Destiny decides who comes in life

Edwin Markham has said, “There is a destiny which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.“

I believe we receive more than what we give in life. Sometimes in life, we meet people who give and give without expecting a least. They love you for what you are. You don’t need makeup for staying in their life. We have a lot of friends around the world but a few of them are the blessings from heaven.

Yesterday we were invited for a walk on a mountain area where we had never been before. We walked a little more than 10 km and came across ponds which are situated at around 1000 meters above sea level. Here are some images from our walk but let me clarify, they don’t do justice to what we had experienced.

We began our tour by crossing a river

Different shades of green due to beautiful sunlight

Blueberry shrubs are turning red, a sign of approaching autumn

Looking down at valley from our friend’s cottage

Reindeer Lichen

Reindeer Lichens grow in northern temperate forests, boreal forests, and even in the tundra. They are highly branched, fruticose lichens that are a primary food source for reindeer (also called caribou in North America). These lichens are sometimes called “Reindeer Moss,” even though they are lichens and not moss.

Modern cairn. A glimpse of a glacier. It looks so close. Just an illusion – the closeness

The sky and clouds reflected in a pond at 1000 m above sea level. There were plenty of free grazing sheeps.

Approximately two million sheep are grazing in the outlying fields of Norway every summer. That’s unique, and something that you won’t experience elsewhere.

Our four legs companion enjoyed the cold water whenever she was allowed to do so. The presence of so many sheeps gave her some exciting times.

For some reason we missed the original trail. We were not lost but had to walk in the marsh area for considerable time. It was similar to walking on a spongy peat or a soft mattress. We were happy with our choices of good hiking shoes but also, this year the summer is quite dry. Who wouldn’t love a perfect sunny summer but we really need good rains now.

In the process of finding the trails we walked on some real edges, They were not as dangerous as we usually see in photographs but weren’t even easy. I hadn’t taken my mobile out nor looked into the valley until we passed the section. It was impossible to predict what would come next, a creek, a marsh or a rock to climb.

Our good friend with his Rolls-Royce. Age difference doesn’t matter much as far as friendships are concerned

Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance ~Rabindranath Tagore

It was a little early but we did find just a couple of Chanterelle mushrooms.

Weekend 124

Lens artists photo challenge: Let there be light and friends in your life

How was your weekend?

Investing in good shoes is beneficial

We decided to set a new tradition, to celebrate our big days we shall go on a hike. For my b’day it was a different place and for hubby’s b’day we chose the place which was on our bucket list for a while. The weather forecast was for clouds and little wind but no rains or thunderstorm. There was no reasons for not trying a new and difficult destination 😀.

If you want something you’ve never had You must be willing to do something you’ve never done.~ Thomas Jefferson

Never be afraid to try something new because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know~Unknown

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…~ Dr. Seuss ( Oh, the Places You’ll Go)

We hiked to get this view and many more such views. I am glad we tried to conquer our anxeity and examine our strength. Two weeks summer holidays wouldn’t have concluded in a better way.

याजसाठीं केला होता अट्टहास! I have neither words nor ability to translate this in english. Google translator doesn’t help either.

Interestingly we didn’t pick a single berry this time though we saw a lady collecting wild bluberries in a bucket 😀

We are happy that we tried our best to reach a new goal and wrote our names in the small notebook placed by the local hiking association. It’s fun ya. And in the whole hiking process I burned 1430 cal (of course according to my fitbit…. hope you believe in it 😁). yippee

The diary is quite safe

For

Weekend walk 123

Six Word Saturday

Lens artists photo challenge

Jo’s Monday Walk

Weekend 122: Woods in Black & White

The forecast stated a dark and wet weekend but it was not bad for Friday 😀. Here are some images from our hike on Friday. Hope you like them.

Walking on trees roots can be challenging especially after steady rains when it gets slippery but on steep trails I find roots help me to have a good grip and are better than walking on carpet of pine needles.

