Year: 2013
Make me a willow cabin
Said Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelth Night, I’d like this one please. It was a new addition at Dartington when I went for my birthday and I fell in love with it, who wouldn’t?
I don’t know if it is staying there, willow has a life of perhaps ten years but they often have artwork visiting for just a few weeks.
100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week# 92
I’m very late posting last weeks challenge, never mind! The prompt was YELLOW, in honour of the sun the Julia had been enjoying. The new challenge will be out today at http://jfb57.wordpress.com/ meanwhile here is,
Gorse
Each spring, the gorse carpets the heath in golden yellow, reminding me of my loss. I walk the moor to immerse myself in its fragrance, though I can hardly bear it. Never has the extreme weather of 2003 been repeated. Some higher power must have punished me to have swept my child away in the river.
Ten years have passed.
‘God give me a sign; let me know my child is safe’ and then, a few feet from me stood a hare, it eyes, almost human, met mine. I held my breath; time seemed to stand still until it hopped away.
Travel Theme: Peaceful
I popped to the beach ahead of the crowd this morning, just to see if it was peaceful there. What do you think?
This is for Ailsa’ travel theme,visit her here http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/06/07/travel-theme-peaceful/
Fleeting, a minute from the train
Sometimes you just know there is a reason for a photo don’t you? Three weeks ago I caught the train to Totnes instead of driving. On a sunny day there can be few train journeys to match it anywhere, the track follows the river Exe to the estuary, then passes through Dawlish and Teignmouth and heads up the river Teign. As always the train windows were grimy and the sun that made it so lovely caused glare and reflections but you’ll get the idea.
This is a small area of Gods Wonderful Railway, at Dawlish Warren, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a masterpiece of construction in the 19th century. These photos were all taken at 10.04 am on May 18th, a fleeting moment. By 10.05 the scene had changed completely and will never exactly the same again.
Posted for the http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/weekly-photo-challenge-fleeting/
Staying Awake, Growing Your Area
It takes 10 calories to produce every single calorie we consume in the West.Thanks to Isobel for this great post.
MasterB has been in all evening while I have been at a meeting and then in the pub. My eyes want to close, but it is only fair he gets a run around outside for a while.
The meeting was good; lots of ideas about greening cities; our connection, or lack of, with the land; how this area might grow more of its own food. There was a thought-provoking and entertaining Ted Talk by Carolyn Steel. You can watch it here. I like the idea that the Roman Empire was extended shopping trip. I don’t like the fact that five multi-nationals control some 80% of food production.
How did we drift into this state of affairs where we rip up rain forest, mine islands into oblivion and demand tomatoes that are regular and uniform in size, throwing away the ones that aren’t?
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An Evening of Stories
Lat night I went with my friend to Exeter Phoenix, the local arts centre, where a group of volunteer researchers and story tellers gathered to talk about Exeter’s multi coloured history. We learnt about the city’s medieval Jewish population, and about a visit to the synagogue.
American GI’s were stationed here in World War Two and were segregated, with the black soldiers being kept over the river in Westexe and not allowed into the city centre. They won the hearts of the people in the St Thomas area and had some good times with the local high school girls!
Our Royal Albert Museum has had a beautiful carved and painted stone Ganesha in its colections for many years. It inspired some of the group to tell the story of how Vinayaka Ganesh became the revered deity, that drives away sorrow and obstacles. Maybe Madhu will tell us the story.
To bring us into the 21st century some young women from St James High School performed their own play, ‘Anna’s Story’, a moving story about the impact of racism.
There were several more stories and two super musicians, with an eclectic mix of instruments, who improvised thoughout the performances and during the interval. A fab evening and I’m looking forward to the next.
‘It is easy to forget how mysterious and mighty stories are. They do their work in silence, invisibly. They work with all the internal materials of the mind and the self. They become part of you while changing you. Beware of the stories you read or tell: subtly at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world.’
Ben Okri
Lazy Poets Thursday Haiku
Toffee Apple tree
alter Cercidiphyllum
Katsura so green
Birthday Weekend Day 3, Seaside!
My actual birthday was Sunday and after a mix of gardens, music and culture in the fresh air it was time for a day beside the sea. Brixham in south Devon is a small fishing town, popular with tourists and I hadn’t been for years. Here are some photos for you.
I had forgotten, but even as a child Brixham has had a famous ship in its harbour, well a full size replica. It’s the Golden Hind, Sir Francis Drakes vessel, so as I posted about the man himself a few days ago I had to show you.
She’s lovely but I don’t think I’d want to travel the world in her, would you?
Wordless Wednesday
Lucid Gypsy 