The pandemic cannot be ignored, it is here and we are all affected in one way or another. Therefore, it’s so important to try to pick out the positive parts of our everyday lives. Even the smallest things can mean a lot.
I really enjoy the beautiful flowers and colors of Spring.
Being surrounded by greenery in the middle of nowhere can bring pure joy for most creatures.
I’m grateful and very happy about having my beloved dogs Fanny and Felicia.
After all, Life is good.
Silhouette by the Sea
Sun & Sky
Solitude
Smart Small & Satisfied Dogs
Spectacular Steep Scenery
Seaweeds on the Shore
Simplicity
Silence & Serenity
Splendid Surroundings
Għajn Tuffieħa, Riviera Bay,
Malta February 2021
Fanny, her daughter Felicia and their best friend Freja running and playing in a sea of greenery and white flowers.
Running together in nature without a leash is pure joy, both for the dogs and their owners.
My dear husband, our best friend Fredrik, two basenji’s and a very cute American beagle.
Here we go!!!
…and here we were, in the area of Miġra L-Ferħa.
Located along the sea from where we could see the small island of Filfla. It was a very nice day!
Thank you Fredrik for taking us to this for us unique and unknown scenery.
Malta February 2021
Felicia met a new friend in Ta Qali the other day, his name is Logan..
Logan is a three-year-old sixty-kilo Great Dane while Felicia is a four-month-old seven-kilo Basenj.
Felicia was a little hesitant at first and so was Logan.
But soon she becomes braver and wants to play!
And they played!!!
💚“The size doesn’t matter, all about the size of the heart’s matter.” 💚
― Mohammed Tariq
Last Sunday we visited the small and picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk which is the largest fishing harbour of Malta and has been so since antiquity. Here, among many other things, you’ll find the colorful and traditional luzzu’z.
The luzzu is a sturdy carvel-built boat with a double-ended hull brightly painted in shades of yellow, red, green and blue. The bow is often pointed with a pair of eyes, “Eye of Osiris”, said to protect the fishermen while at sea.
There’s much more than just the colorful boats to discover in this village, especially on Sundays.
More to come…
The other day I took Fanny with me and went to Victoria Lines for a long walk.
The view from here is amazing and in the distance you can see the island of Gozo.
Here, in the scenic lush nature, you can walk for hours.
That’s all for today from Malta!
💚💚💚💚💚💚
💚💚💚💚💚
💚💚💚💚
💚💚💚
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Ja, alla dessa vilda blommor växer och frodas här på ön just nu.
Som vanligt lägger jag upp lite för många bilder men det är så svårt att välja.
Dessutom är det av olika skäl lite långt mellan inläggen just nu, tid har jag men känner ofta att jag inte vet vad jag vill med mina bilder. Fotograferar mycket och kan sitta i timmar och sortera och redigera, men sen blir det oftast inget mer.
Min finaste lilla Felicia, hon får alltid vara med på ett hörn.
Trots att hon inte är en blomma, är hon ändå en slags blomma, för mig.
Liksom hennes mamma, ett riktig guldkorn i tillvaron. På den här på bilden är Fanny bara något äldre än vad Felicia är idag. Då, i november 2017 var hon drygt fyra månader gammal. Time flies..
Malta 11 January 2021.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
-Albert Einstein
“The past is our lesson. The present is our gift. The future is our motivation.”
– Anonymous
I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.
– Benjamin Disraeli
Among wild flowers, colors, thoughts and happy-go-lucky dogs.
Life is a challenge, Life is good, after all.
Close Your Eyes & Make a Wish.
Trust the Magic of a New Beginning.
Malta 01 January 2021
That was yesterday, when we celebrated Christmas Eve at home.
Today, we went to Ta Qali Nature Park.
A blue sky with few clouds, green grass and plenty of wildflowers. It felt like spring in the air.
While Fanny could run without a leash as usual, little Felicia jumped happily and curiously around in the green grass in her eight-meter-long leash. Within a very few days she will be three months old. Time flies…
Malta 25 December 2020
That was then, last summer, when the bumblebees were playing hide and seek.
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin”
― Mother Theresa”
This spring I saw lots of these, as well as during the summer and fall.
Now that winter is here, they are still there. Unaware of seasons…
“Time is an illusion.”
― Albert Einstein
“It’s being here now that’s important.
There’s no past and there’s no future.
Time is a very misleading thing.
All there is ever, is the now.
