Partially blinded by the snow

The Jester. A sculpture by Bror Marklund. He was an artist that lived and worked in Tungelsta when my dad was young, many moons ago. My dad told me that Marklund also did many erotic sculptures, and that he used a few local girls as models for some of his artworks. He later married one of them, a girl called Margit Eleonora Forsberg. Her father owned a carpentry shop in Tungelsta where Marklund worked early on in his career. On a personal note I could add that I went to school with a girl from the Forsberg family, and I think Margit was her grandmother.

Bike Ride Cancelled

The sports fanatic has decided that it is time for a bike ride. He hasn't used the bike since mid December, when the first snow fell, and is now very eager to jump up on the bike again. He has planned the route in his head and is feeling very joyful as he puts on his bike gear. It takes the happy sports fanatic a few minutes to dress. To stay warm in the cold weather he uses wool socks, long underwear, and over that, the expensive Gore-Tex cycling pants. On his upper body he puts on a polyester T-shirt, a fleece west, and a very colorful and warm jacket. After putting on the knitted cap (it was a gift from his mother), he puts on his helmet. Finally he reaches for the waterproof boots, and after putting them on he walks out the door while fitting the Pearl Izumi’s Aqua-Not gloves on his hands. Now our sports fanatic is ready to go. The bike has been stored in the cellar, but the sports fanatic can't seem to locate it, so he takes off his cool eyeglasses to see better, but the bike is nowhere to be found. Then it hits him, he parked the bicycle out the back. He runs up the stairs, opens the door and there it is. Buried in ice and snow! He realises that it would take forever to dig out the bike. Slowly, the now very tired looking sports fanatic walks up the stairs and goes back into his apartment...

The Skipper

This is Lasse. He lives at Lillhammar in Tungelsta. I have met him before, and if you want to have a closer look at him press here . Lasse is a former sailor. Now retired after a long career on the sea, where he claims to have lost one thousand caps! He has worked on many ships over the years, including HMS Halland, HMS Småland, the frigate Mode and HMS Hälsingland. When he turned seventy he got a web site as a birthday gift from his son. It's in Swedish, and if you understand the lingo, there are a few stories, photos, and even a poem or three to enjoy there. When Lasse isn't shovelling snow you might find him on his sailing boat Santina, together with his wife Kirsti and a few friends.

The Winter Chair

The long and cold winter continues. It started to snow again last night. We got around 30 centimetres of the white stuff. The traffic quickly turned into chaos with a lot of accidents and long delays in the public transport. Many of the side-walks are covered with snow, and it is ice everywhere, so it's easy to slip and break a leg. I had to shovel my way down to the mail box this morning to get the morning paper and after that workout I had to walk back empty handed, as no paper had been delivered. This is my third look at the winter chair that stands on a lawn close to a swimming pool in Tungelsta.

A Winter's Tale

When Mr. Summer woke up that early December morning he knew that it had happened again. All he could hear was the silence. That typical winter silence that arrives with the first snow. Still in bed he decided that enough was enough. After a shower and breakfast Mr. Summer quickly packed a suitcase, while talking to someone on the phone. Half an hour later the surprised neighbours noticed a man dressed in shorts and a colorful Hawaiian shirt jump into a waiting cab. It took the neighbourhood a few days to figure out what had happened, but when the mailman delivered a bunch of postcards one morning everything was explained. The message on all the cards where identical.

Gone for the winter, will be back in time for spring. Car keys under the doormat in case you need to borrow the Mercedes,

Cheers Mr. Summer.

Standing on Burning Coal

My winter promenade in Västerhaninge was interrupted by Jonas. He works at Leif Wretmans Åkeri, (his dad's business). On this cold day (- 6C), they were heating up the soil on the closed-off road at Hörnvägen using burning coal. Jonas is standing on the hot sheet metal. Someone is building a new house nearby and the coal will burn for 24 hours before the digger can get to work. Jonas lives at Högsta and told me that the roof on the abandoned house at Högsta had collapsed because of all of the snow this winter (possible photo-op). I will often try to connect the people I have photographed, and this one was easy as Jonas lives next door to farmer Rolf Norlin. On his free time Jonas enjoys riding his motorcycle, and he is also a keen folkrace driver. Not very surprising as he lives only a short walk from the racing circuit.

