Early Winter

It looks like January. It feels like January. And we haven’t even entered December yet.

Mosaic Monday: Christmas Market Collages

A “Santaland” is built up in the town square for December. Santa himself is still sleeping, but activity might increase as we get closer to Christmas. In the tent, reminding of a Lapp cot, hot drinks are served.

In front of the old town hall, big Advent candles are lighted (one for each Sunday, or in this case Saturday, before Christmas). Advent hymns are sung by choirs from the different churches. To the fountain in the middle of the square, a special winter decoration has been added to replace the usual running water.

Shopping is encouraged by extra Christmas markets held both indoors and outdoors. The yellow wooden building is one of few remaining wooden houses in town (most were destroyed in fires long ago). It is used for art classes and other study circles, and sometimes exhibitions and markets.

For more mosaics, visit Mary’s Little Red House.

The Star

I’m not sure how widespread the tradition is in other countries, but here many people put up an Advent star in their windows this time of year. The origin is of course the star that according to the Gospel of Matthew (Ch.2) was seen by Magi (“wise men”) from the East at the birth of Jesus. 

“… and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and or myrrh.”

 

For more reflection photography, visit Weekend Reflections at Newton Area Photo.

Favourite Shops

 Friday My Town Shoot Out

  

My favourite tea shop.
They also sell coffee; but I am a tea person...

Besides tea and coffee, they also offer other temptations
to go with it: Bread, biscuits, chocolate, candy…

.~.~.~.

     

Whether you’d like to buy someone a gift, or the materials to get busy yourself,
this arts & crafts shop is a good place to start looking for inspiration.

.~.~.~.

  

“HeartRoom” - a shop for interior design and garden decorations.
A place to go if you’re looking for that “little extra”.

.~.~.~.

My town does not really have a “main street”.
There are several streets lined with shops in the town centre.
Today the town square was all set up with extra Christmas market stalls.
(Old town hall/district court in the background. )

.~.~.~.

 

Light A Candle

Snowstorm in November

“Snow is nothing but annoyingly icy frozen water stuff
that falls out of the sky at inconvenient times.”

~ from Gilmore Girls, Season 5 ~

(Photoshop Filter Artistic/Sponge for enhanced effect)

It’s Snowing

This was yesterday. Pretty much the same view today…

Frozen Fire

Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight -
why the bush does not burn up.” ~ Exodus 3:2-3

More Foggy River Reflections

 

 

Some more foggy pictures from my Tuesday morning walk this week.

♥ ♥ ♥

For more reflection photography, visit Weekend Reflections #61 at Newton Area Photo.

Temptations

My post for Friday My Town Shoot Out

 

Spring Temptation: Tulips

 

   

Summer Temptation: Strawberries and Ice Cream

 

  

 

Autumn Market Temptation: Sweets and Toys

 

    

Winter Temptation: All Kinds of Christmassy Things…

And Books! But they come into a special, more long-lasting category of temptations…
 

 

All Year Round Temptations: Spending and Hoarding…

Fog On The River

  

 

 

Troubleshooting

For some reason I'm having problems uploading photos to this blog today. So far I haven't been able to figure out why. This morning I thought the problem was with Windows Live Writer, but it seems to be the same when I try it directly in Blogger. It seems I can't upload photos neither from the computer nor from the Picasa Web Album.

I was able to upload a post from WLW without problems to my other blog, The Island of the Voices.

Now I'm going to post this without picture just to see if that works.

Mosaic Monday: November Beach

 

 

Lake and beach near the place where my grandparents lived in my childhood;
and later on my parents.

See more Monday Mosaics at Mary’s Little Red House.

Earth, Wind, Water and Fire

Sun and Sky, Water and Earth. All of the four elements together.

---

I’m entering this photo for Weekend Reflections at Newton Area Photo.

High Over My Head – The Birch Trees And The Sky

November afternoon sky in town (view from my balcony)

 

  

Left: Birch tree “block of apartments” for town birds! (picture taken about one month ago)

Right: Three weeks ago, the birches in a town cemetery still in their golden autumn glory.

Below: Last Sunday: Defoliated birch forest out in the countryside; and “country cottage” bird house. 

 

 

 

 

Batik art by my mother’s father back in 1973.

Going out to my parents’ old house, I got off the bus a couple of stops early,
and took a roundabout walk through the woods to get there.
Just having viewed the birch trees through my camera lens outside,
as I entered the empty house I was struck by a very similar view
hanging there on the wall to greet me.

 

I’m entering this post for Friday My Town Shoot Out (‘Over Your Head’) and Skywatch Friday.

Over the Railroad, into the Woods… and Boo!

     

Look left… Look right…

Okay. We can cross.

 

Now, prepare yourself for the scary part…

…

Are you ready?

…

I know we’re supposed to have left Halloween behind us…

…

but

…

you never know what might turn up…

…

Here it comes…

…

(I’ve given you enough warning, now, haven’t I?)

…

BOO!

 

Collage made from the two pictures below:

 

  

As for what kind of animal, I’m puzzled.
It seemed quite small to  me, so rabbit or hare was what first came to mind.
But not at all sure about that; and even less so after comparing pictures on the web.
Any wildlife forensic experts out there in the cyberspace…?