We can gain experience from the past,
but we can’t relive it
and we can hope for the future,
but we don’t know if there is one.”
― George Harrison
That was then, just a few weeks ago.
Puppies, growing and exploring a new world.
“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
― Marthe Troly-Curtin.
Mom often takes me to Pembroke, which is closer to where we live than Ta’ Qali Park.
It’s a large barren natural area along the Mediterranean Sea. If you look closely you’ll see me in the image above.
Freedom and Joy!
The weather is still more than great here on the island. 20-23 degrees and no wind even though we are already in November. I have no idea from where the water comes in the images above, it hasn’t rained for a while now.
Feel free to click on an image to enlarge.
Back so sea level. Work is in progress, though not right now!
There are more to find in this area and in my next post I will show some plants and a cute little creature I meet recently. So, more to come…
❤️ In the meantime, here you can see my beautiful litter of puppies, already six weeks old❤️
Here are some more images from Ta’ Qali Nature Park.
The weather here on the island is fantastic considering that we are already in November.
It’s the first time this year that I see a ladybug and the berries of the olive trees are ready to be harvested.
Now that the first rains have fallen after the summer drought, it’s easy to get a sense of spring.
I don’t feel I have succeeded so very well in photographing insects this year and now the dragonflies are fewer.
There are many yellow butterflies in the park right now but they are not easily caught.
I end the post with Fanny, an amazing mother who will now slowly but surely spend less time with the puppies so that at the age of eight weeks they are no longer dependent on their mom.
Här är några bilder från Ta’ Qali Nature Park dit jag åker med Fanny nästan varje dag nu när hon sakta men säkert börjar vänja sig vid att vara ifrån valparna under längre stunder.
Höstfärger.
Färgstarkt och vitt, två av en mångfald av de blommor som växer här just nu.
Ett av många små hus med dess invånare som bor i parken.
Valparna är nu drygt fyra veckor gamla och stunderna i parken blir inte så mycket längre än en timme.
Sen vill Fanny hem för att se över sina småttingar. Hon är en helt fantastisk mamma.
Man kan gå hela sträckan på cirka tre km utmed havet från Tigne i Sliema till Spinola Bay i St. Julian’s men vi går sällan hela vägen utan vänder efter en halvtimme, speciellt nu när Fanny har valpar som väntar därhemma.
Går vi inte på klipporna så går vi på den breda strandpromenaden, här sedd ur Fanny’s perpektiv.
Den här skylten har sett sina bättre dagar och är knappast bildskön
men då jag ser den så ofta när jag är på väg hem får den också vara med.
Avslutningsvis några bilder på vovvarna. Valparna har precis öppnat sina ögon och snart är det slut med att bara äta och sova. Nu är det lugnet före stormen då de strax ska ut på upptäcksfärd med allt vad det innebär. Ska bli jättekul och snart kan vi också ana var och ens unika utstrålning och karisma.
Vill passa på att tacka Anki som varit behjälplig när jag skulle försöka lära mig den nya blockredigeraren. Tack vare henne lyckades jag bland annat att få in den vita texen i bilderna och göra dem klickbara.
Haha.. det tog faktiskt flera timmar att skapa vad ni ser här ovanför.
Today it has been six days since Fanny gave birth to her puppies.
They are adorable, so small and fragile.
It’s a very exciting time that has begun…
“A good life is a collection of happy moments”
-Denis Waitley
“Don’t cry over the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived.
Live in the present and make it beautiful”
– Unknown
Cee’s Photo Challenge Flower of The Day
And for those who may be curious about Fanny’s pregnancy.
Fanny is always curious about what’s in the bag when dad comes home from the store.
She is curious about everything.
She gave birth to six puppies last Sunday night.
Everyone’s fine, more to come…🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Hello from Malta. This is what it looks like where I am, or rather where I was this morning.
Mum took me to the sea, only a short distance from where we live. I’m used to run every morning but not now.
Since I’m pregnant and due very soon I prefer to just sit on the rocks, relax and look around.
My mom goes swimming almost every day. No, she’s not sailing, she swims but there are no photos of her in the sea so this image is good enough as it shows that she only swims when the water is calm.
And I know she always thinks of me when she’s not at home. 
I honestly believe she can think of nothing but me right now, and of the puppies I will soon give birth to.
And she has no idea how many there will be🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
So if she’s not visiting your site very often right now, you know why.
Some images from yesterday’s visit to Ta Qali. Many of the trees have recently been pruned. I was fooled by the orange spot that from a distance looked like a flower and I even saw some faces. 