In the Dark

It's been a long, cold and dark winter (despite all the snow). I'm much more of a summer person. Which means that I'm a bit fed up with all things winter. And according to the meteorologist there's more of the same to come. We are expecting a few cold days, followed by a massive snow fall on Wednesday. Sounds a bit depressing. Who do you call for a blue sky and some sunshine?


(the photo shows me sitting in my reading chair in the dark, surfing the web.)

Art in the Park

There are a few sculptures in the park in Tungelsta. This one is called The Tower.Made by the artist Jan Håfström. Here's what he says about the sculpture "It marks the border and the connection between the dead and the living. Between times gone by, and the present. Between history and the current day". The two photos I used for this diptych are both winter shots. The snowy version is from this year. The somewhat greener photo is from December 2007. Interesting fact. When I helped Klara Kristalova fixing her artwork in this park, Touched By Flowers, she told me that Håfström "borrowed" the idea of the tower from her father, Eugen Krajcik, but that he has failed to ever mention that. That's not very nice.

Downtown Tungelsta

One of those Tungelsta views that I document every now and then. In a few years time this snowy field will be filled with new houses. This is the view from Söderbyvägen in Lillgården, towards the commuter station. The new X60 has just arrived from Nynäshamn and is waiting for the commuter train from Västerhaninge. There's only one railway track here, so the trains always meet at the Tungelsta station. But that will soon change. If you would like to see the old commuter, press here for The Ice Train. The yellow station house dates back to 1902. I have showed it to you before. It was designed by the famous architect Ferdinand Boberg. Today it is used as a private home, and you will also find the Handlaget's handicraft boutique there.

Reaching For the Sky

Walking past the industrial park at Håga the other day I noticed these aerial lifts and figured a photo of them could work on Skywatch Friday.

42

The answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. It only took Deep Thought 7½ million years to figure out that. Anyone who has read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy knows that. I was a big fan of Douglas Adams, so when I saw the number forty-two on a rail-road switch sign in Jordbro yesterday I had to stop for a photo.

The Gravedigger

Walking past the cemetery at the Medieval church in Västerhaninge (where Sara works), I spotted a modern day gravedigger in action. Must be hard work. But probably a bit easier today with the help of a modern digger, compared to when the church was new 800 years ago!

Taxi!

I'd be very interested to see how much the fare was for this cab ride. All the way from New York to Västerhaninge! Can't have been very economical at all me thinks. I mean it isn't just the ride in the Yellow Cab. It's the shipping cost over the Atlantic and all the rest of it. And I'm guessing there's the return trip as well...

A Winter Wonderland

I know that I perhaps shouldn't post too many photos of the old tree, but I have to show you this one. As it has been a long and cold winter we have seen a few days with hard rime over the last week. The Swedish word for that weather phenomenon is Rimfrost which I find a bit more poetic. Anyway, you will have to agree with me that the old tree does look a bit different from just last week.

To Photoshop, or not to Photoshop...

If I think it's necessary I will use Gimp, (or any other software), to fix my shots. This is a photo that would look great as a winter postcard. That is if I were to edit out that electricity pylon. Which would only take a few minutes. But for now it stays. This is a little cottage at the 700 year old Nödesta farm. I often stop for photos here. I'm sure you have seen a few. Like the Tractor Babe. Or the Wool Producer on the run. Perhaps you have met the owner of that sheep, Karin. Or her sheep dog Ned. Not forgetting the tree lined avenue leading up to the farm of course. And if you are lucky, you might even run into an Englishman. Or some wildlife, like a Moose. Or a Roe Deer. I guess you get the picture. It's one of those places where there's always something new to photograph.

