Taexalia

wild.life

Morning Sunshine

I confess I am tired of the snow.

It's hard walking a hound in a world where the motion of cars is The Most Important Thing. This translates to a street where the pavements have been used as a dumping place for snow. We have to walk on the road. Is it on the road, or in the road? Either/Or.

People are digging out their cars and throwing snow onto the pavement, ... read more

Snow Shoes

It finally snowed last night. All week I have been seeing pictures, news reports, status updates and chatter about snow. All week I have been trying to big up the slivers of frost caught in the gaps between paving stones, willing them to expand. Last night we took the hound for his bedtime walk. I wore a fleece and a singular pair of trousers. It was cold, but yet again - no snow. As we rounded the corner and looked out over the Firth, we could see the ... read more

Snow Brings…

Camera Phone Sunset Punctuated By Greyhound Lunging At Snow Sniffs

I settled in my new reading den, nestled under a woollen patchwork blanket that may have seen better days, but still keeps the winter chills out as much as it did when Grandma first knitted each square from yarn oddments and sewed them together. The new reading den was claimed from the back of the the living room by moving the small sofa right back to the window in-between bookcases and ... read more

Midwinter: Sun and Snow

We took a walk in a snow shower this morning and enjoyed the silence and the light effects as the midwinter sun struggled to break through. Not long now until the days begin to stretch instead of ... read more

Snow Secrets: Signs and Symbols

This morning the Greyhound and I decided to take ourselves out of the village and walk out to the Crow Tree. Having navigated the High Field, we crossed the road and squeezed through the gate. Here the path had not been trampled by many people and dogs, here there were only one set of human tracks and the tracks of a very large dog walking in the opposite direction to the one we were travelling in. This bode well for a peaceful, private adventure. The track travels adjacent to an old horse ... read more

Arctic Vixen

Last night the snow was still falling and the blanket of white was almost intact, blurring the boundaries and creating an erie light. This morning the world of humans has taken over and where the road and pavement were one there is clear tarmac and orange stripes of salty sand. The cars, you see, must go on. The gardens tell more interesting tales as the criss-cross of animal tracks bely the journeys of the night. In the dim morning light under clouds laden with more snowfall to come ... read more

Night Vision

I am finally willing to believe that there is snow in the UK. I have been seing reports of chaos and pictures of snowmen, and even a picture of a macaque monkey making a snowball... but here in Edinburgh there has been no snow. OK there was a day of snowfall but it all melted. OK there has been a dusting of snow on Arthur's Seat for the last couple of days - but slidy pavements and snowmen? Not a chance. Tonight however not only is the weather forecast accurate and the snow is actually ... read more

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

I spent Wednesday afternoon tramping through the snow at Haddo House Country Park. It was a beautiful winter day with the sun low in the sky creating wonderful shadows and perfect lighting for some camera play. [caption id="attachment_487" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Robin redbreast"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_488" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Robin redbreast"][/caption] The robins were delightful and clearly used to people with corn in their pockets as they ... read more

Highlands and Islands In a Week part 6

And now returning to the Highlands and Islands trip - I had meant to finish the tale before now!On the Thursday we watched the weather reports with dismay as almost all the Isles were sporting wee clouds with rain or snow symbols. It didn't look good for walking or touring or anything really. But we set off anyway with a vague plan to try and spot some dolphins or seals. We passed Inverness and crossed the Kessock Bridge and took a quick stop of at North Kessock. The tide was going out though, ... read more

The Old Washer Woman

The Winter Goddess is said to dance around the tops of hills, it is said that her home is on top of Ben Nevis. She goes by the name of the Cailleach, or Carlin in Scots, and there are many places that carry stories of her exploits.Beneath the Paps of Jura, the cauldron of the Corryvreckan spins and swirls and it is here that the Cailleach washes her plaid. When her woollen cloak is clean and white she lays it across the land...She has been washing her cloak this morning and I am watching her ... read more

Samhainn Moon

Samhainn - the beginning of winter. Modern calendars mark the night on October 31st, but the old way of reckoning would look to the full moon for guidance. The Cailleach can be heard whirling amongst the branches of trees, blowing the last of the autumn colours away. She is seen in the mists that sweep in from the seas. Hilltops - where she is most at home - are eclipsed by her wild dance. She has imprisoned Bride within Ben Nevis and begins to wash her plaid in the great "speckled ... read more