Pele's Randomness

[Afird Splitax]

Love the vest, @Pele Alarion! And what a coincidence. I was just tell my love how a vest is all I need to keep me warm in the house. When I have a sweater on, and depending on what I am doing, I find I take it off more often. I get too hot. So I have been wearing an outdoor nylon vest in the house. It works wonderfully keeping my old trunk warm, and not over heating me.

So again, you have inspired me. I have been knitting hats. I think I have made at least 30 since the covid-19 started. Time to move on to a new challenge. I will keep you posted on my progress.

[Baphởmet]

*pops back in after a too long absence* so many excellent pictures! I love the cat so much (cat pics have unapologetically become my thing recently)! The old barn picture with the flowers is gorgeous. The light, the color contrast, the angle, it's the kind of image I have in my head when I think about rural or fairy like settings but can never find outside my own head. Well, now I know where they've been hiding out!

Congrats on completing the knitting project! I would have nowhere near the patience to do something thst detailed. I'd have given up and refused to try and pick it back up.

[Taethowen]

Very nice vest! I wish I could knit. My grandmother tried to teach me when I was younger (when she was still alive) and it did not go well. I know that cables like that take quite a bit of skill (and probably patience too!) It looks like it will keep you nice and warm this winter!

[Marceline]

Your sunrise shots continue to amaze me - you have some incredible views out your window, Pele. And the nighttime photo with the moon looks so serene. Latvia is g o r g e o u s.

Well done with the vest!! It looks wonderfully cozy for winter. <3

[Pele Alarion]

@Fuin Elda Well...

@DrifaI'm not that good with hats, but then I sometimes knit lots of socks. :D And a random bigger project like this vest.

@Beowulf I suspect that the fairy in charge of those flowers by the barn is my friend's mum. As for the knitting, I find detailed stuff fun and am bored with anything that doesn't challenge me.

@Taethowen Cables are not really difficult, they just require attention to detail and quite a bit of patience. If I didn't work too much, I'd probably knit more...

@Skwovet Aaaach, I miss my sunrises. It's been so grey and dark, and I haven't seen the sun for weeks. Suppose just have to wait...

As for the new stuff, I haven't taken any pics as I get out only when it is already dark (silly work). Just a couple of pics from the latest Saturday run which at least was not in the dark.

[Taethowen]

You know, overcast skies (especially when they stick around for too long) can be a drag sometimes, and I know so many photographers who love to talk about the golden hour of daylight for taking photos, but there's something calming about the soft light in a picture from a cloudy sky.

Also, as a non-knitter, cables are intimidating, lol! But I'm glad you find them to be not-difficult. They look great on your vest.

[Baphởmet]

Hey, you never know when a fairy will turn up or who they'll turn out to be! We They could be anyone!

Roads always excite the wannabe philosopher in me. I can't quite put my finger on why they fascinate me but I'm always entranced by them. The lighting (especially on the second photo) creates an air of mystery and and metamorphosis. Where is the road going? Who is on the road? Where was the road been? Why am I on this road now? I love all these questions.

These are beautiful shots!

[Pele Alarion]

Well, the roads. But where do you think this footpath is leading?

Also, caught a tiny bit of winter before it all melted away.

[Androthelm]

I love that! The close-up shot on the snow is especially good. How long separated these two? The weather has been warm all winter, here.

[Pele Alarion]

@Androthelm The snow pic is taken on the next day - some 20 km eastwards of the forest location which is almost by the sea. The snow didn't even reach those green hills, though it is almost right there...

[Androthelm]

Well, that explains it -- apart from one very light snowfall on Christmas, we haven't gotten any (cold) weather since November :(

[Marceline]

Those woodsy paths look gorgeous and so peaceful. I’d give a lot to be on trails like that for my runs these days!

How are those sunrises these days? Still quite grey?

[Pele Alarion]

Still haven't seen any sunrises, no. Though today I might just have slept through it: the day was sunny, but I woke up quite late.

However, winter is here again for a bit, and I've tried to capture it.

