Sunday 31 October 2010

Greenwich Mean Time

Gundestrupkarret (the Gundestrup Cauldron). Th...Image via WikipediaThe clocks went back one hour this morning, in the UK, to GMT from BST. Personally I enjoyed the extra hour I had to sleep in this morning. Am not looking forward so much to the shorter days and it getting darker earlier in the evening. Still it's that time of year again and I'm trying to get myself to appreciate the beauties of autumn and winter. Also Happy Samhain to everyone. May the following year bring to you all that your heart desires.
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Friday 29 October 2010

Awaiting Inspiration

The writing's in the sandImage by Chris Gin via FlickrAwaiting inspiration
I sit;
Hands on keyboard;
Brain on slow;
Hoping to catch
One thought
I can write about.
Oh the process is slow;
Like wading through treacle.
So I wrote this instead
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Wednesday 27 October 2010

Young Calves and Other Little Things


This afternoon I noticed a herd of cows in the field behind our house with some very young calves. Later I saw one of the cows gently licking her calf but sadly couldn't get a photo in time. Also went for a walk this afternooon and was struck by the perfection of some ferns and other plants which had grown in a stone wall. So small yet so perfect.

Monday 25 October 2010

Autumn Fruits


Since it was such a beautiful afternoon yesterday, I went on one of my walks. Apart from the beautiful leaf colours I was surprised by the large amount of berries that are around at the moment. Good food for the birds later in the year!

Saturday 23 October 2010

Autumn Winds

Some red leavesImage by Ed.ward via FlickrAfter some lovely warm days, it feels now really autumnal. I did some gardening yesterday and enjoyed sitting out there afterwards, observing the wildlife. But today that has changed again.The wind is quite sharp and leaves are skittering from the trees. There are some beautiful colours about. I saw a Stag's Horn when I was driving back from choir rehearsal this morning which was a glorious colour of red-brown and quite beautiful. All around are the colours of autumn, on the trees and now on the ground.
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Thursday 21 October 2010

Moon over Water

Moonlight on the SeaImage by RobW_ via FlickrYesterday when I was driving to a choir rehearsal and saw the nearly full moon shining over Mounts Bay in Cornwall I felt inspired to write the following:

Moonlight on the water
Reflecting silver serenity
Shadow and light
A mosaic together.
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Tuesday 19 October 2010

Autumn Colours


On a walk I took with friends this morning I came across these amazing autumn colours. The weather was very variable, sunny and cloudy by turns but we managed to keep dry if rather blown by a strong wind. The coffee afterwards was very welcome!

Sunday 17 October 2010

Compassion

Bodhisattva and CompassionImage by Tony the Misfit via FlickrI have had a problem with understanding the spiritual concept of 'service' in the past as it seemed associated in my mind with somehow being beholden to others and of duty. More recently I have come to understand that this is a natural expression of compassion which flows from one's being. This experience of compassion is free flowing and as I said earlier natural and unconstrained. There is also a sense of excitement and deep connection which is also part of the experience.
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Friday 15 October 2010

Water

Clean drinking water...not self-evident for ev...Image via WikipediaLiving as I do in Northern Europe, I seldom suffer from water shortage, in fact often the opposite is true and there is too much water around. We often have days of quite heavy rain. It is hard, therefore, for me to realise how clean water can be an issue for many people who live in hotter areas of the world, and who have to walk miles to have access to water or who have no clean water at all. Despite the claim by the United Nations that access to clean water is a human right, there are still a staggering number of people who have no access to this most basic amenity. Since 'water' is the subject of this years Blog Action Day, I would like to urge that every action possible is made to make clean water a reality for all of humanity. For more information on Blog Action Day please click on this link blogactionday.change.org
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Wednesday 13 October 2010

Walk from Rose Valley


Yesterday, some friends and I went for a long walk from Rose Valley, taking in part of the coastal path. The weather was quite gorgeous and sometimes almost too warm, which was fabulous. We saw a lot of birds during our walk including a Blackcap and a Black Redstart as well as Ravens and Choughs, Stonechats and Peregrines. I was lucky enough to be able to take a picture of a Kestrel as it hovered overhead. In a sheltered area at the edge of a valley where the ivy was flowering we came across a wonderful collection of butterflies, including Red Admirals, Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells which were enjoying the flowers. We all felt incredibly blessed to have enjoyed such a wonderful day.

Monday 11 October 2010

Creative Writing

Noisy class during first day of Creative Writi...Image via WikipediaI had the opportunity of meeting up with some friends to do some creative writing. We had a lot of fun writing and sharing our creativity and it was good to meet up with some old friends who I hadn't had the opportunity of speaking to for quite a while. A very positive experience all round!
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Saturday 9 October 2010

Evening Walk


Since it was such a beautiful evening yesterday I took one of my favourite walks to the cliffs. The evening light was beautiful, and as usual I took several photographs. The sea was very active because of the strong wind, although it was still incredibly warm for the time of year. It was a lovely experience and I met some friends on my way.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Birthdays

Birthday celebrationImage via WikipediaToday is the birthday of a close family member and it made me think about the various manner in which we view this celebratory event at different stages in our lives. When we're young, we can't wait for the great day, the presents and the party; but somewhere after about 21 years of age we start to feel more reluctant about that anniversary. The years with the big '0' are usually the worst as they seem to mark such a big numerical change, whilst in many ways little else alters. Some years later, the birthday age seems to become more irrelevant, especially if we're in good health. Sometimes we can feel as young as we were in our twenties well past that age. At other times we can feel very old but this often has little to do with the birthday age itself. It's all so subjective and depends on so many conditions. As someone who has been around quite a while, though, I do find that age does give me a broader perspective of life.
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Tuesday 5 October 2010

Return to Tehidy

Because it was such a lovely day yesterday, I decided to drive with a friend to Tehidy Country Park, hoping to be able to photograph some of the autumn colours. It was still a bit too early for the autumn colours although some trees were beginning to turn but it was still a beautiful day out. The woods were lovely and peaceful and almost everyboday we met was friendly. There were also lots of photo opportunities, not only of the trees themselves but also of ducks, swans and the occasional obliging squirrel! All in all it was a beautiful day out in surprisingly mild weather.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Social Media

Friends.Image via WikipediaAs a relative late-comer to the use of social media, I was somewhat cynical about its use and the hype that was around it. I think that it is important to accept it for what it is. It is a useful link to other people and organisations and does provide some means of human contact. At the same time, I feel that it in no way replaces interpersonal relationships with other people in the standard way. It is still necessary to meet people face-to-face to share and support one another. At the same time I've found some wonderful sources of information and inspiration through the social media, particularly Facebook. Also you find information this way that might not be accessible though other avenues. So providing that it is possible to combine both types of relationships, both social media and ordinary friendships I feel that it is an important way to expand our lives, if not taken to excess.
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Friday 1 October 2010

Zero Carbon

UK Greenhouse Gas EmissionsImage by climatesafety via FlickrI have just read a report in Positive News that the UK could eliminate greenhouse gases within 20 years. This report was the result of input from universities, research facilities and industry and offers a comprehensive energy strategy without the use of nuclear energy. Also in the same paper I read that developing countries like the Maldives have pledged to reduce carbon levels to neutral by 2020 and Ethiopia by 2025. Wouldn't it be good if other countries could make similar pledges?
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