"The Capacity to wonder is among man's greatest gifts"
Author: Magdalena Cavallin
I have lived my entire life in the countryside and have always been filled with wonder over nature, the life and the beauty. I live on a farm in Sweden in the middle of nowhere and since 2015 I have together with my sister taken over my parents farm. Here I try to combine all the things I love best: Be and work in nature together with my dogs, to sing and study and photograph, my catholic faith, and last but not least to contemplate and recognise "the extraordinary in the ordinary".
The weather shifts quite fast. The rain has almost washed away all snow now. Not for long though, the snow will return on Sunday. However, at present the grounds are saturated with water, and in the low parts flooded.
As I passed a flooded area, I couldn’t avoid noticing the beauty in the reflection of the bare trees in the water. Even if Spring is far away, that puddle gave me a foretaste of it. I think the bluetits, great tits, marsh tits and all the other wild birds had a similar feeling, as they sang more forefully along the way.
At last a peaceful walk in that characteristic yellow light of winter.
The golcrests accpmpanied us in the forest, the mallards as we walked along the still lively river, and for some time we followed wolf tracks from one wolf.
To walk, breathe the fresh air, watch the low-key beauty, without demands that is for me a true rest.
Only around half past one, but the sun is already setting. Toby full of enthusiasm by the brook. The lake was frozen.
Winter is here and with it the snow. It is beautiful, especially how it lightens up the long dark evenings and renders the morning and day the crystal beauty of a fairytale.
These two last walks I have come across a flock of whooper swans resting in the snow on a normally quite wet field. Their white or gray feathers, depending on age, and light yellow beak against the white winter landscape is a sight to be seen. To my joy they have accepted my presence as I stand there looking at them. Only their very soft song is heard in the stillness of winter, followed by the rustling sound of their feathers as they rouse. I’m impressed by their toughness and grateful to be able to watch their beauty.
I haven’t brought my camera with me on these walk. Though sad from one point of view, some moments are perhaps just meant to be experienced in their simple beauty. In that sense I’m not just an onlooker, but also a partaker in the same moment as them.
Autumn is here and winter is knocking on the door. I have been busy to tidy up in the garden and planting my garlic in the last minute. I still have the variety I got from Provence 2019, a hardy sort. This year I was not in Provence even if I sometimes remember the special atmosphere of the place of st. Maxime de Sainte Baume and the grotto of saint Marie Madeleine, and I am feeling as if I were there. I wonder if I will visit that place again.
This year I went to a pilgrimage to our Lady’s house in Loreto, an extraordinary place which has left a mark on my mind and soul, especially the presence of Our Lady in this little house of brick.
But you cannot go to a country without at least take a glimse of its nature. Close to Loreto there is a nature reserve called Conero. A lovely walk up into the mountains from the Village of Sirolo.
Visiting in January the village was sleeping. The bus was leaving us at a bus stop in the lower part of the village and with the help of a map we found our way up the hills towards the centre of the city. There is something very fascinating about tourist places out of season, everything is closed, as if abandoned, resting before people come to consume on its riches, here sun and sea. I like when it is sleeping. I feel as if the town is as if it should be, but at the same time it is strange to see a town so shifting in its life between summer and winter so dependent on tourism.
As we headed up into the mountains following a trail to get a beautiful view, we passed a sign informing us the trail was closed without further notice because of some sort of a danger. It was however unclear what the danger would consist of apart from perhaps a hint about a broken fence, so we took the chance to continue. I don’t regret it. The view was spectacular giving a view of the yellow beach contrasted by the white cliffs along the coast of the Adriatic sea, breathtaking to stand there at the edge looking down, feeling almost dizzy by the height but still immersed in the beauty of the experience.
On our way back we had just the time to go down a steep hill to follow the same shore we had watched from above. I loved the feeling of walking there on the deserted beach, the waves breaking against the smoothe stones and soft sand. Though calm, the wind was fresh after the rain the day before, giving a foretaste of spring.
I saw him coming from afar, an old lonely man with just his walking stick. A peaceful sight, him walking in the middle between the white cliffs and the calm sea. Slowly he came closer, just to pass us, and the scene was gone, so fast, and we were alone again.
I wonder sometimes how often he uses to walk there, if I would meet him again if I returned. Perhaps he has just taking up the walk again now when the sunbathing tourists are gone, him and the beach and sea left to their own thoughts.
Sometimes you find yourself in an encounter that you did not expect. The white raindeer was not as shy as the others, and to come as close as we did was something very special.
We found the raindeers crossing the river and we followed them over the plains
On our way to look at and hopefully to buy one or two milking cows of an old landrace called rödkulla, we visited a national parc called Norra Kvill. There is a 900 years old oak there. Unfortunately we never had time to see it. However, we walked a trail around a beautiful lake quite high up in the stony hills covered with old firs and pines. And not to forget, we ate a delicious lunch out in the open, with a big stone as our table.
A beautiful early morning. It isn’t often I manage to rise with the sun in summer, but this time I was close. On my way to the cows, the sun greeted me in such a splendour that it struck me with awe.
I went out to check on the cows. I found them in their favourite place, a hill where the wind could blow more freely. I wonder if they also like the view. I go there for both the view and for the peaceful atmosphere. Small and bigger woods are followed by fields in a pittoresque pattern which makes it special.
Wonderer of Nature 