PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE
Birds, Childhood Memories and Great Views
Week sixteen of the photographic documentary of my daily life
Our departure is getting closer and I don’t even know anymore what I still have to do. Even though we are used to moving around a lot it doesn’t seem to get easier.
This week has been turbulent. We’ve been on family visits, day trips, hikes, and other adventures. Birds, sunshine, and autumns last colors were following us through the week.
This is week sixteen of the photography challenge started by Dennett months back. I’m inviting you to join me through this week’s photographic tour.
Today we wanted to visit my Grandma. Not having a car ourselves at the moment we did walk to my mom’s work from where we drove together. Starting our hike in the forest just behind my hometown a lot of childhood memories crossed my mind.
While listening to the wind blowing through the last leaves in the treetops I keep my eyes open for some birds. And I get lucky. A gray heron walks across the field looking for something to feed on.
After I take the photograph he opens his wings and takes off. Being such a big bird it takes a few wing beats until he lifts from the ground. Luckily I managed to keep him in focus and got the photograph.
This week I spent a lot of time in my parents’ flat sorting out paperwork but also cleaning up all my belongings. Spending now and then some time in front of the kitchen window I got to watch a lot of birds feeding on the seeds my parents put out for them.
Especially sparrows are very common over here and appear in big numbers. A few of them always stay on the ground and pick all the seats that drop from the bird feeder.
The “Schwäbische Alb” is a low mountain range in the south of Germany. My parents live at the edge of it. When we were younger we would go there almost every Sunday.
Together with my dad’s childhood friends and their families we would have a barbecue, play soccer and sometimes even camp up there. Always at the same spot.
It’s a clearing in the forest with a meadow offering lots of space to play on. Two fireplaces are a the edge of the forest, an old hut is left there and lots of trees inviting us children to explore them.
This Saturday my dad and one of his best friends decided they wanted to go back there. I agreed on coming with. Only the drive there brought so many memories back.
We first went for a hike through the forest looking for some mushrooms. These friends of my dad do know mushrooms and wanted to pick some for lunch. But we weren’t lucky. We didn’t find any of them.
Meanwhile, my dad had started the fire and soon we could put the meat on. But I wasn’t done yet. With my memories. If you spent so much time in your younger years in one spot there are a lot of situations you get to think back at.
One specific memory is connected to a climbing tree. It is one massive tree with lots of branches hanging low above the ground. Most of them broke off by now as I could see today. Yet the memories are still there.
As kids, we build an entire world up there. We had a lot of imagination and never got bored. But what we mostly played on this tree was tag. Yes, we were running on the branches up and down jumping from one to another, and ran away from each other.
We played that a lot.
Looking at the tree now and seeing how high these branches are I realize how brave we were. But we were never scared of falling. Kids are never scared of falling. Until an adult shouts at them “watch out, don’t fall”. Then the child has the word “fall” in his mind, gets scared, and falls.
Our parents were never allowed at this tree. Or anywhere near the tree. That’s why I don’t even find pictures of us on the tree. It was our territory.
What a beautiful childhood I had. Looking back at it now I have to admit that. Growing up in nature. Learning from nature and my actions. Being with other children in all kinds of age categories and exploring the forest together.
This is what this tree reminds me of.
You have to be there at the right time but sometimes you get lucky and see a different bird in our garden than the sparrows. A European robin comes to visit now and then. Usually when it quiets down around the bird feeder.
I texted my friend yesterday about our meeting today and said I’ll be at the citizen’s service in the morning to fetch my new ID. She remembers that she also had to do that and made an appointment for it the same time I did.
As easy as that we decided on a meeting point. From then on we just went for a walk around town. We walked down a chestnut-lined avenue and a few others. Chatting about work, how our families are doing, and what our future plans are.
It was a chilly morning. I never took off my jacket despite walking at a decent pace. We chose a route along the edge of town which offered us some spectacular views across the “Neckartal.”
We don’t see each other very often. Mainly because I am most of the time somewhere in the world but also when I’m in Germany we’re both usually busy. But when we see each other it’s as we were never apart.
That’s what I love about friendship. The bonding we created during high school never vanished. On the contrary, it grew.
After having a shower I opened the bathroom window to let all the humidity out. And then she just stares at me. The cat. Sitting on the window sill. Quietly and unobtrusive.
I’m running through the flat looking for my camera. My mom looks at me confused. My partner asks me what I am going to capture with my camera. In the bathroom. That is weird.
Well, guess I am weird. Sometimes. I still need a picture for today’s photo essay and it is sitting right there. Outside the bathroom window. I have never seen this cat before but she must be one of the neighbors’.
Thinking about all the birds I captured the last week in the bushes between our neighbor’s house and ours I wonder if this cat is waiting for them to arrive. She must know about the sparrow’s family.
But I rather don’t want to be there when the hunt begins. I much rather enjoy watching the birds devouring their feast. And once they are done I can watch the cat catching the last warm rays of sunshine of the year.
Today we finally went back on the water again. To test our new equipment I went on an excursion together with my partner. Exploring a new lake while enjoying an unusually warm November day.
I bought an inflatable stand up paddleboard and he bought himself an inflatable kayak. With these two we will be able to explore the calm waters in both of the countries we call home. In Namibia and in Germany.
Since Germans don’t like to do water sports in the cold months we were the only ones on the lake. Not a single wave on the entire lake made it easy to keep the balance on the board.
In a week or two things will look differently. If everything goes as planned we should be on the rough Atlantic ocean with our new gear. We are excited already.
If you enjoyed the journey through the week I invite you to join the challenge. Take one photograph every day for one week. Add a caption, or not, and upload your version of it.
These were the articles of my past three weeks.
