A sea of white

I was on all four at the Gullringkärrets nature reserve shooting the anemones when the phone rang. It was one of the usual suspects. Just like me he is a coffee addict, and we often need a great view with the "fika" so we decided to meet up and look for a good spot. And because of that and a few other visits around Södertörn, (and the very cold Spring weather), I didnt make it back to this spot in Jordbro when everyting turned white so this is the best that I can show you, my bad.

Viper

A viper enjoying the Spring sunshine at the Gullringskärret nature reserve. As seen a couple of days ago while obviously out on another bike ride.

Vitsippa

Cycling through Gullringskärret, a nature reserve in Jordbro earlier in the week I spotted the first wood anemones of the season so I stopped for a macro photo. This means that the whole area will be a white sea soon, which is always a spectacular sight. And when that happens I will be back with both my macro lens and a wide-angle one.

Vitsippor

The annual walk at Gullringskärret takes place on April 26th. When I biked through the nature reserve a few days ao people were out and about all over the place with cameras and smartphones. I might go back for the organized walk just to see how many people will show u

Vitsippa

Biking through Gullringskärret yesterday I figured it was time to look for some "Vitsippor". And I found a few. Two weeks from now millions of wood anemones will turn this whole area white. There's also a guided tour here on April 20 if it hasn't been canceled because of the Corona crisis.

The Beauty of Simplicity

Theme day at City Daily Photo. The Beauty of Simplicity. I knew that it had to be a photo of a Spring flower. This is one of the first wood anemones, (or Vitsippor as we call them inSsweden), to bloom at the Gullringskärrets nature reserve in Jordbro. In total I counted maybe ten vitsippor there today. A few weeks from now the fields and forests here will be filled with millions of white flowers.

Forest Path

Took a walk in a forest yesterday. Was planning to shoot some snaps in the nature reserve, but this was the only photo I took.

A Field of White

Every spring The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation arranges a hike though the nature reserve Gullringskärret in Jordbro. The walk goes through the iron age grave field, and the purpose is to look at all the wood anemones. I haven't participated in any organized walks, but it is quite a feeling to walk through this field this time of the year. The area is completely filled with white flowers. Shot this with the nifty fifty.

Two Englishmen Up a Tree

Out on a bike ride on Sunday I decided to head over to the art gallery in Österhaninge for a cup of coffee in their garden. Half way there I had to stop at the nature reserve Gullringskärret in Jordbro when I noticed a man up a tree. After a closer look I realised that there was another man higher up the tree. It turned out to be a couple of tree surgeons out practising their craft. The guy on the top photo is Oli from Liverpool. He is an arborist student. He has been working in Sweden since November of last year. A bit of bad timing considering that we experienced the coldest winter in many years, and Oli told me that it had been a tough few months. Oli lives in Jordbro with his colleague Tom, who at the time of our meeting was high up the tree. Both guys works at a company called Wells Trädvård.

Turbo&Tyson

It's tricky not to meet people at Gullringskärret in Jordbro. It's a popular nature reserve, and there's also a big ancient grave field here. I have shot quite a few portraits here. Both dog owners and horse back riders. And this time I met this quartet. This is Jossan and Sara. The dogs are called Turbo (Rottweiler/German Shepherd ), and Tyson (Amstaff). The dogs where probably more interested in the surroundings, and wanted the photo shoot to end as soon as possible. Tyson belongs to Sara's son. Sara and Jossan both live nearby in Jordbro and are friends through their respective families. Sara works in marketing, and also in day care. Jossan used to work in home care, but are now thinking about open a dog care centre, or Hunddagis as we like to call it in Swedish. After I uploaded this photo to flickr I met Micke again (The Family Man), and he told me that he knew Jossan, which isn't that surprising to me, as it really is a small world we live in.