Wild lowbush blueberries

A lost pacifier

Handpicked wild blueberries

We were at the same place a year ago

Please excuse me for linking it to multiple challenges 🙂

TreeSquare: I break the rule in 2 images to give better view of the woods.

Lens artists photo challenge: Black & White

Lens artists photo challenge: Getting away in the woods

***** Sunday Thought *****

We learn about ourselves by taking one footstep at a time along a road of discovery. Greek philosopher Heraclitus who lived around 500 BCE proffered cogent advice about how to acquire wisdom and achieve a proper perspective on all worldly events. ‘Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. Knowledge is not intelligence. In searching for truth, be ready for the unexpected. The same road goes both up and down. The beginning of a circle is also its end. Not I, but the world says it: all is one.’ This script tells of one man’s journeying a full circle in an effort to become one with all that exists.~ Kilroy J. Oldster

Weekend 121: Expect the unexpected

Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful ~ Roy T. Bennett

I am presenting a photo journal of our long hike which was spiced up with some unexpected experience on last Sunday.

Yellow Wisteria blooming

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has ~Epictetus.

We planed a hike on Saturday which we had to cancel due to last minute changes in the weather forecast. Sunday was all good and we decided to proceed. The aim was to climb little more than 900 meters above sea level and cover a distance of 19 km. Our daily walks have given us strength to plan such activities.

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  Buttercup flowers in abundance

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  Wild flowers amaze me

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  At 600 moh

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it~ Andy Rooney

Until now we had an enjoyable hike. I am no expert in knowing various birds and their sounds but these were the most beautiful sounds we heard in the nature. We didn’t see any bird due to the lush green surroundings.

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  The past

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  The future

Our destination “the top flat surface” was about 2 -2.5km away with an ascent of 300m. We needed to cross the high tension electrical wire pole which is visible up on the mountain in the image named “the future”.

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order~Jon Burroughs

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  A Magnificent Structure

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  Wind didn’t let me take the photo

Everything was fine until we crossed the high tension electrical wires but soon after the gentle breeze was not so gentle. We decided to continue as we see no danger too soon.

Shall I touch the cloud

Mountain weather conditions can change dramatically. Suddenly the heavens opened giving us a little time to put on our jackets. As we long passed the farms, finding a shelter was out of question. We wouldn’t have worried was it just rain. We saw lightning and then we realised the weather forecast for thunderstorm was preponed by a couple of hours. So there we were in a thunderstrom standing in the middle of nowhere. Going back means we had to cross the high tension electrical wire pole which we thought as a risky option. There were three cottages in sight but we picked the one which was on lower tarrain than the other two. We moved fast and felt ourself lucky as we were not on the top open space. We waited outside the cottage for about 25 minutes.

A thunderstorm in the mountains can be really impressive but also dangerous. Watching lightning on a mountain was one of the most frightening experiences I had in my life. We began our descent down the mountain after thunderstorm moved away and the rain slowed down.

The surrounding was mystical when we left the cottage at 900 meters above sea level

When we set out the weather was warm and we were in shorts and light t-shirts. There was no indication of there being any weather problems. On a mid summer day in the middle of the day we were wet and feeling cold 😜

Soon things were back to normal. Rain jackets were replaced by sun glasses though the wet hiking shoes felt quite heavy.

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  Nature at her best

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  Sheep share the Norwegian right to roam

In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We wouldn’t have planned a hike if we had any idea about the fast approaching thunderstorm. Anyways we learned a lesson and without fail we thanked nature for keeping us safe.

Becca’s Sunday Trees &

Jo’s Monday Walk

Weekend 120: Spring is in the air

This past week is like a long weekend for many in Norway. Thursday 13th May and Monday 17th May are national holidays. Thursday was Ascension day (39 days after Easter Sunday) and today is constitution day. Covid-19 restrictions have affected the usual consititution’s day celebrations across the country. Luckily we were able to take long walk everyday.

