Taexalia

wild.life

Is It Spring?

I'm hearing this question all over the place as people wish the moments away looking for something better. I look for signs of new life emerging - the snowdrops and winter aconite shine their carpets of hope amongst the decaying humus of the woodland floor, the owls and foxes make eerie night noise as they mark territory and call for mates, buds on trees seem to swell a little more and my flowering redcurrant is uncurling leaves... The wheel is turning, but the Carlin/Cailleach has not ... read more

Today It’s About Love

I can recommend The Inch View Hotel, Burntisland, for a delicious meal in an intimate setting. I'm not a food critic, so I'll just say that feeding me pork and me relishing every bite is a rarity. I would eat their pork tenderloin twice. That's how I spent my Valentine's evening yesterday. Yesterday because today is all about love. Forty years ago today @ popped into the world and gifted those of us lucky enough to know him with his special brand of Different. Happy Birthday Mister @! ... read more

Messages About Marking Territory

The birds that catch my eye just now are the birds marking territory. Is this a message, or a mirror, or an affirmation? The Buzzard is not hunting when it glides against the clouds. The Buzzard hunts from the vantage point of a fence post, a telegraph pole or a tree. No, when the Buzzards are tilting on the wind, soaring and circling, they are marking airspace and conversing over who can fly where. They may even be describing their home and territory to a potential mate. But they do  not ... read more

I Always Cry…

...at the Ballet. The casual observer (and let's face it anyone observing my tears in a darkened theatre during a ballet can't really be considered casual) might think that I am just caught up in the story, touched by the emotions of the dancers or whatnot. The truth is that some wounds don't heal, and perhaps they are just never meant to. One of the most tender parts of my Bone Song is What To Do With My Inner Dancer. Before I go on, I'm not looking for advice or "you shoulds" - and ... read more

Happy Birthday To Me

It's my birthday today. I am 36 years "old". Conventional wisdom tells me that I am meant to be embarrassed, upset or distraught about this age. Actually conventional wisdom started telling me that from about the age of 29 - 30, this being the age of doom where everything changes for the worse. I made my Mum laugh the other day when I dramatically wailed Meg Ryan's line from When Harry Met Sally - "...and I'm gonna be Forty!" I just like to make my Mum laugh, but really I don't have a big ... read more

Wee Blossoms

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Forget Me Not"][/caption] I am absolutely determined to get to 28th July and have a blog post for every day. I know there is a theory about quality over quantity but this is my challenge to myself to actually write something here every day. I am trying to build the habit of daily writing and learn a bit of self discipline where creativity is concerned. That sounds a bit odd ~ "self discipline where creativity is concerned" but I ... read more

Getting To Know Me

And whilst I'm still procrastinating about photographing the new stock that has been arriving over the last week or so, I found a groovy Getting To Know You Day challenge on Create A Connection that's right up my street... 1) What are some of your memories about the "great outdoors?" (games played outside, camping, hiking, bike riding, running in the rain) I recently wrote one here about my childhood memories of school holidays spent at Belt Croft. But right at this moment the ... read more

Yorkshire Floods

These people have been forgotten amongst all the other happenings (new Prime Minister, failed car bombs and inept terrorists...) but many are still living on mattresses in centres or temporary accomodation... South Yorkshire Community Foundation Just Giving ~ South Yorkshire Flood ... read more

Looking For Water? The Sky Is Loaded!

It has stopped raining. It feels like it has been raining since 1937. I'm not complaining though, I've been watching the plight of those poor people in Yorkshire. Can't imagine what that must feel like. This weather is weird though - for the past two days we have had constant rain and thunder storms. Or maybe it's just one storm circling round my head. At one point today, just before the monsoon fell (I am not joking), the air was so full of electricity ... read more

Thoughts About Animal Messages

During my Morning Pages I was musing about the creatures who have visited me recently - Crow, Mouse and Fox and as I was pondering about the medicine or messages they might be bringing me I realised they represented a quarter or element...How cool, I thought - and then I wondered what creature represents Water for me just now... and the 3 Pike I saw at the Aquarium of the Lakes swam into my mind...

Mouse ~ Earth ~ North ~ Body Crow ~ Air ~ East ~ Mind Fox ~ ... read more

Random Divining Rod

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Sleeping Bear Dunes ~ Michigan"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Sleeping Bear Dunes ~ Michigan"][/caption] Found these pictures from my trip to Michigan last year ~ am noticing the theme of steep drops into water in the pictures I'm finding in my computer this week... Am I teetering on a cliff edge afraid to move? Or am I pausing, flexing, ready to dive in? It's so hot tonight, close, like ... read more

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