Two Story Window

Many of the new homes that have been built at Ålsta in Tungelsta in the last few years aren't very interesting. But this one is a bit different with that two story window. I posted a photo of this house in February last year. Back then the place was still a construction site. A year later the owner (Niklas, who found the photo and left a comment), have moved in. Oh, and a fun note. If you head over to flickr (just click on the photo), and look at the map, you can see that this house stands in what once was a greenhouse.

Nine Favorites from 2009

Best of the year Theme Day at City Daily Photo. I decided to make a collage with nine portraits. I would never rank the people I have met, but here are a few good ones from 2009. I met the kissing couple on a sunny September day, the fun thing here was that Ida and yours truly have one thing in common, we are both fans of the old tree! In July I didn't even have to leave home to get a portrait of the biker. His name is Tony and he is a long time member of Slackers MC. Next is Petronella. The Girl in Love. She was easy to spot with that amazing hair, she calls it Florida Sunrise. The guy on the bike is Andreas Gustafsson, a local kid who is making a name for himself as a stunt driver. In October I visited a Viking Market in Handen and took a bunch of portraits of, you guessed it, Vikings. One of the more surprising portraits was of the beautiful Vicar. I had stopped at the Västerhaninge church as I wanted to take some photos from the church tower, instead I got a great portrait of Sara. On a warm day in August I met the hot Goth Girl Malin from Gothenburg. During the Haninge Day celebrations I had the opportunity to talk to the World Champion, and world record holder Sarah Sjöström. Last but not least The Smiling Accountant. She was out jogging when I met her on one of those warm summer days. Portraits are without any doubt the most rewarding photos to take, and I'd like to thank all the people I met and photographed last year, thanks people!

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Mind Your Step

Twenty-four thousand people will injure themselves this winter by slipping on snow and ice. This is a good spot for such an accident. The stairs between the shopping centre and the commuter station in Västerhaninge. At least there is the railing to hold on to.

Seen any birds?

I spotted a birdwatcher yesterday. Kinda easy as there aren't too many other people walking around with binoculars. But I was still a bit surprised as it was a very cold day, the temperature was around -12 Celsius. Anyway, this is Magnus. When I talked to him in Västerhaninge he had just seen a few Lapland Longspurs at Ribbyberg, and four Collared Doves in a nearby garden. Magnus has been a birdwatcher for twenty years. He lives in Segersäng, (a few commuter stations to the south), and works the night shift as a nursing assistant at a nursing home. We talked a bit about digiscoping, a method that a lot of people use these days and Magnus had been toying with the idea. After our talk I actually found the Doves he had seen, but I couldn't take any photo as my camera batteries had gone to sleep.

Skiing Cross-Country

I stopped at the frozen Lake Rudan yesterday and met a couple of cross-country skiers. The first person I asked for a portrait was a pretty girl, but she told me she was camera shy. Next to her stood Stefan. He is from Aspudden. Stefan had a day off, so he decided to go skiing for the first time in a decade! He wasn't too sure which of the prepared ski tracks to use, and was talking that over with Kenneth when I arrived. Stefan told me that the skies he was using weren't exactly new, he got them when he was thirteen, back in 1990. The weather was perfect for skiing on this day, with a temperature around -5 Celsius, which is a bit better than the -17 C we had last week. I had some camera trouble here, the auto focus was not working, but hey, that happens sometimes!

Out Skiing

As we live up North it really isn't that surprising that many people in this country enjoy Nordic Skiing. On my winter promenade the other day when I visited the old tree and took that fun photo of Furda I also saw a few skiers. I caught up with this couple as they crossed the Stabergs Road. They had lost track of time in the beautiful skiing weather. Now they were heading back towards Västerhaninge. I had previously spotted them on a field at Välsta, near the old tree, but I am yet to photograph a skier at the tree. This is perhaps not the best photo I have ever taken, but I blame that on my cold hands at the time!

