Category: Agfa Flexilette.

Christmas isn’t that far away.

November 25, 2024 · 10 Comments ·

Less than one month to christmas or Jul (Yule) as we call it and it is even less left until it stops getting darker and turns toward longer days again. Even though December is just as grey and dreary as any winter month it still feels better just because Christmas really starts at December first. People put up the electric Advent stars and electric Advent candlestick in the windows, some decorate with lights in their gardens, most just a few light chains but at some go all american as we say and decorate with so much strains and figures that most of us say: Yeah their electrical bill will cost a fortune 🙂 🙂 🙂

Mixed photos today because the weather has been nasty with strong winds and rain. Warm though with over 10 C (50 F) temperature. This is from a film camera called Agfa Ambi Silette.

Most outside decorations are pure white but some do get multi colored ones and I really like that. Back in the days people who used colored lights in any christmas decorations were seen as a bit odd, perhaps even tasteless 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m so glad we aren’t that hysterical now days 🙂 🙂 🙂 A lot of people have already started with the decorations of course and it seems as the younger they are the earlier they start which of course more conservative people think destroys the joy and believe that people will get tired of it too early, too bad that those making christmas tv commercials are more conservative because those adds are already tiresome I think since they started in late October 🙂 🙂 🙂

These photos were taken with a camera called Agfa Ambiflex.

However the advent candlestick with live candles must be prepared before Sunday. I usually have one but I never light the candles, I have this phobia when it comes to live candles and living in a wood cottage built 1911 🙂 🙂 🙂 I would have to blow out the candles and then place the whole thing outdoors, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep before I had put it outside 🙂 🙂 🙂 It doesn’t help having a kitten, now also named the monster, walking around burning candles 🙂 🙂

These were taken with a camera called Nikon F75. If You ever want to start with film photography this is the camera I would recommend.

The tradition on when to bring the Yule spruce as the christmas tree is called here and when to dress it varies a lot. Some bring it in already around Advent,dress it as soon as possible and happily throws it out as soon as they can after christmas (usually around the 27th) Others wait to bring it in until the day before christmas which is at the 23d here since our big day is christmas eve and will dress it either late the 23d or more unusual at christmas eve morning. My family brought it in the 13th, the day we celebrate Saint Lucia, for some reason we celebrate a catholic saint in this once strictly Lutheran country 🙂 . WE dressed the tree as soon as it had settled and since we never were able to make it survive for more than a few days and then the needles started to drop we too tossed it outside around the 27th 🙂 🙂 🙂

These were taken with a Voightländer Bessamatic.

The old traditions about celebrating christmas were of course very different than they are now, for some reason we now have a big, fat and jolly Santa (we call him the Yule Gnome) giving out presents, yes the kids meet the Yule Gnome on the 24th here. Also he arrives in a sled pulled by reindeers. Back in the days he came to rich people who could afford presents. Usually a small Yule gnome dressed in green and perhaps a red cap came to the homes followed by either a horse pulling a sled or the same small gnome followed by a goat pulling a smaller sled, I guess he came to those with a good economy but never especially rich people 🙂 🙂 🙂 But to be honest he wasn’t the first one to deliver presents, we had the Yule goat before him. One believes that he either was one of Thor’s goat from the old Norse gods but I’ve also heard from one of the old people when I was a kid, back in the stone age that is 🙂 that he was the devil forced to do good one day every year 🙂 🙂

I’ll tell You all about this the closer we get to Christmas 🙂 It will be rose hip soup again today and not too late because I wake up in the middle of night if I have too much 🙂 🙂

Have a great day!

A storm passing by.

August 23, 2024 · 8 Comments ·

The weather was rather nice this morning while I drove to work but not so nice when I drove back home. Now there’s a storm passing by, it rains on and off plus the sky is mostly evenly grey. The dogs are outside only when they really need to do their business and then runs straight back indoors again. It’s fairly warm though so even if we’re closing in to when we normally have our first frost I’m pretty sure it won’t come tonight 🙂 I’ve just taken a look at the weather sites and all show that nights will be so warm that there’s no risk of frost the coming ten days 🙂

The storm will have passed already tonight so with a bit of luck we’ll have a pretty nice morning walk with a chance of sunshine. I don’t have high hopes about the sunshine though, the sun usually only start to show when we’re almost at home 🙂 🙂

People at work are already giving me tips on where they might need more people and the atmosphere at work has never been as bad as it is right now but I know for sure that they won’t change their minds about me. I’m still not worried the least though because I’ll take any job there is as long as the work hours aren’t during nights. One thing annoyes me even though I know people mean well, many have said that they miss me already 🙂 🙂 🙂 For heavens sake can’t they wait to do that until I’m actually gone 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m still talking to everyone every day after all 🙂 🙂 🙂

