Taexalia
wild.life
Rise Above It… and other meaningless advice
I struggle to reconcile my expectations of this house, and living here, with the reality we are faced with. I try so very hard not to feel trapped and hopeless about this reality, this situation we were tricked into buying, and which we cannot easily free ourselves from. I feel angry that Fife Council have a postcode lottery regarding the services that deal with this type of issue, and that our postcode is not one of the lucky ones. I feel angry that the boundaries of our home can so easily ... read more
Mantras for a Wild.Life: Be Your Own Cheerleader
This was not going to be the first post to introduce my personal Mantras for a Wild.Life, but current events suggest today is the day to walk my talk and be my own cheerleader... All may become clear... Be Your Own Cheerleader The thing is that no-one will believe in you unless you believe in yourself. Too many people are not taught this skill when they are young and it is not something that comes naturally to most folk - especially in this modern culture of put-downs and ridicule. It ... read more
Mistle Thrush and Dominance
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) - Amber Status
Yesterday I ramped up the bird feeding opportunities in my garden. This "cold snap", which has brought us our first real winter for as long as I can remember, has brought birds in about who would not normally come so close. At first I thought it was luck, being on the very edge of town, but I have since seen some of these species (Redwing and Fieldfare) near the High Street. The search for food is intense ... read moreNew Year New Word
Happy New Year! Life has moved on in many ways from this time last year - which is good since my word theme for 2009 was "Movement". We moved house, moved to a different town and region, moved boxes and boxes and boxes. Then in some ways found ourselves in exactly the same place all over again. Perhaps this time around, the movement will not be us. Cryptic I know, but you never know who is reading... *laughter* We closed the year having doubled the number of legs in the household. These four ... read more
Morning Jack
I could tell by the light glimmering through my curtains that the fog had receded. When I opened the curtains I was prompted to grab the camera. Having the camera in my hand before I've cleaned my teeth bodes well for the day... We were excited to get out with Logan to see how the world looked, not just to reconnect with the scenery but to assess Jack Frost's decorative skills. We relished the crisp crunch of our footsteps and the knowledge that no-one else had climbed to the high ... read more
Light
The year creeps slowly toward the shortest day and the worst of the weather is yet to set upon us. The sun rises when solopreneurs may still have the luxury of bed and a duvet - although not the luxury, it must be said, of remote control curtains. The sun sets before many of us are yet ready for the dark, not quite believing the sun could sling itself so low all day without dissolving in the ... read more
How It Is
I love the way I feel when I walk into the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern. Sometimes I wonder if I even need an installation at the other end, or if I could just be satisfied with the imposing hulk of space. What would I do with the space? How would I move in it? Would I start to build something? Today there is a big black box looming at the end of the hall. Half-term children are running and screaming underneath the huge steel structure, trusting the construction won't start to creak and ... read more
Fife Council ~ Failing the Environment
I have just received a letter in the post from Fife Council. The sole purpose of the letter is to request that we telephone them. They have our telephone number. Why do Fife Council make claims about being environmentally friendly when they are wasting resources (public money!) in such a ridiculous ... read more
Hunter and Prey
A spider has taken up residence on our bathroom window, her web an ideal trap for the autumn midgies who seem to have descended on our garden in recent weeks. This morning I watched her dart across her web as one poor wee midgie made the mistake of entering our home and trespassing into her territory. Quick, decisive movements saw the beastie caught and immobilised before being parcelled up in a tight noose of silk. Later, as GemmaDog and the pack wandered near the Lammerlaws, we watched ... read more
I wish I knew…
what GemmaDog is thinking
I was going to write a list of things I wish I knew... but I am leaving it at that...
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Chair
This isn't the picture of a person in a chair that I want to use in this post but I'm not even sure if I have a picture other than in my memory. Since @ is already with Sandman it's not a good time to start hauling our stash of as-yet-unpacked-boxes out of the walk-in cupboard to empty boxes of photos all over the floor to find out... So this is the only picture of a chair that I have for the moment (I *have* to include a picture ... read more
