quidnovis61

 

 

 

On the way to our neighbouring town (where we go weekly, mainly for shopping or to the town square for the open air market held there twice a week or sometimes just to a cafeteria...) there is a pond. It is quite a "new" pond... and it is a beautiful pond. Just about 5-6 years ago there was only a stream running through the field. There were marshy lands around the stream and beautiful reeds and tall grasses surrounding it. There was an abundance of dragonflies and damselflies flitting about and their shimmering wings on sunny days were like pieces of prisms hanging in midair... there were plenty of other insects as well... lacewings, various moths and other insects that I do not know the names of. I am sure there were (are) numerous fishes, frogs, salamanders...and so on in the stream. It was teeming with life...

The stone bridge across the stream is so beautiful. A work of art in its own right... Most of these stone bridges in Sweden are from 1600-something.

(Notice the pheasant in the background...)

Who built these beautiful small bridges? They conjure up images of life in the 17th century. Families crossing on carts, wives bringing food to the men during harvesting season, young children playing and throwing stones, cows coming home lowing in the sunset, geese squawking in seemingly constant trepidation, hunters returning in the late evenings and tired farmers trudging home to the pale candlelight coming from the cottage in the gathering dusk... And this link to the past is more than just a stone bridge in the middle of a field...

A few years ago we found that the marshy area was getting filled with water...The local farmer had slowly let it "happen naturally" over the years creating an amazing ecological balance and just look at it now! It is replete with fish-insect-and bird-life. On the other side there is a picnic table and one may cut across his field to have a picnic and enjoy the tranquillity of this rural boon.

A month or so ago we were on our way to shop in the neighbouring town and we saw a lone swan on a slab of stone. The most common swans in Sweden are the Mute Swans.He was a very proud young man and simply refused to look into my camera - we tried all the tricks like banging the car door and making squawking noises but he was certainly made of sterner stuff - he kept his head turned away from the paparazzi no matter how hard I tried to catch his attention. It was a male swan. (They are called cob, from Middle English cobbewhich means leader of a group). Well...little did I know that he was a soon-Daddy-to-be Swan keeping vigil...

I found that out two weeks later when we were returning from our shopping spree - I just saw a flash of white among the reeds. We turned the car around and headed back to see what it was that I had seen...and there she was!! A Mummy Swan (they are called pens). And she was breeding her eggs, nicely hidden away in the reeds. I took many photos of Mrs. Swan placidly sitting unperturbed on her nest. Mr. Swan was swimming close by quietly and stoically keeping watch. I wish I knew how many eggs she was hatching! Oh what joy!! Soon there would be a few cute fluffy little things to look at on the pond!!!

(We just call them Mr & Mrs Swan. Swans mate for life spend their lives together - how many years had they been 'married'? How had they met? How did they decide to get together?)

I was delighted to see Mr & Mrs Swan again... the pond was so beautiful with the sky reflecting blue and the reeds making such pretty patterns...there were a few gulls making a raucous and ducks swimming around. They made us all laugh by diving into the water, doing "somersaults" with their backside wriggling in the air!

 And then on Wednesday two weeks later we went shopping again...past the same fields, the same pond, the same bridge, and of course, Mr and Mrs Swan - and lo and behold!

THE LITTLE SWANLINGS had come!!!!! (or cygnets as they are actually called) ....Wowwwwww...eight fluffy grey wonders to cheer me up on my drive....going shopping now is suddenly such unadulterated pleasure.

AND...here of course are a few "family photos" of Mr & Mrs Swan and their eight cygnets......

Signing off for now.

C.S!
(Cresat Scientia/ May knowledge grow/Må kunskapen växa)