No new photos today because of the weather but I do have old analog photos (for those who don’t know what I mean with that, I quite often use the old film cameras and I have loads of those photos here in my computer) I can show and also made a folder called “For a rainy day”. Today is a rainy day so that works fine 🙂 It is time for a last cup of tea for the day and after that perhaps watch some tv, well I tend to fall asleep in front of the tv to be honest but that’s just as good or perhaps even better than to watch what’s on the telly 🙂

These photos are taken with an old camera called Agfa Flexilette. It was never popular to be honest. It’s a twin lens reflex camera and that means that one is looking through a separate lens via the view finder but take the photo with a separate lens beneath the view finder. Here’s a link to Google that will show photos of that camera: Flexilette

Have a great day!

Snowstorm and new car.

December 22, 2023 · 4 Comments ·

The snowstorm Pia passed by yesterday evening and all night long. I had borrowed my neighbors car and if there’s one thing one doesn’t want to do is to wreck their car because one was driving careless 🙂 🙂 🙂 So even though I went home half an hour earlier I still came home a few minutes later than I normally would have done 🙂 🙂

A15659_001A — As You can see this photo wasn’t taken today but was taken last spring (with my Agfa Flexilette) but it shows the only big building, besides the castle, that still stands in what once was a thriving village.

20231222_111056 — This is just beside the previous building.

The car dealer and I had agreed to meet around 1pm and I was going to get there by bus. The bus would leave my bus station at 12:05 and on a sunny and nice day in spring or summer it takes around 45 minutes to walk there,so since the world now once again is filled with that white crap (and the fact that it rained a lot before the snow fell and it went cold) I decided to start early, I’m so glad I have studded boots because the snow didn’t stick well to the ice covered road. Today it took almost exactly one hour.

20231222_113302 — This is the creek where it flows out in to the lake.

I think I would have thought the world was beautiful if I hadn’t had to walk in this mess 🙂 🙂 I only brought my phone so only a few photos today. The wind was still blowing pretty hard and it was bitterly cold. Well walking and wearing really good winter clothes did help but standing and waiting for the bus still made me pretty cold inside.

20231222_113436 — The road leading to the castle. Big oaks grown on each side of it.

I managed to get there in time and went to the grocery store on my way home. They usually like when I tell them about my car problems 🙂 🙂 So we had a good laugh before I finally drove home again. I haven’t had much sleep to be honest but I think the short nap I had in my recliner will help me to stay awake until at least 9 pm 🙂 🙂

20231222_114423 — There once was a big yellow house standing behind those Birches. I guess it was the rectory but now days priests usually don’t live beside the churches they work in.

Only one previous owner and it has a new cam belt, that was the thing that made me want to have it without even seeing it in a photo 🙂 🙂 It has six gears, something I need to get used to. The only things I really made sure to know about before I drove home was to know how to open the fuel filler flap, something I didn’t understand with the borrowed car, I had to phone them to know how 🙂 how to handle the different lights and how to control the heat in the car, it took me over a day before I understood it in the borrowed car 🙂 🙂 🙂 Cruise control and how to manage to radio can be learned later 🙂 🙂 🙂

20231222_125854 — This is at the bus stop in a village called Ljung. I like how they decorated the tree like that. Back in the days before they brought in spruces at christmas they often brought in a young crab apple tree, dressed it and if they were lucky it had green leafs and perhaps even small flowers when christmas arrived.

Winter vacation started today so no more work until January 8 🙂

Have a great day!

20231222_150507 — My new car and a very happy Alma 🙂

I ordered two batteries.

August 18, 2023 · 2 Comments ·

The hunting season started this week and the hunters has been out in the forest since Wednesday morning and will be out all day until Sunday evening. It’s the Roe deer buck hunting that starts but they will also hunt wild hogs. We have so many wild hogs here now and they’ve started to destroy the roads in the forest so I won’t complain if they shoot lots of them.

In my garden right now. The Venus Flytrap is in bloom.

The Sarracenias do take their time to open up their flowers, it has looked the same for almost a week now 🙂

That however means we’ll not be able to take any walks until Monday. We could have if I had been able to stop Albin and Alma screaming and pulling the leash every time they see another animal, especially if it is moving but it’s just impossible to reach them when they are like that and if we’ll walk in the village we’ll see plenty of animals moving around and also a couple of joggers. I do have to say that Alma now days is much calmer than she used to be, actually so much that it’s hard to believe she’s the same dog.

