Last Selfie of the Year

Weird weather for the last day of the year. 11C, no wind and a very gray sky. Went for a two and a half hour bike ride. Took the LSotY sitting on the bench at the execution rock rock at Hanveden. Still feeling the effect from the flu. Oh, and I tried smiling but I didn't have the energy for that. See you next year.

A cold day at the beach

A Winter visit to the beach. Although it might have been a cold Autumn day as well. One tough dad had a pick-nick with his kids a little higher up the grassy hill. Two cyclists were enjoying coffee and photography at the smaller beach. A woman were sitting on the cliffs, that must have been a bit on the cold side. I sat on a bench for ten minutes toughening it out before biking home again.

Ice

There's absolutely nothing to photograph anywhere but I still gave it a go. The temperature read 5C today so I dressed as it had said -20C before going on a very slow bike ride. A very thin layer of ice covers most of the Lower Lake at the Rudan nature reserve and this was the only photo of any interest that I managed to take.

Optimera

One of three apartment buildings currently under construction at Tuvvägen in Handen. Optimera is the name of a store used by professionals in the construction industry.

That Old Tree

The world was still there when I decided to leave the house today. Horrible weather. And that is also pretty much how I felt. Still coughing and snoring so it wasn't a very pleasant bike ride to the old tree.

Towers During Sunset

You have seen them before, and chances are you will see them again. The Water Towers in Handen. Because of the intuitive design they will always look different. This was the scene one december afternoon not too long ago during a colorful sunset.

A Winter Landscape

Okay lets get the important fact out first. This is not a photo from today. I took this photo two weeks ago. When we still had snow, because it is long gone today.I'm calling this photo Le Quattro Stagione. Many new homes will be built at Nedersta in Västerhaninge in the coming year or so. To try and sell the houses the new complex has been named Årstiderna, The Four seasons, after Vivaldi. They are: Vårkanten, Sommargården, Höststigen och Vintergatan. If you speak the local lingo you can read more about it here. goo.gl/ybFNdr Oh, and if you turn right just after the horse pasture and follow the path you will be at the old tree within a couple of minutes.

Julglögg

One good thing with having the flu at Christmas is that they will not let you in to the kitchen to fix the dinner. So instead of taking care of the prinskorv I can sit back and down a few glasses of starkvinsglögg . I have had two glasses now and I am starting to feel the effect of the alcohol.

Pepparkakshus

I was feeling ill when I snapped this photo of a pepparkakshus at the cafe earlier in the week, and as it is ten km ride home I left minutes later. Since then I have spent around 72 hours in bed with a high fever only interrupted by some serious vomiting! God Jul!

A Colorful Sunset

It's nice when you can shoot a photo or two without leaving the house. I took this snap from the veranda a few days ago. I guess the colorful sunsets is one good thing this time of the year.

A Bokeh Christmas

Lit up Christmas tree or Julgran at Tuvvägen in Handen.

Sixteen Tungelsta Snaps

Horse in a forest at Mulsta. View over Mulsta. Ice under the Krigslida bridge. Construction site at Lillgården. The commuter station. My cousin Ewy's dog enjoying the snow. Mulsta Länsmansboställe. Frozen padlock. Mulsta Länsmansboställe again. Ankaret. Pre-school. Trees. Nypon. Snow covered trees. Plant. Houses at Lillhammar.

Get your Julgran here

If you need a "Julgran" for Christmas you can get one here. Next to the Sibylla fast food joint in Handen.

Monochrome Winter

My reflection in a window at the Tungelsta school. Fence along the railway track. Snow on a roof at an old greenhouse nursery turned biker club headquarters.

Need Snow?

Do you need some snow? Don't have enough of the white stuff for Christmas this year? If so, buy one of these. A snow gun from TechnoAlpin. Yours for only 450 000 SEK. The local ski club Jordbänningen decided that they needed two (2), snow machines. I was hoping to see it action yesterday at the Rudan nature reserve, but it was covered with blue tarp, probably because it was one degree too warm for the machine. I stuck around for a while hoping to get a few good snaps of the skiers but there was only two people there and you can see one of them here.

Winter Candids

Three candid Winter snaps from Tungelsta. Lots of 4-wheelers out on the roads this time of the year, especially on weekends. You don't see too many cyclists but they are out there as are the joggers.

Lets have the coffee in the garden

Winter at Mulsta in Tungelsta.

Another sudden change in the weather

It is starting to look like it could be a white Christmas this year. This was the scene at the construction site at Lillgården a couple of days ago.

A Dramatic sky over the lake

There was a day earlier in the week with a dramatic sky and surprisingly warm weather, around 9C. I decided to head over to the Lower Lake at the Rudan nature reserve for a few photos. This woman beat me to it and we spent ten minutes talking. She is retired, lives at Gudö in Vendelsö. She had a long career with work abroad. She told me about a visit to Australia where she spent some time at a friends place in Perth. One thing she remembers especially from Down Under was seeing the black swans. I told her about Grace who have photographed the swans a few times.

Bokeh Sleigh

Time to turn on the lights again

Fifty or so lamps like these lights up the path to the cultural centre in Handen for the second year running. An Installation by Olsson & Linder.