In this fenced area I’ve been walking with Fanny since she was a puppy. Among Olive trees, Mediterranean Cypress and Ancient Carob trees. When the rain comes, the grass turns green and is then covered with flowers.
Sticky resin is now visible on many of the trees.
But how’s Fanny? 
Now that she is close to the seventh week of her pregnancy her behavior has changed. She’s not as playful as before, a bit melancholic and the walks are getting shorter and shorter while running is out of the question. 
Here she seeks shade under our car while I try to ventilate away the heat and turn on air conditioning before it’s time to go back home, a ride of about 20 minutes. Home to eat and then go to sleep. I love her so much ❤ ❤
After four long weeks of waiting, it’s finally confirmed that my beloved basenji dog Fanny is expecting puppies. In the picture above she is only five months old, in July this year she turned three years old.
Her mother in Sweden is called Drömma which means Dreaming. 
Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days or nine weeks. Today it has been 37 days since the first mating.
Although there is now a lot to prepare, plan and think of, I feel pure joy that I would love to share.
Looks like an exciting place, let’s go down and take a look.
Like a moonscape in the middle of nowhere.
Where am I?
I really enjoy to run freely along the cliffs, although it looks more like I jump on soft dunes.
It may not be easy to see me at first glance but look closely and you will find me.
Now you probably think I’m curious about that cave but I actually need some shade, it’s very hot.
Here I am, at Xwejni Salt Pans on Malta’s sister island Gozo, and yes, I’m in this picture too.
These salt pans have been in this region since Phoenician and Roman times,
and the tradition actually continues to be used even today.
Click here and you will learn more about salt harvesting in Gozo, it’s quite interesting. Many people probably think of salt as simply that white granular seasoning found in saltshakers on virtually every dining table.
But it’s far more than that..
No, I’m not in this picture but you can see a black dot far away, it’s the car that took me here.
It feels like a long walk back in the heat, but it was well worth the experience.
🐕
More to come from my short vacation in Gozo.
Några bilder från en av många promenader i “skogen” tillsammans med fina Fanny.
Menar du att vi ska gå hela den där långa vägen tillbaka till bilen? Det är faktiskt 30+!
Ja, men vi går i skuggan, mellan träden så känns det inte så varmt.
Fast den där bilden är ju faktiskt från en annan skog.
…och vi kan ta en och annan paus, ser kanske lite snårigt ut.
Titta, matte lyckades fotografera en fågel!
(S)kottår.
Kanske inte den bästa skogen om man vill hugga sig en gran till Julhelgen.
Nu är vi framme, nästan, tror jag.
Äntligen! Vi har ju gått i flera timmar, nu vill jag hem.. 
…fast det verkar som att vi gått lite vilse. Ser du var bilen är?
Åhh nej!!
Kanske ska vi prova att gå åt det där hållet istället.
Äntligen hemma!
Tror matte blev lite snurrig, kanske fick hon en släng av värmeslag. 
Det här inlägget passar ju jättebra till Susan’s Trees on Tuesdays
…fast att tisdagen redan passerat verkar hon inte ha insett ännu.
💖Den 13:e juli 2020 fyllde min fina Fanny tre år!!💖
Fick dessvärre inte ihop något inlägg igår och gör därför ett nytt försök. 
Bilden ovanför har varit med förr men jag valde den för att den känns som en av de bästa bilderna jag tagit på henne, och jag har tagit väldigt många bilder sedan vi hämtade hem henne från Sverige oktober 2017.
Christina Acar målade av fotografiet på en mugg som jag idag använder som pennställ på mitt skrivbord.
Basenji’s är inte så vanliga här på Malta och jag får ofta frågan vad det är för ras.
Basenji är en av världens äldsta raser och härstammar från Afrika. Karaktäristiskt är rynkorna i pannan och den hårt rullade svansen. De har ett kattlikt beteende och tvättar sig själva. Deras främsta särdrag är oförmågan att skälla vilket beror på att deras struphuvud är annorlunda konstruerat. Varför vet man inte men vargen, som ju är hundens urfader, skäller inte heller. Fast tysta är de inte utan har sitt eget speciella sätt att utrycka sig på. 
Igår kväll hade vi pick nick i Ta Qali park där hon sprungit nästan varje dag sedan hon var valp.
Det var också där hon för första gången fick prova att springa utan koppel.