Hedgerow cranesbill, Geranium pyrenaicum.

It is fairly warm here now but a thick layer of clouds is covering the sky and they’re guessing it’ll be like that until Monday. The occasional shower will pass by as well and now I’m getting really tired of that rain. Why can’t it just fly to those places in need of rain instead of locking towards us all the time 🙂 🙂 Then again that’s better than to have that heatwave they once again will have in southern Europe, just as bad as the ones they’ve already had.

My Eastern Redbud never grows any higher than this because every spring and late frost keep on killing most of it every year.

Kirengeshoma palmata, the Yellow waxbell.

I really should use my brain when ordering something online. A couple of days ago I ordered two batteries to my old Nikon F75 camera. I could either have them delivered to the grocery store in Gudhem or shipped to my cottage. Well I really didn’t want to drive up there again just to fetch two batteries, each half the size of an AA battery, so I clicked that they should drive it here. It wasn’t until I already had clicked ok to the order that I realized that the shipping cost were three times as much as what the two batteries cost 🙂 🙂 🙂 What really annoyed me was the size of the package, You can see it in the photo below.

So they came in a box one foot long and they didn’t put anything else in the box than those two batteries 🙂 🙂 Why didn’t they just send them in a padded envelope?

A15659_006A — Three photos from the Agfa Flexilette.

A15659_008A

It is time for a last cup of tea for the day and after that I’ll most likely doze off in front of the tv 🙂

Have a great day!

Almost forgot :-)

June 11, 2023 · Leave a comment ·

a (4) — My fly eating bucket will soon be complete. It will be as soon as the Venus flytraps grew up again 🙂

I almost forgot to write something here today. I can’t say that I’ve been very busy but I’ve been doing things all day but in a slow but steady pace. We’ve been out on our walks so now we all have plenty more mosquito bites but it looks like the dogs don’t feel the itching either any more. Now the mosquitoes are mostly just annoying. The ticks however are everywhere right now. I pick the occasional one from Nova and Albin but I pick at least ten from Alma after each walk. I miss very few though so it feels like I’m in control 🙂 🙂

a (9)

I’ve done the laundry like always and also dinner for next week at work plus I baked some Sorghum (and Teff) scones. They actually taste pretty close to normal ones. If I don’t have any Teff flour at home I’ll use either corn or rice flour. They are a bit dry no matter what flour I use but the taste is good. I’ve also had a whole chicken in the slow cooker, not for me but the dogs. It looks like Albin now is allergic to Tuna. Every time he gets some in his food the eczema blows up again. He has been able to eat chicken before so I’ll give them all some tomorrow and see what happens.

a (26)

I’ve watered the vegetable and potato patches and also the trees I’ve planted and the pots I have with different citrus trees and the potato sprouts I planted. It looks like nothing will happen in one of those pots with potato sprouts so now I can plant something else in it 🙂 I bought more soil on Friday, turns out they had plenty at the grocery store in the village where I work, I’ve just not been able to see it. I usually park at the side of the store, no doors and windows there. This time however I parked the car in front of the entrance and they had a couple of pallets with soil on the other side of the doors 🙂 🙂

So that’s what I’ve been doing, not much but sort of continuously. I’ve also tried to photograph the Hornets that now comes to a Cotoneaster I have in the garden. They love the flowers on it. To be honest the entire bush is sort of ugly and the flowers are tiny but the Hornets just can’t resist them 🙂 🙂 I’ve read that they mostly drink sap from trees and very rarely nectar from flowers so that ugly little bush will stay 🙂 Hornets eats lots of flies (and unfortunately also some of the Beekeepers bees) and anything that eat flies are best friends of mine 🙂

A15660_001 — Two from the Rolleicord. I had forgotten how to let go of the shutter and here is when I found how to do it 🙂

A15660_002 — Can’t remember taking this one 🙂

A15659_015A

Have a great day!

Felt warmer than it was.

