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.

Creative Writing

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!

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.

Birthdays

Image 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.

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.

Social Media

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.

Zero Carbon

Image 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?