T is for Tabby, Tennis, Tulip and Time, abc Wednesday, Round 6 "T" / Alphabe-Thursday, "T"

All photos on this post are taken by me, Christina Wigren

Once again it is time to take a trip through the world of words, thanks to Mrs. Denise Nesbitt for abc Wednesday and Mrs. Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday. I started working on my Ts before I was finished with my esses. But my off-line-life has made it impossible for me to post this until this late date and hour. My T-words are TABBY (TOM), TENNIS, TULIP and TIME. Here goes:

This is a photo of Sigurd ("Sigge" for short), a thirteen year old TABBY TOM cat whom I met on my way to my daughter, Elisabet's pre-school. When I first set eyes on him, I knew he was a cat-friend for me! Would you please give me a snuggle?

Yes please! I let him come to me before I patted him. Now he comes to me whenever I walk by!

One afternoon, I happened to meet his owner and learned his name, age and the fact that he has his own cat-door and is allowed to come and go as he chooses. She knows that he has friends and aquaintances outside the family. Talking with her was a little like going home to meet the parents of your date. May I continue to see Sigge?

Sigge was kind enough to be my photo-model for this week's T-word TABBY. Thank you Sigge! You are such a wonderful TABBY TOM!

------

TENNIS is my next word. This part of my post could actually be a post for my own mini-series "Tourist in my own Town #2". Here in Norrkoping, there is an indoor tennis-court built 1929, which is now protected as a local historical treasure. This is what we see from our garden:

And here are a couple of close-ups of its sign and the plaque that tells of its special status for historic preservation:

------

This next photo seems to be an S-word that has lost its way into this T-post! But no, it is a T-word. I bought this little Dutch boy in an antique shop outside of Chicago! Not a bad introduction for the next T-word? TULIP!

The TULIPS are beginning to whilt now. But I had the foresight to take some pictures of our own and our neighbours' garden TULIPS. I managed to find red, yellow and patterned pink TULIPS in the neighbourhood.

------

Which brings us to my last T-word, TIME (or even "TRANSLATION" is a T-word).

Working toward a deadline makes us all aware of having a lack of time. Photography gives us documents that show us what happens with the passage of time. But for this last T-word I would like to leave you with a translation of a poem by the Swedish Nobel laureate Harry Martinson (1904-1978). Maybe there is an official English translation of this poem by a "real" translator somewhere. But why not let me give it a go? The original Swedish poem rhymes, something that I have not been able to do here. This is what a summer night is like here in the north:

"Night in June"
by Harry Martinson
translated by Christina Wigren

In June, the sun just barely sets,
only slightly dimming its glow,
Twilight-line turns quickly into dawn,
being neither early or late.

The pond holds the evening light,
letting it glide upon a watery mirror,
or riding on a rimple,
that lasts long before they darken,
and reflects the flames of the morning sun.

Night in June never really falls,
resembles more a misty morn.
In veils it lifts away the twilight,
upon shimmering seas.


From Svalans Svenska Klassiker Harry Martinson Bonniers Stockholm1974, page 54.
(Read more about Harry Martinson in English here.)
(Would you like to read the original poem in Swedish? Click here.
Vill Du läsa det svenska originalet? Klicka här.)
Best wishes,
Anna

First Commenter:
Jay of The Depp Effect

For more T-words at Mrs. Nesbitt's abcWednesday please click here.
For more T-words at Mrs. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday please click here.