June 10, 2023 · Leave a comment ·

The thermometer said it wasn’t that hot today, 23C (73,4F) but the dogs said otherwise. The cool wind should have helped one could think but it didn’t. I mostly hid in the shadows so to me the day has been pretty nice 🙂

It was rather cool in the early morning though and it seems the mosquitoes like that too, so we had company the entire walks 🙂 🙂 Still I’ve now been bitten so much that I really don’t feel the itch any longer. Still just a few horse flies and their relatives and I know it’s useless to hope that it could stay that way but I can’t but hope 🙂 🙂 Besides walking with the dogs, making my lunch and watering the vegetables and potatoes I really haven’t done much today. I did take a nap as well though. Time has just flown away but I guess that’s what happens when one feel good 🙂 🙂

Mowing the lawn isn’t something one should do during a drought but I had to today. Only the part where the thorny roses and slow and the false spirea grew because those shoots were growing rapidly now. Isn’t it strange that when most vegetation struggles with no or very little water in the ground those things we don’t want just shrugges and keep on growing 🙂 🙂 I keep on pulling up their roots but there are so many and they are so twined that the majority of them stays in the ground. I have however no problems what so ever with the vicious roses on the other side of the garden, they behave nicely 🙂 🙂

There’s nothing I want to watch on tv so I could read a book or perhaps bake bread for the coming week but I have no energy to do either. I guess it’s the pollen that sort of slows down my brain but keep the will of not doing anything well alive 🙂 :-)I could go outside and scare away all the magpies because they have now kicked out their younglings from the nest, always before they can fly, and now they protest loudly every time they think the young ones are in danger and it sounds like they always are 🙂 🙂 The Jackdaws have built a nest in my neighbors chimney so they’ll have to remove that before the fire in the stove season starts. They don’t have the hearts to do it now 🙂

A15659_031A — Four taken with the Agfa Flexilette.

A15659_036A

Have a great day!

Poor little cat.

June 9, 2023 · 2 Comments ·

I bought three Sarracena plants the previous weekend. This one had a too small pot so I planted it yesterday, the other two will be planted tomorrow. They are almost hardy enough to survive a winter here but these will be wintering in my cool cellar.

So yesterday when I came to work I noticed something fluffy and white lying in the middle of the road without moving. It didn’t take long before I saw that it was a cat. For some reason no one stopped to check on it and at that time there’s a lot of traffic. I parked my car, went out and stopped the traffic because I thought that it at least should be moved to the grass beside the road. I realized that it still was alive when I picked it up.

Yellow flowers towards a light green background doesn’t work in cameras 🙂

Rosa glauca, Red leafed rose, too. Pink flowers towards red leafs doesn’t work either 🙂 🙂

The poor little cat started to purr as soon as I held it, not because it liked it but because it was scared and injured. It didn’t have any visible injuries and was so clean it looked like it just had been washed. It did feel pain when I held my hand towards its ribs and the gum was totally white, so even if it hadn’t been run over the risk of really bad injuries inside it was most likely. I sat down on a park bench we have outside the entrance door and was just about to leave to go to the vet with the cat when the owner came out from their house (my work friend recognized the cat and knew it came from the rather big house beside the factory).

Nova decided that we should go the shorter walk today, so we went down to the bog. The gravel road was lined with Chamomiles.

I don’t know if the cat survived but I hope I’ll meet the owner again. I really can’t walk up and knock on the door and ask if the cat still lives, especially since their children love that cat. Today the summer vacation starts so it would be a terrible start of it if the cat didn’t survive. What I can’t understand is how all those cars just passed it. The one hitting it might not have noticed that they hit a cat since it wasn’t run over but everyone else that just passed it? The least one can do is to move it to the grass because lorries and tractors drive often on that road and they might not see it before it’s too late and no one want to find what’s left of their cat in the middle of the road just outside their home.

Otherwise it’s been a nice week with lots of sunshine and a bit too warm. My garden is usually the last place that dries out when we’re having a drought and now my garden is drying out. The grass doesn’t grow any more, which I don’t mind at all 🙂 So I water my vegetable and potato patches every day now and I also support watering all the trees I’ve planted this year. The rest must manage to survive anyway. It’s only three meters down to the ground water though so if we’ll get some rain in the coming ten days most plants will survive. 2018 was so bad that even bigger trees died and I do hope it won’t be that bad this year. I will however pack what I call a panic bag. Clothes and what ever I want to save if we would have a forest fire. I started doing that after we had a fire in the bog after a thunder storm.

z (8) — These are two examples of the same kind of cameras, Twin Lens Reflex cameras. Many using TWL cameras wanted to be able to use 135 film (the one we had in almost all cameras back then) so Agfa decided they would do a SLR sized one. One look down through the view finder in both cameras so the angle of the photo is a bit different from the SLR’s. The problem was that it is almost impossible to focus with the little Agfa Flexilette 🙂 🙂 🙂

A15660_010 — This was taken with the Rolleicord. I rarely use this camera since I prefer my Flexarets.

A15659_032A — This was taken with the Agfa Flexilette. The lens and camera is pretty good but the camera never became any hit and not many were made.

It is time for a cold drink of some kind and then see if there’s anything good on tv.

Have a great day!