One of the neibhouring houses has a man who is an excellent gardener with lots of creativity: I have seen him take such care working with the bushes and flowers, and now he had put up these for the holiday season (photo taken before snow - now only faces are left without other decorations)!



Visited mum... it was scary to drive on a gravel road covered in snow and ice, but it was worth it. If the road gets more icy than this, I won't attempt going there though...





Also, managed to fish out my phone to take a couple of pics on my late evening runs through the streets:

[Ta'leus Shieldsong]

Ah look at all that snow @Pele Alarion! I just took my dog for a walk and we got our first nice snow of the season where I am, and I cannot express how happy I am about it.

[Pele Alarion]

@Ta'leus Shieldsong Snow is just lovely, isn't it?

Here is how the lake looks under a blanket of snow, the pic taken yesterday; and this morning there were many guys sitting on ice and fishing.

It snowed a bit more, and finally it was enough to get my skis out. Off I went to make use of winter fun while it lasts for a bit. I must be rusty though, ran into the bushes, fell a few times, bruised my knee, and somehow the ski boots gave me blisters. Still, I regret nothing.

And finally got a lovely sunrise again!

[Nia]

I am so jealous you can just go for a ski round where you live, Pele! The snow photos are gorgeous. We haven't had any snow where I live yet, though I'm still holding out hope!

[Afird Splitax]

Just got our second mayor snowfall in my part of Canada. Still not much snow, but enough to ski on. Thanks for sharing your photos, Pele. So much like home.

[Ta'leus Shieldsong]

Ah you went skiing @Pele Alarion! I’m even more jealous now.

[Pele Alarion]

*basks in outpourings of jealousy* Forecast promises warmer weather and rain as of tonight/tomorrow, so wondering if I should go out to ski, even though it is dark and very windy.
Later edit: well, I did go out and enjoyed skiing so much that now my legs and shoulders are sore, somehow it ended up being almost 12 km... No pics though. I was too busy skiing.

[Pele Alarion]

It has been rather cold, so I have not ventured anywhere far, and don't have too many pics to show off or anything. Only a random winter evening scene and this morning's sunrise:

[Pele Alarion]

Actually... Went for a run and witnessed a beautiful sunset.

[Androthelm]

These are great as always @Pele Alarion! I especially like the second one in that last post -- how cold was it? It doesn't look like there's too much ice in the water.

[Pele Alarion]

@Androthelm The sea doesn't freeze over so easily; it was -7°C or so. At least the lake is covered in ice all over, and the youngsters are having their hockey practice on it.

[Afird Splitax]

Classic shots, Pele! The horizon, the line between heaven and earth, is always breathtaking.

[Pele Alarion]

I guess I'm mostly taking very similar photos lately. Always enjoying lake and sea views, but perhaps they might become boring (the same yet again) to others. Just a couple photos from my Friday run.

[Pele Alarion]

@Tarawen, a collection of various sunset pics for you!

As the evenings become longer, I have been able to catch the amazing sunset views when getting to the sea in time, though as soon as the sun is gone it gets so cold that I have to hurry back home as fast as I can.

Also tried to capture the sight of a ferry leaving the port, but the phone didn't want to cooperate - zooming in only resulted in a grainy and foggy pic.



A conference of crows by the sea, apparently...



Waves at sunset



One evening was not very successful in terms of sunsets: the clouds rolled in, it was very cold and windy.



And a sunrise (now they are often too early for me)

[Marceline]

I'm constantly in awe of the gorgeous view you have - I'll count myself lucky if I someday have views half as beautiful outside my window!

These are all gorgeous, but the second shot you've shared here is so striking. The bright colors in the sky, the rolling waves... Beautiful! I hope you continue trying different angles and points of focus and sharing the results with us here, Pele.

[Pele Alarion]

No more sunrise and sunset pics for the time being...

The spring has come, and the flowers are blooming.

Though one day suddenly there was a flurry of snow.

And while out running, I might have played with a dilemma if I should finish my run in a few minutes or sit down and wait for a bus (arriving after many hours).

