Wonder and silence are both I think dependent on each other. Autumn up here is devoid of many of the sounds which are typical in the area which I live. Only birds low twittering is heard and your own steps in the sprigs and bush weed. The slow pace enables you to slowly take in the beauty and to let it settle in your mind along with a sort of euphoria of the beauty.
There is something special about leaving a slient life for a while and enter into a greater silence as a vacation. Perhaps it tells that the life you have chosen, or det place you have chosen, is the right one. The destination this year was Funäsfjällen, some 8 hours farther up north. Nature offered us Autumn beauty in the mountains as it is at its peak.
Heading towards the mountains
To see the mountains in front of you, while still walking among the mountain birches, is hard to describe, breathing very fresh air for soul and mind.
There is a proverb in Swedish that goes “morgon stund har guld i mund”. In English it means, the morning carries gold in its hand. I love this expression using the old Swedish word for hand, mundr.
And it is true, especially in summer, the mornings are golden, the air is fresh, the soft silence gives room for the sounds of the forest. There we are Toby and I in midst of it all.
It is always lovely to take a long evening walk after rain. The damp air made the sun beams visible. Toby found himself in the light, apparently very interested in something, but all of a sudden he was off again down in the ditch. I love these short moments of beauty which leaves a mark in my soul for a long time.
I walked across the pasture and found the young animals on the hill where a young boy once had a dream of building his own house. A dream unfulfilled. A field still with grass and flowers, witnessing of solitude.
I love the colour of this violet. It is so small that it’s easy to just pass it. But it makes such a beautiful contrast to the white flowers in the forest, so when I encounter with this violet, I stop for a moment to look at it in all its freshness.
There are days when after a lot of visitors you need to get out in an open field and be in solitude. It was a windy day, but the stormy weather created a peaceful silence within me, as if the wind took over my thoughts and brought them to a restful place. During our walk, two cranes passed in front of us, calling as they left and landed in the field nearby.
I love to walk in the evenings among the dandelions. I was told as a child that if you managed to blow away all the seeds in one try, you could wish for something. I still take up one of them once in a awhile and with some excitement blow at it. The wish? To see the beautiful seeds dancing in the air.
Perhaps it is a too strong word, paradise… However there are moments when beauty reveals itself a little more than usual, the response is awe and joy. I was late with work and took the opportunity to give the cows water during the evening. Standing there while the drinking troughs were filling up, I witnessed the evening play of the lambs. I love to see them play. The sun was setting and shone with a warm yellow light on the hill while the lambs, quite unaware of the light, had found a stone of interest to climb up and jump off from. The restfulness of the windless evening the light green colour of the newly sprung leaves and the evening light, created a sense of paradise; beauty, peace, joy, and of course goodness.
“… with silver bells and cockle shells, and all pretty maidens in a row. ” Not a silver bell but a Snow Bell, as it is called in Sweden. I love the green little spots that marks every leaf.
Flores Island · Azores
From Where I Stand...
Wandering on trails and places around the coast of Wales
Wonderer of Nature 