Karin & Jens

Meet Karin and Jens. And Elvira, who didn't want to be photographed, but who will be 3 years old in September. They live at Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm.They were on their way to the Kyrkskolan Gallery for a look at this years Art Promenade when I met them at the ancient grave field in Jordbro. I gave them directions and we started to talk. We are on our way to the island of Utö where we will spend the night in our tent, something Elvira is looking forward to, they told me. Other pastimes that the family enjoys include trekking in Jämtland. Karin is a psychology student, with one year left before graduating from Stockholm University. Jens is a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels where he works for global justice, animal rights and environmental issues. He is a member of the The Left Party of Sweden, as they call them selves.

This is my 72th photo for the 100 Strangers project. You can see the rest of my strangers in my Set.

Meet Maria

I've just shot a few spring photos when I see a woman on a horse. We start to talk and she tells me that she's seen a few European Viper's on the path, and that they didn't move for the horse. I tell her I have photographed a few snakes here before. I then ask her if I can take her photo for the 100 Strangers project. She agrees. Meet Maria. From Haninge. Out riding her horse Winnie at the nature reserve in Jordbro. I explain that I'm often in the area taking photos and points towards a hill with a unusual stone. You mean the offering stone she says. Turns out that Maria is a student at the Stockholm Institute of Education (a future specialist teacher), and that she has spent many hours at the National Library in Stockholm where she found a book mentioning that same offering stone. Maria is also a very talented and dedicated rider. She has competed in Eventing. A few years ago she won the Swedish Championship with her then club Årsta Södertörn Sportryttare. I give her one of my Moo mini cards with a photo of a church, and she says oh, my two kids were baptised there. After that we say goodbye. This is my 23th photo for the 100 Strangers project. You can see the rest of my strangers in my Set.

Three Happy Girls

The weather improved a bit today compared with the last week or so I took a Sunday bike ride and met quite a few people out and about. Here are three happy girls that I met at Gullringskärret. Out on a Sunday ride with the horse. Probably on their way back to the stable at Kalvsvik in Österhaninge.

Busy Beaver

Working in a circular motion. Over the last months the beavers at Vitsån in Jordbro have been working on their underwater food cache. There are a number of beaver dams in this area of the nature reserve. I noticed this funny looking tree a couple of weeks ago.A day later, someone other than me took a photo of this tree which was later published in my morning paper. I hate it when that happens! Bigger photo.

Footpath to where?

From here it looks like this footpath leads right up to the little red house. But to get there you have to walk over a farmers field and then through a tunnel under the freeway before you finally end up at Kalvsvik in Österhaninge. Shot this from the hill at Gullringskärret.
Bigger photo.

At the Nature Reserve

The old Viking road at the ancient grave field in Jordbro. There's a nature reserve here called Gullringskärret that I enjoy walking around in. I took this shot just so that I can go back in a few weeks time for the summer version. Last summer I met a Hedgehog here.

Lost?

Are you like me and don't care much about mosses? Then you shouldnt follow me now as I have entered the deep forest at the nature reserve in Jordbro. It's called Gullringskärret and there's 150 types of mosses in this forest. You will find Piprensarmossa, gyllen-mossa, nordtuffmossa and purpurvitmossa. But there's more than moss here, like gullpudra, skogsnycklar, kärrfibbla and the beautiful brudborsten. So what are you waiting for, lets go! The best time to visit is in the summer if you are a bird fan. If you like moss, October is your month. I walked for about an hour and I had to be careful as the many footbridges over the creek were wery slippery. I followed the red dots on the trees but despite that I came out of the forest one km from where I had planned and where my bike was parked.

Beaver Creek

Walking in nature. In Jordbro. At Gullringskärret, a nature reserve. Met a man out walking his dog. He walks here every day, and told me that the beavers had been hard at work down at the creek, so I went over there to have a closer look. Sure enough I noticed a number of fallen trees and a few new lodges and dams. No sign of any Castor fiber on this visit. Några rader om Gullringskärret.

See where this picture was taken. [?]