[Baphởmet]

I don't know if it was intentional, but I quite enjoyed the narrative of these three pictures tell: the first picture is a bright, colorful picture with a flower blooming, the beginning of new life, then a picture of a wild snow storm with muted colors and a surreal, painting-like quality, then finally the road sign, a sign of industrialization with a single, but very bright splash of color that drowns out the rest of the landscape.

I don't know if this was intentional or not, but either way I think you did fantastic with these photos!

[Afird Splitax]

Love the sea and sky photos! Beautiful! And the colorful wild pansy. They are the prettiest little flower.

[Yávië]

Heya Pele! There's so much to catch up on! I miss skiing and snow so much, though I guess May 1st would be a little late for it in any case. I love seeing your corner of the world, but especially that first sunset pic from the March 12th post where you can see the bubbles left in the sand as the waves roll out, and the snow flurry from the last set. It's such a beautiful shot, but also I kinda want to turn it into an extra hard 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle.

[Pele Alarion]

@Prometherion I mostly put them chronologically, but I like the aspects of story you shared!

@Afird Splitax Well, more sky though with the lake this time, not sea. And flowers.

@Yávië Sometimes there is still snow! *blinks* And I would definitely attempt putting such a puzzle together!

Early work is not that enjoyable, but then again - what other way do I have to spot some wonderful sunrises these days? If I wake up at 8, the sun is already shining full force (if there are no clouds instead).





And flowers; in fact there was a whole carpet of them, but the pics didn't turn out that well.

[Raisins]

Honestly I adore all of the photos of the sunsets and lake shores (and Seriously Frodo stop tempting me! Apparently now that I own my tattoo shop I may have way more disposable income and Covid will not last forever!)

The snowy roads are very familiar to me, even if they aren't where I love I understand how they can be scary especially when they are not the normal. I terrorized my city dwelling friends more than once going for drives on roads that as they put it 'the Gods abandoned after the second snow fall' in a compact car. We're still getting snow here occassionally where I live (woke up this morning to an inch and a half of snow everywhere) so seeing flowers is lovely since atm only place I'm seeing flowers is in a greenhouse.

[Marceline]

The second photo in your most recent post is glorious! I don’t like getting up early, but if those views were available to me...maybe I’d rise earlier more often.

It looks like spring has arrived for you! I hope you’re enjoying time outdoors when you’re not working!

[Pele Alarion]

@Fuin Elda Well... it might not a bad idea to tempt you enough to set out on travel once that is not as dangerous.

@Tarawen Spring definitely seems to be here; it was very hot for a few days, but now it is raining and back to +12C/54F. If only my old Ford wouldn't break down constantly... I'm stuck at home until Wednesday when I can take it to the garage - I think oil is leaking (or something is, since I'm leaving neat puddles on the street wherever I park my car), and brakes are too tight yet again. Also, need to get it sorted either way since I have to take it to the yearly tech inspection and there's no way it will pass in this condition.

Anyway, got a few pics while out running this morning and before getting stressed by misbehaving car on the way back.

When I returned to the parking lot after my run, there was this van... Found it very funny somehow: someone is driving important folks around in their van.

[Marceline]

Oh nooo! I hope things with the car can be sorted out quickly and without too much expense.

I like what you’ve done with the composition of the first photo here! The flower in the middle really stands out. More, please!

[Afird Splitax]

Haha, well I would consider one important at least.

Love the photo of the tree with the white flowers. All the trees are flowering right now. Is it an apple tree, do you know?

[Pele Alarion]

@Jwaein The car is working fine for the time being. :D
@ Afird Splitax It's a wild apple tree. might have some small apples later.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, so I have collected a few random photos. Some are from another visit with my best friend: no matter how often I visit, I still find some interesting corners around that yard.

And what is a vacation without a nature trail!

And a bit of local running and walking adventures

[Raisins]

Wow I love how much variety this latest post. I have to say my favourites are the stone/brick wall with the window I just love the old buildings like that that are so rustic. The speed sign (I'm assuming that's what the 30 is) is also very neat to look at with how you've composed the framing. (I am also pouting about the tiny wild strawberries and will likely go out into my yard and root around and see if I can find any at all - sadly I think it's still far too early for them to be ripe here at this point.)

