*shadows of the cosmos

Some more black-and-white photos from my latest roll of film.

Yesterday I was lying in the shade under the butterfly lilac with a good book, and I could finally feel that particular calm that usually settles in during August, when the light begins to change and the air suddenly feels slightly different, as if autumn were just around the corner. It felt like a deep sigh of relief in my soul, and I hope my body will follow soon, too, and that everything will start to be a little easier. I found another bat today in the early morning hours. It was lying flat on the concrete, and I thought it was dead, but when I gently touched it with a piece of cloth, it opened its mouth and seemed overall more lively than the last one. I placed it in a warm cloth inside a box to keep it safe, and soon we will bring it to the kind man who helped me last time. I really hope it will have a better chance to survive!

Addendum:

This time, the new bat is a juvenile male. He was severely dehydrated and malnourished, but otherwise had no injuries. He responded well to care and has now been released back into the wild. The animals are suffering from the extreme heat and are therefore more likely to put themselves in danger, as the heat drives them out of their hiding places and forces them to search for water more frequently. I'm so happy the little guy made it!

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*The first blooming dahlias, making ketchup & working with clay

{Music: Don't go – Christopher Dennis Coleman + Life's Wonder – Steven Gutheinz + Phases – Steven Gutheinz}

It is always a special moment when the first dahlias start blooming and I can harvest the first figs from our little fig tree! I’ve also started working with clay again and preserving our tomatoes.

Simple Tomato Ketchup

• 30 medium-sized tomatoes

• 8 medium-sized onions

• 1 tbsp salt

• 5 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp pepper

• 2 tsp mustard

• 150 ml vinegar

• a pinch of chili powder

Cook all the ingredients together until soft, then purée. Optionally, you can pass everything through a food mill or a sieve, but I skip this step because I don't mind the tomato seeds. Then bring everything to a boil again and cook until the desired consistency is reached. Pour into clean jars and seal. Then process in a water bath for 10–15 minutes.

I also skip the final canning step. I simply make sure everything is clean and pour the hot tomato sauce into twist-off jars, seal them tightly immediately, turn them upside down, and leave them to cool this way. So far, I have never had a jar spoil using this method.

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*when time stands still

Every time I get a black-and-white film back from development, I wonder why I don’t shoot black and white more often. There’s just something so timeless about it. Especially in summer, when I tend to feel overwhelmed by all the colors around me, the absence of color in my photos makes me feel calm and more at ease.

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*Simple jute dish scrubber

Some time ago, I crocheted this simple dish scrubber with jute yarn. I find them very practical and eye-pleasing.

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*Akardy the elephant #2

A few close-ups of the second elephant that I made. Taking these photos is always so much fun!

{click for the pattern}
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*in the peak of summer

Welcome to August! 

We are in the middle of another heatwave. I'm having fresh figs from the garden every morning for breakfast – I can hardly believe it! Even the blackberries are already ripe, and I've made ketchup from our first surplus tomatoes. I'm so grateful that our garden fountain still has enough water, because in many places they've already dried up. The first dahlias started blooming a while ago, and I made my first bouquet for the kitchen table. The earwigs have been nibbling at the edges of the petals, though, so the blooms aren't as big as they should be, but they are still so beautiful!

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*Healing with nature in the warm summer winds

{Music: Is as – Goldmund + Mum – Akira Kosemura + Fields of Daisies – Brian Stiroh + Travelling – Goldmund}

Wandering through the warm summer winds,

a parcel from Olivia,

crocheting another elephant,

garden moments &

visiting my little oak forest.

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*bat lady

On the weekend, I rescued this little bat lady from drowning and cared for her until I found someone with experience caring for bats. I had never been able to observe a living bat so closely before. I gave her lukewarm water with a small brush, and after a while she even started eating fresh moths. The vet gave her an infusion, and for a while it looked as though she was going to make it. But then the vet discovered tiny puncture wounds on her belly from a bird's claws. They had perforated her intestines, so she sadly had to be put to sleep. It seems to be quite common for bats to be attacked by birds while they are drinking.

Rest in peace little friend.

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*Like a dead bumblebee

Wie eine tote Hummel

liege ich auf der heißen Straße.

Meine Augen sind geschlossen,

und ich lausche.

Eine Unendlichkeit an Wolken

zieht an mir vorüber.

Ich blinzle 

und halte mir die Ohren zu.

Auf einmal bin ich zweieinhalb Jahre alt

und am Strand.

Ich sammle Zigarettenstummel.

Manche haben rote Enden.

Ich trenne die Tabakreste von den Filtern,

und ihr Geruch fühlt sich fremd

und zugleich wie Zuhause an.

Die Hände meines Vaters.

Das Kreischen eines Starenschwarmes

holt mich zurück ins Hier und Jetzt.

Ich bewege kurz meine Finger.

Sie schmerzen.

Wenn ich nicht raus ins Leben kann,

wird es zu mir kommen und mich hier finden?

Oder fegt es über mich hinweg,

wie die Stare über mir?

{Claudia Voglhuber}

∼

Like a dead bumblebee,

I lie on the scorching road.

My eyes are closed,

and I listen.

An eternity of clouds

drifts past me.

I blink

and cover my ears.

Suddenly I am two and a half years old,

standing on the beach.

I collect cigarette butts.

Some have red tips.

I separate the tobacco
from the filters,

and their smell feels strange,

yet somehow like home.

My father's hands.

The screeching of a flock of starlings

pulls me back to the here and now.

I briefly move my fingers.

They ache.

If I cannot step out into life,

will it come to me and find me here?

Or will it sweep right over me,

like the starlings above?

{Claudia Voglhuber}

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*Arkady the elephant

Close-ups of the little crochet elephant I made. I've already started making him a friend in a different color. It was really a fun and easy project! I found the pattern here ➔ {click}

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