The deep roots never doubt spring will come ~ Marty Rubin

Sadly my tulips didn’t make it this year. The air is still not that warm and rains making it even more difficult but I am looking forward to my rhododendron and azalea. I take many micro breaks while walking and I witness thousands of miracles be it colour, shape, size, voice or smell.

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Life in colour: Purple

Spring drew on…and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps. Charlotte Brontë

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We sat in silence, letting the green in the air heal what it could~ Erica Bauermeister

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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.~ John Muir

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I hope it was not a lot in one post. Thanks for your patience. Click an image to get a proper view.

Jo’s Monday Walk

Sunday Trees

Weekend 119: A fresh breeze is good for us

We were back on our favourite tour. Moderate temperature between 5 to 10 degrees and visiting clouds helped us to keep hiking. We managed to walk 11 km with an ascent of about 576 metres in 3 hours before lunch. We could not go futher due to ice on the top.

Spring flowers are scarcely blooming and mostly on the sunny side of the valley. Though almost every survivng plant/tree showcase lovely buds.

We saw a batch of beautiful purple wild flowers, Genus Hepatica, perennials Chionodoxa (Scilla) in the buttercup family growing along the roadside. It looks like flowers were waiting for some sunshine. Jude has corrected the name of these flowers.

Lens-artists-photo-challenge

Jo’s Monday Walk

Stay safe and be kind.

Weekend 118: Mountains are calling

We continued our hike from where we left off on last weekend Weekend 117:Back to hiking.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather ~John Ruskin

Although we say mountains belong to the country, actually, they belong to those that love them ~Dogen

Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

When life gives you sun and snow take a walk.

Lens-artists-photo-challenge: Walk

Jo’s Monday Walk

Weekend 117: Back to hiking

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth ~ Henry David Thoreau

We managed to hike even more this weekend and yes it was a fantastic feeling. Spring signs are clearly visible though we still do not see crocuses and snowdrops. I hope you too had a good weekend

Jo’s Monday walk

Lens-artists-photo-challenge

Weekend 113: A walk in fresh snow

We had snow on the night of 25th December but it was gone within 48 hours. It snowed for the sake of white Christmas. Many of us were missing snow even the people who don’t ski.

On the first day of 2021 we enjoyed our usual hike but there was no snow just some frost.

Fortunately we had good snow on Saturday morning. The trees covered with snow were beuatiful. The temperature was perfect for a leisure walk and a visit to our local cafe. They serve good carrot cake and coffee. The cafe visit didn’t happen as it was closed for Christmas. It may sound odd but yes, in this town the restaurant, the cafe and the bar all were closed from 21st December til 3rd of January. The employees were given Christmas break to be with their families.

It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it ~ Dale Carnegie

Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties ~ Helen Keller

Our walk was concluded with a piece of rum soaked fruit and nut cake which I made for Christmas and a cup of hot chocolate.

Jo’s Monday Walk

Sunday Trees

Living Now

Do not set aside your happiness. Do not wait to be happy in the future. The best time to be happy is always now ~ Roy T. Bennett

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  Our walk today

Life is no different than the weather. Not only is it unpredictable, but it shows us a new perspective of the world every day ~ Suzy Kassem

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Sometimes there is no next time, no time-outs, no second chances. Sometimes it’s now or never ~ Alan Bennett

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At any point in time you can always find something more pressing to do than that one vital but not immediately necessary task, and it’s only once it’s too late that you look back on your decisions and your mistake becomes painfully obvious. The trick is to substitute thinking ‘do I do this now or later?’ with ‘do I do this now or never?’, because all too often that’s the choice you actually end up making ~ Anonymous

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Since April we started exploring our surroundings. We go on walks/hikes almost everyday with some rare exceptions. For Lens artists photo challenge this week, Amy proposed the theme “Now and then“. I decided to stick to the first part “Now”. Sometimes I like to dwell on the past and check our travellings photos but for now let us enjoy the beauty of November. I hope Amy wouldn’t mind either.

I am listening this piece while working on the post:

Nurturing Thursday