Spring Time

Hej hej,

So I realized it's been an extra long time since I've updated the blog, but I usually just make mosts about the pictures I have, and lately I've still been doing stuff, but I haven't gone on any big trips or had the camera out much.  But I just finished with a couple of my classes, and the only one left is an online class, so that means it's travel time, and time once again to break out the camera.  In two days, I lead off to Germany and Latvia to spend time with some great German friends, and soon after that Mike and I head off to Holland, Belgium, France, and England for a 10 day, 5 city trip.  So all in all, starting Monday, I'll spend 4 days out of the next 3 weeks in Sweden.  But check back for more on that later.

It's finally starting to feel like spring outside, this past week has been in the mid-50's (10-12 degrees Celsius) and the sun's shining and the snow is melting.  It started to cool back down today, with the high temperature under 40 (5*C), but there was no wind and the sun was shining strong, this morning was the warmest 37 degrees I've ever felt.  So I went out to the nature reserve on the edge of campus just to wander around for an hour.  I found some great paths to get lost in, and when I came out the other end, it turns out they were right behind some of my friend's places and I could even see the buildings through some of the woods (yes Sari, that includes your old apartment).  I feel like the awesomeness of the natural beauty here can be unappreciated, but I brought my camera along so you guys could get a peek at it too.  Here's a few of my favorites from this morning:

Out behind the apartments, near the basketball court and the soccer field.  I really like taking pictures of
benches for some reason.  Maybe it's that the perspective of a shot from behind a bench is the same one
you'd have if you were out there relaxing and sitting on the bench.

I just thought this was a kind of weird and interesting picture

I've shot this place before, but this time is facing the other direction back towards the school

And now we get into the forest

The steam running next to the path looked so perfect in the sunlight

This one was better in my head, but I still like the way it turned out, especially the board in the middleground

Wherever the ground wasn't stable there were plenty of planks making up a path

Another stream I came across, this one was equally gorgeous 

A shot from the path as the stream runs under it.  The fallen tree was a nice touch,
 and there were a surprising number of uprooted trees along the walk

The little camera has some pretty impressive macro capabilities

Usually I choose shots with strong sunlight, but the shadows actually help this one look
more wintry and compliment the frost on the leaves and the shades in the background

I was just impressed by the extreme depth of field that the little camera was able to create on this shot

I swear, this looked even more like a face in real life

Along the path there were bird watching platforms that were good for getting an overview of the terrain.
If you glance quickly or look at this one without really focusing on it, the shadows and snow in the
foreground look just like a really cool reflection shot if the shadow were water.

I like the life and imperfection in the planks of the path, they were all like this

I look like a hundred bark shots, so I figured I might as well include one of them

Nice relaxing music is the perfect compliment to the nature walk as long as you turn it off every
once in a while just to appreciate the silence and stillness of being along in the woods

We have goofy statues like this in random places all over campus

For some reason, I find that the simple shapes and colors of sign shots like this make for nice pictures

I realized the other day, that I actually no longer have to physically set foot inside the school again if I don't want to, although I still do all the time of course, but it also made me realize I have no pictures of the inside of the school.  But even better than taking some, would be sharing a video of a few of the main buildings on campus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xYihKkAx58

As you can see the school is very new and modern looking.  It doesn't have as rich a history as UVM back home, but there advantages, like new buildings, of a new university too.  And yes, that's how all students in Sweden actually get to class everyday.

That's all for now, just a little update to confirm that I am in fact still alive, but check back in the coming weeks for lots more pictures of all my exciting travels.

Hej da