Nikki Anemone’s blog

I took this one a while ago, but it goes with today's weather. Fortunately, the weather doesn't go with my mood.

Perseverance

Shot early this morning, before the rain set in. Cold rains will stay for a while, says the weatherman.

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Note on the photo above:
This one made me think of some of the fishes on my dear neighbor's Butterflyeffect blog.

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"Fig" leaf

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Achilles' heel

November arrived with its grayness and rain. I stole some sunny hours to tank light and colors for the coming weeks.

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BFFs and puppy-dog

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I might be addicted to my camera. Near sunset, I felt the urge to grab it again and hasten to the botanic garden.

I must be serious about photographing. This morning, I got up at 6 a.m., took the train, made a long walk to return to Wahner Heide on my own, just to take photos in the sunrise.
I found handling morning light much trickier than evening light. With more than 80% of the photos I totally failed. The finder was steaming up all the time, my fingers were cramped from the cold, my eyesight in half-light is poor, so I couldn't focus properly.
Still, I just think it was worth it, for I took one photo I deeply enjoy:

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We had a wonderful day, today. A day filled with perfect autumn sun, after rainy days. More rain is announced for tomorrow, which made today even more precious. I walked 10km home from work and was very happy to discover new photo subjects.

Songbooks

Ladies in red

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Lonely as a superhero

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Sometimes, it's exactely the "flaws" I like in a photo. Like the lines of the cathedral, comfortably leaning back together with the man, who soaks up the sun, or the two hands with black sleeves, coming out of nowhere.

Light!

Or I like a photo for a story that is not in the picture.
I heard this man long before I saw him: "I told you thousand times, not to do this, Paranoia. Will you obey, Paranoia! Come here! Now! Paranoia!!!"
I can't explain, what the yellow dots around the man are. Maybe his crazyness.

Paranoia, attack!

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Sometimes I feel there is a story in a photo (or two), but just can't come up with it. Any suggestions?

Duck down, guys, it's him again!

I wanted to do this photo shoot with two busy sisters for months. Took some patience and a little bit of insistence.

In my head I saw melancholic sisters in silken negligés with flowers in their hair, leaning on a tree trunk in a summery forest, flooded with golden sunlight.

Harrumph. We don't own silken negligés and neither sun nor temperatures were cooperating. Thank god, we're a flexible bunch of friends.

Sisters

Sisters

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With a sky blue like this, I had to get off of the tram and walk home seven kilometers along the river Rhine.

There was hardly a cloud in the sky.
Out of nothing, clouds behind the cathedral appeared. I don't think it was smoke, it looked like regular clouds. They made the cathedral appear like a castle in the air and vanished soon after.

Next, I came one step too close to some folks:

Cormorants

Couldn't resist taking this one. Like Narcissus watching his reflection, ignoring the shadow in his back.

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I also brought home some mugwort, yarrow, rose hip and nettle seeds. Preparing for winter like a squirrel.

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Lately, I resolved for good to move from Cologne, as soon as an opportunity will show up. I have been living here for 19 years and never felt at home. I started to check out smaller cities in the surrounding, searching the net for jobs there. Thought about moving to the suburbs of Berlin, or going back to the south-west, where I come from.

I enjoy how outgoing and humorous people here are, but they also can be superficial and big-mouthed, and don't care much about beauty and subtlety.
Any true Cologne native will swear by oath his city is the most beautiful in the world. But it isn't. The streets are narrow, the houses are ugly and cramped, and it's the dirtiest German city I know.
Also, my personal stories here have been difficult. Friendships, relationships, jobs came to painful, bitter ends leaving me with little to rely on.
It often felt as if the city tried to spit me out. I remember having read in an horoscope that this city has really bad conjunctions for me in all kinds of human relationships.

Sometimes, I think, having grown up on a remote farm, my soul is just not built for an ugly and unheeding city like this. And any city gets even uglier, if you have no means to enjoy its nicer places.

Since I got straight that very little is holding me back, here, it's as if the city tried to win me over. I stumble over beautiful places, just by crossing the borders of my depressing, poor neighborhood.

Last week, I wanted to return to Wahner Heide by bike. I left at 7 a.m.. Only twenty minutes away from my street I stumbled over sceneries like this:

Breakfast with dew

"Em ahle Kohberg"

Next thing I found on my way was an ornithological station with a young owl named Ronja, I was allowed to caress her.

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Today, we had nationwide day of the "open monument". Churches, historic cellars, private museums, traditional factories etc., usually closed to public, can be visited and there are guided tours for free on this day.

I went to the Thuner Hof, an old mansion from the 16th century, owned by the adult education center to teach garden themes. The main house has been neglected badly and is in a very poor state. The site manager talked about plans and difficulties to restore it.

Sagging ceiling

Thuner Hof

The kitchen garden is lovely.

Next, I went to the higher regional court, I only knew from the outside. Today, there was a market for arts and crafts in the hallway. I tasted wine, jam and mustard, and enjoyed discovering the manifold works of the artists.

I only had my long lense with me, so I can only give you details. You can find a better view of the impressive staircase here.

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It's almost, as if Cologne tried to win me over with beauty it has hidden from me until now.

Okay, I'm ready to negotiate. Add great professional offers, Cologne, one or two new reliable friends and a pinch of love. Then you can still keep me for a while.