Groovy Reflection

The last photo of 2013. The big window at City Hall in Handen, with a few Christmas decorations still shining. The building that you can see in the reflection is the Stena building at Poseidon's Square.

A Green Winter

This really is a green Winter. The green grass here are the greens at the Fors golf course. The red buildings in the background belongs to the farm Östergården.

Winter at Berga

The sun came back today. With a blue sky for at least for a few hours, so I jumped on the bike and headed out for a spin. This is the Agricultural College Berga seen from the old Kapp Ekeby village road. Around 3C and no wind so it was a nice ride and I did meet a lot of people out cycling, jogging and walking.

Misty Road

This is how I feel at the moment. It is also the current weather situation.

Sleigh lights

If you can see this photo you have survived another Christmas. That's weird. I published this post yesterday but apparently that didn't work, so here we go again.

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire fence post at Skogs Ekeby in Tungelsta. Shot on a misty afternoon (today).

That Old Tree

It was on a Christmas Day walk back in 2005 that I started the project That Old Tree. Since that day I have walked down this path 358 times. The weather today was different from 2005, but one thing was the same, the lack of snow. On this walk it was raining from a very grey sky. Horrible weather, I only met the people on this promenade, everyone else was at home yelling at their relatives.

Saved By Birdman

Earlier this year the municipality planned to demolish this fine old building, Klockargården in Västerhaninge. The building dates back to around 1860 and was used as a school for many years. I believe that my grandfather was a student here for a few years. My friend Birdman whom you have met here a few times, and who lives in an apartment on the second floor, was obviously very upset about that decision. So he decided to do whatever he could to save the building, (and his home). He called a few journalists and got in contact with the local historical association. And a few months later the politicians changed their mind and decided to spend three million SEK for the restoration of Klockargården. One of those politicians that helped save the building was Peter Olevik-Dunder, whom you have also met here on the blog. God Jul everyone.

Twas the day before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas (we celebrate on the 24th), and these happy people were queuing outside the Systembolaget in Västerhaninge, waiting for the chance to queue a bit more inside. Systembolaget is the government owned chain of liquor stores, and the only (legal), place where you can shop alcoholic beverages. Skål!

A Grey Day At Little Lake

A grey December day at little lake in Jordbro. Compared to a Calm Day in August. Looks like we will have a grey Christmas this year. No snow in sight.

Lighting installation

Do something cool at the commuter station in Jordbro why don't you said the municipality to Olsson and Linder. This is what they came up with. Big light balls. Olsson and Linder then asked the kids in Jordbro to come up with words to be written on the light balls. So now you can read words like Love, Fun, and a few others in different languages for the second year running.

Another grey day

No sign of the sun lately. Everything is grey and dark. This is a little birch forest in Handen next to the Slätmossen nature park, you don't see too many people here, just the odd dog owner and nutty photographer.

Fitness Is Religion

Pentecostalism is out. Fintess is in.iForm will open a gym in the former church in Tungelsta soon. Sounds like progress to me.

That Old Tree

Another grey day at the old tree.

The Before Photos

I climbed up a hill in Handen a few days ago. The reason for that was to find a good spot for shooting photos of old City Hall and the two big water towers. Both places will look very different in the near future. The City Hall building which is located at the Haninge mall has been empty for nearly six years. PEAB will now rebuild it into an apartment complex. New balconies will be added and windows will be changed . If you stand on the roof of that building you can see for miles away in every direction. As for the water towers, they will get a reflective surface with different colored triangles that will change color during the season and even during the day. One tower will reflect the sky and the other the surrounding area. I think I found a good spot so expect to see updated views every now and then.

A Stylish Writer

He was a good dresser back in the day Ivar Lo Johansson. And it looks like he is keeping that up even after his death. This was his look today when I spotted him across the road from the grocery store in Tungelsta.

A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas

Out walking yesterday I decided to circle the greenhouse in the park in Tungelsta where there was a Christmas Market. On one photo I managed to get a snap of the guitarist in the rock band Lugnet, Bonden Jansson kissing his girlfriend who is wearing a "tomteluva".

Weather Update

Grey skies. Rain. Cold. The little snow we got a while back is long gone. This was the scene at the commuter station in Tungelsta earlier today.

Partik Afrika 2013

Found this on a "elskåp" in Handen. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it all means.

Cafe Window

Leaving my favorite cafe, Malmens konditori one December afternoon earlier in the week. Jim is sitting at the desk by the window working on some 3D thingy. Lasse is leaving after a cup of coffee and a chat with me, he is heading back to the Cultural Centre.

December Sunset

Sunset at the power plant in Jordbro early afternoon in December. This was a couple of days ago. I was on the bike and stopped for a few photos when I noticed all the smoke.

Icefishing

That was quick, considering that we got the first snow only last week. This ice fisher at Lower Lake Rudan in Handen told me that the ice was around 5 cm thick. I took the photo yesterday, today it is raining a bit and it is 2C.