Golden Glow

This apartment building is part of a complex called Haninge Park. Situated at the Folkets Park in Handen. I remember taking a bunch of photos here years ago as they were building it. And I have also taken a few portraits of the people that lives here. This was the scene earlier this week. The low standing Winter sun glowing in the windows.

Abstract Dots

Lots of lights in different forms to aim the camera at this time of the year. Like this one that i found along Tungelstavägen.

I see a star

Every time I spot this logo I start thinking about Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, revolution, freedom fighters and more. But I guess a star shaped logo can stand for pretty much anything. Any guesses?

The dark side of minimalism

Windows at the newly redesigned Najaden building at Rudsjöterrassen on Sunday afternoon. One or two rooms were lit up and I noticed a few people in one office, but most of the lights were out so when I spotted this "adventsljusstake" in one window I knew that I ha to get a shot of that.

Shop 'til You Drop

It's that time of the year again when many people shop 'til they drop. Here is a look at a Christmas light feature above one entrance to the mall in Handen.

Glowing in the dark

Stock market line graph? Electrocardiogram? Heart monitor line? Nope, but a line that you can see glowing in the dark at the thermal power plant, Drefvikens Värmeverk in Jordbro this time of the year.

Illuminated Tree

I don't care much for Christmas, as a holiday, but anything that will help to light up a dark December day will get my approval. This was taken just after 1500 hours the other afternoon near the Västerhaninge shopping centre.

Football training cancelled

This is the transition time between football and ice-hockey.

Radhus

This was the scene at Slätmossen in Handen yesterday. A thin layer of snow on the ground. The cold weather has returned and with it some new snow. Swedish word of the day. Radhus. Row houses.

Recent Snaps

Horse &sulky at the old tree. Big crane at Haningeterrassen. Bathroom mirror selfie. Sunset at the commuter station. Grass at the Lower Lake. Jujja outside the cafe, shot from Jim's living-room window. Builder balancing with a plank on a roof. House that probably will be gone soon. Asphalt paving outside a new apartment building at Tuvvägen. Flygbra.se Tiny Christmas ball at the cafe, Jim is giving me the finger. Snow storm. Singing bird at a pond. Snowy bench at Slätmossen. Christmas lights where I didn't expect to see it. Ice pattern.

Two Christmas Stars

And one ladder. At the newly redesigned office building Najaden at Rudsjöterrassen in Handen.

That Old Tree

The old tree just after sunset yesterday afternoon. The day started with sunshine and a blue sky. Then came the rain,(see the rainbow snap from yesterdays post). When the rain stopped I was sitting at the cafe, and as it started to get dark I pedalled for home and this was the only pit stop.

Rainbow over the towers

Rainbow over the water towers in Handen. Fourteen photos stitched together. Shot with the Canon 6D and the Nifty Fifty lens. It was raining as I took the photos and I stood unprotected so I had to be quick. The buildings in front of the towers was once part of the Fredrika Bremer secondary school.

Minimalistic Architecture

The Najaden building dates back to the early 1980s. It was a horrible looking building at the Rudsjöterrassen in Handen, overlooking the lakes at the Rudan nature reserve. It's an office building with a hotel, gym, and much more. It got a new owner a while back, and is currently undergoing a major facelift. Most of it behind curtains so to speak but a little over a week ago they removed some of those curtains and out came a very sleek and minimalistic design. If you are strong enough, Press here to see the old design. They are not finished yet but I will take more photos in the coming months.

Silhouette

As seen at the Lower lake at the Rudan nature reserve yesterday.

That time of the year again

This must be a new Christmas tradition. I guess they idea is to jump on the decorations? As seen in the Västerhaninge shopping centre yesterday.

Sixteen November Images

Cracked bucket buried in the sand at the beach. Utility box in Handen. Winter leftover ice. Pier at Årsta Havsbad on a warm (9C), November day. Najaden, office building at Rudsjöterrassen getting a face lift. Pump your bike here. Remains from an old building on a hillside at Tuvvägen. Two new buildings at Tuvvägen. Selfie reflection snap at a new BMX-thingy near Eskilsparken. Jujja leaving the cafe earlier this afternoon. The water towers. Sunset at Hanveden. Swans on the field in front of Årsta castle. Truck heading for the Jordbro industrial area, shot from a pedestrian bridge. Bridge railing sunset. Two guys cleaning up my favorite beach.

Building Site

Tuvvägen in Handen is a busy building site at the moment. You can see three apartment buildings currently under construction in this photo and also one that was finished earlier in the year. I'm sure it will look less messy when they are done here.

Water Towers in November

Two recent photos of the water towers in handen. I took snaps both with the old Canon using the 85mm lens. I took the sunset photo yesterday afternoon. The foggy photo is an early afternoon photo from a few days ago.

Winter balcony

A photo from a couple of days ago when there was some snow left. This is the new retirement home at Lillgården in Tungelsta. It was the snow on the furniture that made me stop for a photo. Every time I walk by here I wonder about that missing window.

That Old Tree

What a difference a week can do. It was just a few days ago that I showed you a photo with the old tree surrounded by deep snow. Well, since then it has been much warmer and most of the snow in Haninge is already gone. This was the scene at the tree yesterday.