, that did not happen until today. There are still some spots that are not at all pedestrian-friendly...



I have to confess I really don't know anything about the history of the building, I'm just assuming it must be one of the oldest factories in town because of the building material being stone, not brick.


 

Tulips

Yesterday, the weather forcast threatened us with more snow and slush. Happy to report it passed us by! This afternoon the sun was shining again. It is still cold though (especially in the nights) so spring is crawling along rather slowly. Still a lot of snow left on the ground, and on the roofs as well.

The tulip photo is from a bouquet I got from a friend who was visiting yesterday.

She's Got A Runny Nose Now

Another Follow-Up of the Ice Sculpture.

Looking Forward, Looking Back...

This "promenade" along the river is a lot more popular in the summer!
(Right now, it's pure ice...)



Back in the 19th century, the place was used differently:



Mural painting in the Town Hall.

UPDATE:
... Hm, I thought this was exactly the same bend in the river as on my photos above, but it turns out I was wrong about that! My aunt (born and raised in this town, and attentive follower of this blog!) telephoned me and pointed out that you don't see the church tower from that place, and moreover she had found photographic evidence in a book! My humblest apologies ;) even though I suspect it does not really matter all that much to my American and British friends... (It is still the same river, and the same town.) There were other paintings in the Town Hall that seemed to take liberties with the perspective of the church tower; and nearly all the old low wooden houses have been replaced with higher stone buildings since then.

Old black-and-white photo of the same place as that mural painting

(scanned from a book, and emailed to me by my aunt!)

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Town Hall

The Town Hall was built in 1910, and celebrated its centenary this weekend. The picture above shows the view from the Square, with an old-fashioned telephone booth in the foreground.

More pictures from the Town Hall can be seen in today's blog post at The Island of the Voices.




The Town Hall still serves as District Court House.
The decorations over this door include the Sword of Justice and the Statute-Book.



The City Arms and a stylized Town Silhouette in a stained glass window above the front door.
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Mosaic Monday: Be Careful Out There

Even though we've had quite a few sunny days lately, it is still very cold, and we're still deeply embedded in snow and ice. Bare patches are beginning to appear here and there, but it's a slow process... In town, there are some heated streets/pavements that are ice free, but you still have to keep watching out for snow and ice falling from above. In other places, you had better look carefully where you put your feet. And the bus drivers are having a tricky time, too!



Fore more Monday Mosaics, go to Mary's Little Red House

17th Century Church

This church, finished in 1669 (the tower added in 1681) is the oldest building in our town, withstanding four big fires that ravaged the town in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In the same place there was also a church back in medeival times.

... you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood ...

1 Peter 2:5

Library

Curious about these books? Go to my blog The Island of the Voices to find out more.

The House on the Hill

In the summer, you don't see much of this house from the street down below. In fact you can't get close to it from any point of view. It is surrounded by high stone walls, iron fences and closed gates, and gives a very strong impression of "keep away!" Which suggests to me it might still be a private home rather than turned into offices for some company or other.

Orange Begonia

(Edited in Photoshop Elements)

There have been a lot of "staying in" days lately.

I Guess Sometimes They Need A Break

... The people whose job it is to get rid of all the snow, I mean ...

Ice Sculpture (Follow-Up)

In mid December, an ice sculpture of a polar bear (with a little cub) was made in our town square. Since we've had a such a cold winter, the sculpture is still standing, even if 2½ months of snowing and a bit of occasional thawing in between has altered the shape a little. The picture on the left is from when the sculpture was new. The one on the right is from today.

For more comparisons, see posts from
* 14 December 2009 (the making of the sculpture)
* 17 December (the finished sculpture)

Snowing Again

Thaw and rain over the weekend did not manage to get rid of all the snow and ice gathered over the last couple of months - was not even enough to clear the streets and walkways. And today it's back to snowstorm outside my windows again! The picture is from a snowfall at the beginning of February. I have not been out since Friday, and do not intend to go out today...!