I am a horse

Spotted this horse on my way to the old tree yesterday. It was standing at a pasture at Mulsta. It looks a bit different. My long time flickr friend emdot figured "prolly something that dr. seuss made up!"

That Old Tree

We had a beautiful winter day in Haninge today. Cold, but with a clear blue sky. I decided to walk down to Välsta and head over to the old tree. I wasn't the only one with that idea. I saw this couple coming from Klem's Hill and waited for them to reach the tree before taking a few photos. After that we walked together for a kilometre as we talked about the coming changes to this area. We parted ways at Stabergs Road when I spotted a few skiers coming our way.

Snow plough stuck in the snow

I have been in bed for a week with the flu or something, but yesterday I decided I needed to go for a longish walk. So I headed over to the old tree and back. On my way home I suddenly heard an engine, and as I came around a corner I spotted Tommy stuck in the snow with his Yamaha. He was using the Yamaha as a snow plougher and that was apparently a bit tricky. So after taking a few photos of Tommy stuck in the snow, I helped him get the 4-wheeler out of the snow, so that was my good deed of the day.

Winter Chair Revisited

A couple of weeks ago, after a heavy snowfall, I took a photo of a chair in the snow at a property in Tungelsta. Not that much has changed since, but you do see a little more of the chair now. I wonder if I will be back in another fortnight?

The Commuter

Another cold night. Followed by an equally cold day. My brother left for Cyprus in the early hours of this morning. It's a little warmer down there. He sometimes complain that the ten minute walk between his office and apartment will make him sweat, poor guy. Because of the very low temperatures, a few not very clever people, have upped their indoor heating so much so that we had a few power out's during the night. Not in Tungelsta, but out on a few of the big islands here in Haninge. That can't have been a very comfy night. Anyway, today's photo shows the X60 commuter at the Tungelsta commuter station. It was - 15 Celsius as I shot this, so it's quite understandable that local boy Per Johnsson is trying his best to get the commuter door to open and let him in. The train will take him to Västerhaninge in five minutes. From there there's a thirty minute commute to Stockholm.

Fighting For Survival

-15 Celsius today. So it's tough to stay alive if you are a tiny finch. Spotted this one on the spruce hedge at Bergdalen just now, eating from a cone.

The old School

This is Åbygården in Västerhaninge. Today a youth centre. Built as a school back in 1922. The school closed in 1984. It's situated next to the Kaplansgården which was the previous school. Built in 1860. Three years ago I posted a photo of that building, where my grandfather was a student many years ago.

The New and the Old

A little over a year ago I had the opportunity to have a look inside a scary old building here in Tungelsta.I first showed you the old shack back in December 2008. In January last year we had a few looks inside. Since then the new owners have set up a new house on the property, but surprisingly the woebegone old shack is still there today.

Mr & Mrs Snowman

I haven't been able to shoot any fun portraits lately. Mostly because of the cold weather, so I was kinda happy the other day when I met Mr & Mrs Snowman. They were standing on a lawn from where they have a good look over the passing road and the nearby commuter station. They didn't say much, but from what I understand they plan to stay around for a while!

Bergdalen over the years

Change is the theme for January. This is Bergdalen, the place that I call home. On the first photo you can see how the house looked when it was new back in 1912. Three years after my great grandparents bought Bergdalen and started Tungelsta's first plant nursery.The greenhouse business is still around, although the owners have changed. Tody it is called Blomorado. The people standing to the left are my great grandfather Johan Fredrik Jansson. His wife, my great grandmother Hilda Charlotta Jansson, born Eriksson. The young kid is my grandfather Harald Fredrik Jansson, he should have been nine years old when the photo was taken. The second photo shows Bergdalen as it looks today. Some exterior changes has obviously taken place in the last century. For starters, the color has changed. The house was red back then, today it's a creamy yellow. The veranda and living-room area dates back to the 1970's. Some of the birch trees in front of the house are gone, due to a few powerful storms. Other than that the place looks the same a century later!

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