Concrete Flower » nature

A SNOWY NIGHT

Johanna Björk — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:57:58 +0000

I usually see the East River, Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan skyline from my windows. Not so much on Sunday night.

It was kind of scary actually, felt a bit like being in a fish tank.

It’s easy to see why flights had to be cancelled. We’re pretty powerless against Mother Nature…

The view the next morning was gorgeous. Photos to come.

OH, SUCH A PERFECT WINTER DAY

Johanna Björk — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:26:23 +0000

On Tuesday in Gävle, Sweden, it was -1ºC (30ºF) and sunny. Little snow crystals formed glittering rain as they fell from the tree tops.

The skies were blue and the air was fresh — perfect winter weather.

It was my mom’s birthday and we had lunch at an Italian café.

Afterward, we took a walk down to the stream to enjoy the last bit of the day’s sun rays.

Then a bit of shopping before we went home and made mushroom pasta for the whole family who were coming over for the birthday party.

Oh, such a perfect day.

STAY (JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER)

Johanna Björk — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:24:51 +0000

I love a blue sky on a sunny clear fall day. The yellow leaves are barely hanging on to their branches.

Some have already let go and gathered on the ground.

Others are determined to hold out for just a little bit longer.

The sun is a very welcome presence, warming hands and hearts.

My green boots look very happy in a pile of leaves.

Please, fall, stay just a little bit longer.

FALL IN FORT TRYON

Johanna Björk — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:37:04 +0000

Fall is looking amazing in New York right now. We spent Sunday strolling around Fort Tryon Park.

This is the last part of Manhattan where you can get a sense of the way the island looked before the Avenues and skyscrapers took over.

It’s way up-uptown, and you get a great view of the George Washington Bridge and the Hudson River.

Perfect place for a nap.

I have no idea what these crazy blue berries are, all I know is they’re gorgeous.

The perfect green wall.

I love the look of red leaves against a stone wall.

The cutest little beaver. I was watching him for a while and he did not seem scared, or move much at all. Good way to be.

Concrete Flowers.

The park is very filmic. How great would this spot be for the final kiss in a movie? We did see a couple about to get married. Love is in the fall air.

AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING

Johanna Björk — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:30:38 +0000

Fall is like a new beginning.

Freshness fills the New York air and sunlight illuminates the golden-hued leaves.

I think everything is going to be OK after all.

JOSHUA TREE, PART 3: DESERT DRIVING

Johanna Björk — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:19:49 +0000

Driving through the desert as the sun is coming down. The car in front is whipping up dust that starts to cover my lens. I suddenly realize the meaning of the expression “being left in the dust.”

Camera firmly in hand, I try to capture all the amazingness that surrounds.

Desert landscapes swish by. Apparently driving fast makes you feel the bumps in the roads less. People here drive really fast.

The sun is almost down and we have almost reached our destination. Where to? You shall soon find out.

JOSHUA TREE, PART 1: THE NATIONAL PARK

Johanna Björk — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:45:12 +0000

According to the U.S. National Park Service: Joshua Tree National Park is immense, nearly 800,000 acres, and infinitely variable. It can seem unwelcoming, even brutal during the heat of summer when, in fact, it is delicate and extremely fragile. This is a land shaped by strong winds, sudden torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Rainfall is sparse and unpredictable. Streambeds are usually dry and waterholes are few. Viewed in summer, this land may appear defeated and dead, but within this parched environment are intricate living systems waiting for the opportune moment to reproduce. The individuals, both plant and animal, that inhabit the park are not individualists. They depend on their entire ecosystem for survival.

National Parks make people happy.

Surrounded by all these immense rock formations, even a tall gal like me feels small.

The photos really don’t do these rocks justice, they are enormous.

The Joshua Trees resemble some kind of extraterrestrial creatures; their limbs reaching for the cloudless sky.

The whole park feels very prehistoric, one almost expects a dinosaur or Fred Flintstone to appear around the next bend. Next time, I want to come on a bike and camp out. When it’s cooler.

SKY FARM, PART 1: WAKING UP

Johanna Björk — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:45:13 +0000

Sunlight streaming through the curtains, I awake to the sounds of the amazing gardens outside. Despite the heatwave that hit L.A. this weekend, the morning air is still cool.

I walk outside the pink house that is my temporary home to smell the flowers, breathe some fresh mountain air and say good morning to the dogs.

Then, I turn back in for some reading, a great Swedish book about a 100-year-old man who escapes from the old folks home in search of adventure. It’s never too late.

The bustle of downtown Los Angeles is far below; tranquility reigns up here in the urban oasis on the hill. Next: Breakfast.