[Lailyn]

Pele, my gosh, your photos are so beautiful and full of nature, I felt so happy scrolling through these! I especially love the flowers and the sunrises and sunsets and the wealth of color in them. The shots of the nature trail are really lovely, that seems like a place I could while a way a few hours at peace. Do the wooden stairs lead somewhere especially interesting? I often see wooden stairs on trails to waterfalls and that's what I'm now imagining just outside the screen...

[Marceline]

I'm so glad to hear that the car is doing okay!

I think I might just die of envy from the view in the last photo of this bunch! Oh my gosh. What a beautiful sight! The sheer variety of views and experiences you have (no doubt aided by your amazing rogaining treks) is incredible. Please share more from your travels!

[Afird Splitax]

Love the country setting! Wild strawberry! So fun to pick! There is always something interesting to photograph in such a picturesque location.

Great photos, Pele!

[Pele Alarion]

@Fuin Elda Got any wild strawberries? There are lots of such old ruins in Latvia, also castles, not just houses and barns.

@Lailyn Nature is just too lovely not to take photos of. The stairs went up and down to provide a way across a gully; there was the lake not far from one end of the stairs; no waterfalls though.

@ChAoS bRO At least trying to catch a sunset now and then, since sunrises are way too early. Haven't had any rogaining this year , but at least there are individual orienteering and trail running races.

@Afird Splitax Wild strawberries are tasty, though... almost picked and ate a tick too. Luckily noticed it before I popped that handful in my mouth.

Adding a few photos of various greens... Not of the highest quality, since I had to snap the pics of controls quickly before gadflies ate me, or I gave away the location to others.

A greatly camouflaged butterfly!



And quick shots of orienteering control points - the orienteers before me had left a nice trail in the long grass, so it was easier to find:



Expertly hidden control!

[Marceline]

Oooooh I must have been mixing up orienteering and rogaining. I’m glad you’re still getting out and about!

That butterfly is so well-camouflaged- even down to the little spots on its wings. Nice job spotting it and getting a picture!

[Pele Alarion]

@ChAoS bRO Well, orienteering and rogaining technically mean the same activity, just the length difference and team/individual part. lol... Still hoping to do at least one this year, but will see, I suppose. I should probably try and look for a greater variety in pics. :D

[Raisins]

@Pele Alarion Sadly no. I got no wild strawberries. That said I'd bet money give how the WHOLE plants in some cases are missing, the deer got them. (and some will be birds) so I won't begrudge them that too much though I will likely look into getting a few of the wild berries dug up and put into a flower garden so that I can have a decent little patch of them for later.

I love the butterfly shot showing just how well camouflaged it is as well as the orienteering photos I imagine that second one would have been fairly difficult to find!

[Afird Splitax]

Nice moth, Pele! The wings look like leaves. So is The Amazing Race a TV show based on rogaining? Have you ever heard of this TV show? Do the organizers supply the maps? Unfortunately, I have never heard of this activity before. I don't know why. I guess I have been living underground too long.

[Pele Alarion]

@Afird Splitax I think Amazing Race is too long and too boring. Rogaining is a wilderness thing; you get a map and have to find control points with various values and collect as many as you can within the given period. I'll show you my orienteering map; rogaining ones are of much bigger area but very similar. This one was a tough route, and the green thingy marks my wanderings - after a couple of hours I gave up because I saw that I wouldn't be able to finish within any reasonable time.

Also, a few more pics of adventures before the car broke down yet again. Another captured sunrise...

A lily

And a wall

[Pele Alarion]

Even though currently my car has broken down yet again, managed to visit two nature trails with my friend and her nephew before that.

Part I: The disc golf trail (and also another one of which I have no pics)

Once upon the time this Ranger picked up her sword and shield...



...and decided to swap a horse for a wild hog to use as means of transport...



... to visit a forest-dwelling friend...



... who spent hours combing her long hair...



...and treated her guests with a lot of honey!

[Pele Alarion]

Part II: another trail alongside a lovely little river: