Precipitate as weather, she appeared from somewhere, then evaporated, leaving only memory.~ Haruki Murakami
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. ~Socrates, a gas-station attendant in a book published in the 1980s by Dan Millman.
To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold. ~Aristotle
The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surrounding~ Kakuzo Okakura (The Book Of Tea)
The snow has almost disappeared from the roads and we were out for a hike. Though we were not able to hike up to our favourite 919m mark, we enjoyed our climb nonetheless.
People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Nothing is permanently perfect. But there are perfect moments and the will to choose what will bring about more perfect moments ~Mary Balogh
Do you remember the joyful music/tune of ice cream truck in the summertime. Just imagine in mid winter the ice cream truck was busy with routine visits. I think this can happen only in Norway 😁
I’ve always believed in savoring the moments. In the end, they are the only things we’ll have ~Anna Godbersen
There is an increase in the number of streams on mountain sides due to the rise in temperature. We met quite a number of hikers on our way, some even had their winter walking sticks.
For a mother every thing related to her children is an event. Not just an event but a memorable event. Along with all those uncountable events, their first day at a kindergarden, school, college, university or the last day at any of these places are special days. For one or the other reason I was never able to attend any of the graduation ceremonies for my son. It was his dad who accompanied him and even his grand parents were there once. This last photo is one such memorable day for us. This time I managed to be with him but couldn’t attend the ceremony. Credit goes to COVID restrictions. We watched the ceremony online.
No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers ~ Laurie Colwin
Samosa
Love and care are as vital as measurements.
Passing out all and even encouraging participation
Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius
No secret recipe
Still it tastes different.
Spice Box
Spicy Chicken Marinade
Learning is fun. Tasting is more fun.
PakodaSteamed RiceFryingReady to Serve
Last weekend I was on a mission to cover a cooking event. The participation was free but limited and people were asked to register in advance due covid restrictions. The event was supported by municipality to promote food and culture.
Mosaic created by putting together broken ceramic tilesThe decorated pillars
In the back garden
Blue light well: Looking up
Looking down
Rounded arches – Service area in the loft
These images were taken during our visit to Casa Batlló in Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. In 2005, Casa Batlló became an UNESCO World Heritage Site among the other works of Antoni Gaudí.
Weekend 125 – We are trying to resume our walk routines which is not easy after being away for a couple of weeks. Moreover when the change is temperature is from +32 degrees to +2 and from sunny settings to dull, cold, wet and dark days. I am finding it difficult even to be on wordpress. Why? Does anyone have an answer 🧐
Anyways, we did find some sunny period during the day and off we go to our usual hiking start.
Edwin Markham has said, “There is a destinywhich 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 riverDifferent shades of green due to beautiful sunlightBlueberry shrubs are turning red, a sign of approaching autumnLooking down at valley from our friend’s cottageReindeer 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 closenessThe 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.
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 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 blueberriesA lost pacifierHandpicked wild blueberriesWe 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.
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
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.
Buttercup flowers in abundance
Wild flowers amaze me
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.
The past
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
A Magnificent Structure
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.
Nature at her best
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 becomesrich~ 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.
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