Att titta på gamla bilder från när Fanny var valp är det nog bara jag själv som tycker är kul. Roligare kanske är att Fanny nu blivit så pass gammal att vi planerar valpar. ❤❤ Basenji’s löper bara en gång per år och en basenji kavaljer har vi redan hittat. Om allt går som jag hoppas på får hon möta Ricky till hösten.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
– Audrey Hepburn”
“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.”
— Peter Adams
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.
When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
— Ansel Adams
“I don’t trust words. I trust pictures.”
— Gilles Peress
That I like quotes is obviously no secret. I often use them when I myself cannot find the words. I don’t want to be anonymous but my blog isn’t intended as a diary, although I sometimes create posts about my everyday life. Still, publishing pictures without a single word reveals a certain personality of the person who took them.
Cee’s Photo Challenge Flower of The Day
It’s true, the last image is not a flower but for me Fanny is constantly blooming and fills my life with joy.
Neither more nor less from Malta today!
Take care!!
Can this way of relaxing really be comfortable?
Yes, and here’s the proof, Fanny often sleeps like this after a long walk, lying on our shoes.
In this post I show some images from my recent walks with my dog in various Nature parks here in Malta. 
Thanks to Fanny, I’ve discovered amazing sceneries on this tiny island in the Mediterranean.
The greenery, the narrow paths and the deep slopes of Victoria Lines.
The barren landscape along the sea in Pembroke.
The steep clay slopes in Ghajn Tuffieha.
Together we have made adventurous climbs in Il-Majjistral Nature Park.
Besides Fanny, I also photograph the variety of wild plants and insects found in our nature, more of that will come in a later post. And don’t worry, Fanny is visible also in the first image, but you have to look closely.
Life goes on as usual, I can still go out while my husband since three weeks now has to stay indoors. I go to the supermarket when needed and I take long walks with Fanny twice a day, otherwise I stay home as advised. 
I’m grateful to have my beloved dog as a companion when walking in nature.
Now in the spring you will find different flowers everywhere and thus a variety of colors while bees are looking for nectar.
This flower is as small as my thumb nail.
Despite prevailing circumstances, life is good…
💖 My lovely, curious and playful basenji dog Fanny!
Thank you for being a part of my life.💖
“All animals are born with innocence, curiosity and love”
– A.D. Williams –
This is the ninth time I join Susie’s fun photo black and white challenge.
In the past I have mostly photographed people, this time I choose pets, dogs and cats.
“When I look into the eyes of an animal I don’t see an animal I see a living being, I see a friend, I feel a soul”
– Anthony Douglas Williams –
“ If cats could talk they wouldn’t”
– Nan Porter –
“Dogs eat – Cats dine”
– Ann Taylor –
“Having a dog or a cat will open your heart. Reading a book will open your mind.
Having both a pet and a book… absolute heaven.
– Mark Rubenstein –
“You can keep a dog but it is the Cat how keeps People because Cats find Humans useful domestic Animals”
– George Mikes –
“Look at animals kindly, and they will see. Talk to animals gently, and they will listen”
– AD Williams – 
“All animals are born with innocence, curiosity and love”
– Anthony Douglas Williams –
Below are the images also in color for those who like to compare. And as always when it comes to quotes, we mustn’t take them too seriously, although some may be worth considering.
The above pictures are from the square along Sarawak River in Kuching. Every afternoon, both young and old can be seen playing with each other, many of them blowing soap bubbles, just for fun.
This skilled lady I saw in Valletta here in Malta the other day. Guess why she’s looking down.
Concentration! She really knew how to handle her little puppet on a string.
Back to the square in Kuching. This little girl seems to be looking for someone.
Finally, Fanny and I at home yesterday evening. Fanny did not like to wear a Santa hat, I can understand that. It’s much more fun to try to bite it into small pieces and so she did. It was cheap and it was Christmas Eve.
As usual, I also show my pictures in color. This time, I prefer to see all these images in color, except one. Guess which one..
…back to my daily life here in Malta after a couple of weeks in Sarawak, Malaysia. Today’s images are from yesterday’s visit to Ta Qali Park. Nature has changed, in some way, it feels more subdued. 
It’s winter now, not so many colorful flowers, besides the yellow ones that bloom all year round.
These special plants are now seen growing in abundance among the green grass in the park.
They are small and resembles a kind of pitcher plant.
I really like being in Sarawak, I wouldn’t mind living there year around. It’s a very special part of the world. But I know it doesn’t work to take my dog to the other side of the earth.
