Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Snowman

Snowman
It was -10C on the morning when I took this photo a few days ago. And enough snow to make a snowman at Villavägen in Västerhaninge. Warmer weather since, so he might not live for very much longer. Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Open-air cafe

Open-air cafe
Off-season. Malmens konditori in Handen. My favorite cafe, year round, although I sip my coffee indoors this time of the year.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Wintertime

Wintertime
And just like that Winter arrived. It started to snow two days ago. Not much, but enough to make it look like Winter. And then this morning it was -10C so it will probably stick. This is Little lake in Jordbro.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Moon over Tower Blocks

Moon over Tower Blocks
Biking home on one of those few days with a clear blue sky I noticed the moon. It was almost hypnotic so I stopped at Jordbro and took a few photos. It's on such days I wish I had more zoom power.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Winter Count 2015

Winter Count
January, a very happy skier at the Rudan nature reserve. February, sculpture in the snow at the Tungelsta park. March. Met my flickr friend Benke at my favorite cafe. April, walked into a metal ladder in the dark. May, took a walk in a forest that soon will be gone. June. Portrait of the smiling Michelle. July, a juicy berry, one example of the many macro photos I have shot this year. August, a portrait of the beautiful electrician who was also featured in my Winter Count back in 2010. September, a meeting with the Swedish police. October, Autumn visit to the old tree. November. I wrote a petition to save this little house at Malmvägen. December, one of a number of photos I have taken this year on the redesigned water towers in Handen.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Friday, December 25, 2015

Ten Years With The Old Tree

Ten Years With The Old Tree
It was on this day ten years ago today that I started the "That Old Tree" project. It was supposed to be a one year project, but people asked me to continue so that is what I did. The tree has changed a bit over the last decade. There was a bad storm during Christmas a few years ago, and the tree took a hit losing a big branch. Lightning has also struck here once (another branch gone), and I was here when that happened and that wasn't much fun! It was a bit calmer today, 7C and windy on this my 451th visit to the Swedish Whitebeam at Välsta.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Low-energy Building

Low-energy Building Christmas Window
New care facility with 54 apartments at Tuvvägen in Handen. It's already open for business which is a bit surprising if you remember a previous post from april of this year. Some more facts in Swedish here. goo.gl/2rFyCB

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

A Green Christmas

Christmas in Sweden
13C on Sunday. A little colder yesterday, but not enough to stop the golfers from playing a Christmas round at the Fors golf course in Västerhaninge. It will be a green Christmas this year. Foooooooore!

Monday, December 21, 2015

Santa

Toned Arms Santa
Santa is a busy guy these days I guess, but he does have time for a workout. Spotted him in Handen yesterday working on his arm fat.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Julgran

Julgran
Swedish word of the season. Julgran. Christmas Tree. Made by Vattenfall, it stands on the roof at the Biofuel Power Plant in Jordbro. Oh, and I tried a new technique here. Reducing noise using median blending. So to get less noise I shot four photos with the silent zoom lens after first consulting with my friend Jim, and reading an article at Peta Pixel. I shot this hand-held at maximum zoom standing on a pedestrian bridge at 1/40 and 400 ISO.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Friday, December 18, 2015

Abstract Façade

Façade
Your logistics partner in Stockholm. Storex at the industrial park in Jordbro. Built a couple of years ago.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Mind Your Step

Mind Your Step
A thin layer of frost covering the pier at the semi-frozen Lower Lake Rudan on my visit yesterday. I had to watch my step as one plank was missing. And yes, it was a cold bike ride!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Glow-in-the-dark

Glow-in-the-dark New Road
A new road opened for traffic in Tungelsta yesterday when the old rail-road crossing closed at Söderbyvägen near the commuter station. The new stretch of road will be called Lillgårdsvägen. The walkway was lit up with tea light candles during the sunset. Both photos shot wiht the nifty fifty.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
Part 1. December. Stuck in the ice. The box is empty, but I did find a CO2 charger on the wheat field across the road near the old Nödesta farm.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Santa's Accident

Santa's Accident
Christmas will be delayed this year. Santa has been involved in a fatal accident with a kick sled. It happened just across the road from a popular fast food place in Handen.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Hanging Around

Hanging Around Hanging Around
Part of the International Year of Light. Fifty or more lamps like this one lights up Eskilsvägen in Handen. Installation by Olsson & Linder. olssonlinder.se/ www.ljus2015.se/

Thursday, December 10, 2015

A Moose Meeting

A Moose Meeting
Met a moose family in the forest yesterday. This cow and two calves. She eyed me for a while and when I tried to go a little closer her ears told me not to do that so I stopped, grabbed a few snaps and turned around. I got the photo thanks to a man out walking his dog near Slätmossen in Handen. He pointed me in the right direction, so thanks for that!

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Ice crystals

Ice crystals
Ice crystals on a tiny plant. A couple of days ago it was 12C. Then, after a cold night with -5C it was frost here and there and I took the bike to the Rudan nature reserve and that's where I found the ice crystals. Shot whit the nifty fifty and a few extension tubes.

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

The hole in the ground

The Hole in the Ground
You might recognise the apartment building in the background as I have shown you a few photos of it during the last year. Looks like they are almost done with the exterior now. I think this will be some kind of care facility and I have seen furniture and a Christmas tree inside so someone is already working in there. A few months ago workers started digging a big hole here and that was the start of the next apartment building to be built here.

Monday, December 07, 2015

Fast Train

Abstract Train
The commuter train at Jordbro. I was shooting some graffiti at the underpass when I heard the train. Fun fact. It was 12C here yesterday. The same temperature that we had on Midsummer! But boy was it a dark day, Sunday. And windy.

Sunday, December 06, 2015

Saturday, December 05, 2015

Asphalt paving

Asphalt paving
This short road has never been paved before this week. We will get a brand new commuter station in Tungelsta soon and during all that construction work there will be a lot of traffic at the site,which is why they are fixing the road. In the background you can see the what was once known as Svin-Kalles affär. The white building was once a post office. The yellow buildings are part of the Anchor.

Friday, December 04, 2015

Questionable Architecture

Tower Block Hugly Haninge Questionable Architecture
Brandbergen in Handen was part of the million programme. The architect who designed the suburb was Gustaf Lettström. The name Brandbergen comes from a big fire here back in the 1940s when this was just a big forest. Around 12 000 people live here today. This is by far the ugliest tower block here and it really needs a face-lift!

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Abstract Street Art

Street Art
Piet Mondrian? Paul Klee? No. Unknown street artist at an underpass near the Jordbro commuter station.

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

A Poem

A Poem
I read some poetry yesterday. Well, it was one poem. And it was rather short. But still. I noticed a flyer on a bulletin board at the Jordbro grave field. Translated to English it reads like this: Swim Towards A Kiss. Christofer Nöring. When I look out the window a girl walks past with her dog a bird flies off into the woods and a car drives over the manhole cover. www.litenupplaga.se/1471 The poet Christofer Nöring lives not far from here, in Västerhaninge. He only writes on typewriters, and even has a small collection of them. His latest book is called Simma mot en kyss and it was published earlier this year.

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Red Light District?

Red Light District?
Nope. It's an installation called Hanging around. Part of the International Year of Light. Fifty or more lamps like this one lights up Eskilsvägen in Handen. www.ljus2015.se/