Lizzie's old house

Anyone who used the subway in Stockholm back in the 1970s saw her sitting there playing the clarinet at Sergels Torg. The street musician Lizzie Norlin, more known under the nick name The Garlic Lady. I saw her most every day when I took the bus to school from Tungelsta to Jordbro. Always dressed in black. Always with that smell of garlic around her. There was countless stories going around about Karin, which was her real name. This is where she lived, in a little house at Runvägen in Tungelsta. She lived between 1914 and 2000. The house have been left abandoned since her death.

That Old Tree

I took the first real Winter promenade yesterday after shooting the steam train. Ended up walking over to the old tree. A few degrees below zero and a bit windy at this first Winter look at the Swedish Whitebeam. If you have eagle eyes you can spot a green spot further down the path, it was out walking it's dog.

Full Steam Ahead

Once or twice every year you can travel between Stockholm and Nynäshamn with one of the steam trains from the Nynäshamn Railway Museum. This locomotive was in traffic between 1907 and 1966. If you missed the chance today you can try again tomorrow.

Stuck in the ice

Antiklimax. Swedish word of the day. I had hoped to go out and shoot some Winter scenes today. To show you the aftermath of the first Winter storm. Only problem is the storm never arrived. At least not yet. So instead I give you this "arty" snap from yesterday. A Coca-Cola can stuck in the ice. In the background the commuter train from Stockholm at the Tungelsta station.

It's snowing

It started to snow just now. It is the first sign of the storm that is slowly approaching. The storm has been named Sven.

The Ice Animal

More abstract ice art from Välsta.

Abandoned Farm House

Rune Carlsson grew up in this now abandoned little house at Stav in Tungelsta with his brothers and parents. He was a very good friend to my father. He was always very happy when you saw him. Growing up he learned to play the accordion, and he would often play at the local folkparks In Haninge. Rune passed away a couple of weeks ago.

A Tired Cyclist

Note to self. Never go for a bike ride during a storm. That's what I did yesterday. It was a very tough workout so when I rode down this straight at Stav in Tungelsta I didnt have the strength to pedal, so I stopped for a photo.

Power Outage

December started with a storm. I was out on a bike ride and came to a complete stand still because of the strong headwind when I was at Stav. When I came back home I was hoping for a cup of coffee. But instead there was a power outage. And everything went pitch dark. That is never any fun. It lasted all afternoon. So the Swedish word of the day is Strömavbrott. Power outage. And I got a good photo for the theme day standing on the veranda looking out at all the blackness. Theme day. Looking out.

That Old Tree

The last day of November started a bit chilly. -6C when I woke up. A few hours later heading to the old tree the outdoor thermometer showed 0C.

Good Luck

This is a three photo panorama. Must have been the shortest delivery route this Coca Cola truck driver has ever made. You can see the big Coca-Cola plant to the left. The truck is parked in front of a Pressbyrån kiosk at the Jordbro commuter station. Every Christmas Coca-Cola try their best to sell us their soft drink for the holiday, but it never works. If you are a real Swede you will drink Julmust at the Christmas table.

The Big Ark

Work have started on the next phase of construction at Stora Arken (The Big Ark), in central Handen. Ten years ago it was a forested area, now it is filled with apartment buildings and a few more will be built here over the next months. I stopped there yesterday and shot a number of panoramic views.

Graffiti

ЯE√ΩLAT⇑✹N. Found at a pedestrian tunnel in Jordbro.

Julbelysning

Swedish word of the day. Julbelysning. Christmas lights. As seen earlier today at the shopping centre in Västerhaninge.

Ice

Ice on a path.

Husvagn

Swedish word of the day. Husvagn. Caravan. Comes from the two words Hus (which means Home), and Vagn (which means Wagon). The reason I had for taking the photo of the Husvagn, parked in front of Lakeside at Rudan, was the ice. It sure is getting colder and more Winter-like now.

A Bench

There has been a lot of logging in Haninge this Autumn. Not sure why. Most of the trees arent all that big or dead or anything really. But maybe they (the municipality), can produce some new benches from all that timber? This bench stands on a path that is used by people heading to and from the Rudan nature reserve from Jordbro.

The Chapel

For a few decades this little wooden cottage in Handen has served as a Greek Orthodox Chapel. It used to be blue, a very fitting Greek color, but a few months ago when the nearby Gula Villan got a new layer of paint, someone decided to repaint the Chapel as well!

That Old Tree

This must be the darkest November month in many years. It's like the sun is missing all together. Grey skies and rain is the current weather situation. This was the scene at the old tree earlier in the week. The flickrverse seem to like this photo, around 7000 hits as I'm typing this.

In the forest

Took a walk in the forest at the Bronze Age burial ground yesterday. A few people have seen a Shaman here so whenever I'm in the area I keep my eyes open for him or her, but all I could see in the forest on this visit were trees.

The price of fuel

Around 14 SEK for one litre of fuel today at the Jet station in Jordbro.

Logging

Lots of logging in Haninge this month. This is near the Biofuel power plant in Jordbro. I wonder if the cut down trees will end up as fuel at the power plant?

Under The bridge

The farmer at Nödesta, Janne, wasn't to happy about the whole idea of building a bridge on the land that he uses. But now when the bridge, that crosses the railroad, is a reality he seems to have found one good use of it.