It feels good to be with Fanny again…
It feels like my last post was a bit too depressing so I decided to add some happy color in a new post instead. My colorful bougainvillea is still blooming on our terrace…
…and the color splash that is barely visible in the top image is the color of Fanny’s new coat.
If dogs could smile she would do it and if dogs could talk she would tell that she is a happy one.
Yesterday we went to Ta Qali Park. Usually we never go there on the weekends when the summer is over because there are too many people and you can’t have your dog without leash. But we were all alone.
I haven’t been here for a while and was really surprised. It felt like spring even though we are in November! This beauty has a very special expression, perhaps it was also surprised that it felt like spring in the air.
The sky was blue, the grass was green and there were lots of small yellow flowers.
Fanny was more than happy to run around in the greenery without a leash. 
At first I didn’t notice that there were two butterflies on the leaf! 
A spider with its catch of the day.
I saw lots of different kinds of butterflies, dragonflies and other kinds of insects. But as usual, they are very active and difficult to capture with the camera. I’m glad I got this one.
Ta’ Qali National Park, Malta
Today the weather is so bad here on the island that not even my dog wants to go out.
It’s raining and getting dark outside already at five o’clock.
Bad weather doesn’t mean you can’t shoot. But in case you aren’t in the mood for that, it can be fun to look through all the pictures stored in your huge archive and try to pick only ONE, just for fun! 
There are so many different ways to stay positive when a day feels gray.
Like thinking about old bright and happy memories, and not to forget…
“Life is too important to be taken seriously”
– Oscar Wild –
Då var det söndag och dags att skylta igen. Här är en blandning från förra helgens utflykt till fiskebyn Marsaxlokk här på Malta samt lite annat smått och gott. Den övre har anknytning till den sista. Enjoy! 
Den här var väl fin!
Har man hund så har man. Voff, voff…🐕 
I en fiskeby erbjuds naturligtvis färsk fisk. Fast vi tyckte det var lite för dyrt och tillagade fisk hemma istället.
San Gwakkin?? Men en Skylt är det och de så typiska Malta-färgerna. 
En tygpåse som förhoppningsvis leder till ett gott skratt… 
Kunde inte undgå att lägga märke till alla män som plötsligt gick omkring och bar på svenska flaggans färger. Helt fantastiskt att så många tagit flyget hit för att se fotbollsmatchen mellan Malta-Sverige. Vilken entusiasm! Vädret har dessutom varit strålande med upp till 27+ vilket inte framgår på bilden, men en skylt ser ni iallafall.
Alla kan vara med och skylta på söndagar, BP håller i trådarna.
Länk till övriga deltagare.
My lovely Fanny! Here she completely ignores me while looking for something exciting to play with.
She loves to play hide and seek in the hight grass.
Exhausted after running very fast. She needs to run a lot to feel happy and satisfied, like all hunting dogs.
Although she turns two in July she still acts like a puppy.
She knows that chewing on a slipper is totally forbidden!
Looks like Fanny whispers a secret in the other dog’s ear and then sniffs where there is nothing to find.
Do not disturb me when I play with my best friend Kimbo. We are both of the same breed originally bred in Africa. We are very intelligent and tough dogs and are often nicknamed the “barkless dog”. Guess why…? 
…because we belong to the very few breeds in the whole world that do not bark.
Other basenji may yodel or howl when they are excited but I’m very quiet.
Besides that I’m also playful, cuddly and I needs a lot of love, which I also give back.
💖💖💖💖💖
Back in Malta, back to my longed-for Fanny and back to the fantastic world of bloggers. I’ve been in Andalusia, Spain, a lovely place. Same blue sky here as there but in other ways, so totally different.
White houses everywhere and many narrow alleys to find in the small town of Frigiliana.
A menu in both Spanish and English is perfect if you can’t speak Spanish and I don’t, yet.
I love the atmosphere…
…and I love the colors!!
Don’t ask me why, but I prefer the last image, where she’s almost invisible.
My beloved Basenji Fanny, she loves to play hide-and-seek in the grass.
Back home and back to my usual routines here in Malta.
Last Saturday we spent the whole day in Majjistral National Park.
It’s not often that I see mushrooms growing here in Malta, but here is one.
The nature, the plants, everything are so different from what you find in the rainforest in Sarawak, Borneo. Very soon the mimosa blooms as seen in one of the image above.
The very best about coming home is to be close to Fanny again. Away is good but home is best.
