Pinewood Path

Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last post-very busy time lately. This is one of Lunga's favourite walks. As a wee dachshund she loves woodlands and this part of the path is lovely when the sunlight casts a dappled kaleidescope of various greens on the bracken and grass.

She is currently up in Wick at the very north end of Scotland with my partner, Luisa, who is on a tour of places she has never visited before. It's very different scenery up there and should give her lots of inspiration for her painting and drawing. I've been teaching Aqua-aerobics in Dunkeld since February at Dunkeld House and have around 30 in my Tuesday and Thursday classes. I give them a Reiki colour meditation as they lie on their floats at the end of the session in the warm water-wish I had a pool at home 'cos it certainly seems to chill them out!

I'll maybe post you a photo of them bobbing about totally zonked, as it makes me feel sleepy just watching them!

Wizard's Point at gloomy dusk

I love this place so much that I just had to share it with you in all it's dark drama. The wonderfully descriptive old Scots word 'dreich' nicely encapsulates a image such as this.

It's stark, dismal, and to me, utterly enchanting. Join me now as the night wind swipes at your hair; listen... as the last crow calls it's handover to the owls and foxes. Then watch...and wait.

Sunlight on Ferns

Ferns are some of the oldest plants on our planet. Dating back millions of years, fossilised examples have been discovered almost identical to the species we find now. It's amazing to think that they pre-date the age of dinosaurs! We humans are a relatively recent arrival in relation to these ancient residents and that thought is always worth keeping in mind. Reverence for nature in all her forms is a quality all of us would do well to cultivate-it's good for us in so many ways, as nature sustains and heals all of us in return for our care for her.

A seat in silence by the old Scots Pine

There is a woodland not far from us where we walk Lunga, our wee dachshund. About halfway round the route there is a turn in the path where there is a memorial seat beside an old Scots Pine. As you can see, it sits beside a big, open green field and in the early evening it is very quiet and peaceful. Often, when I am running healing courses and workshops, I am asked about meditation-when to do it, how to do it, how often to do it and how long to do it!? Me not know.

To me, meditation is different things to many people but I'm a simple soul; I love trees-they heal us with love just by being near them, they give us the oxygen we breathe, these beautiful telegraph poles to God-They demonstrate eternal grace and even die standing up. Try this 'meditation' sometime-go sit in nature and JUST BE for a while and then you will truly discover for yourself that nowhere is closer to the heart of God than in her wild garden.

Purple Rhododendron

The Rhododendron is not actually a native species of the British Isles. It was introduced by the Victorians to these islands and spread rapidly everywhere. The Victorians were great travellers and explorers and introduced many varieties of exotic species to Britain. Unfortunately, some of these incomers of the plant world were very competitive, often being used to different conditions and therefore encountered little 'resistance' from native species-they literally took over unless they were controlled! One such plant was the rhododendron, often used initially to decorate and screen the driveways to opulent country residences. However, I rather like them and think you will agree that this particular purple flower is really attractive!

The stair of stares or stare of stairs?

Lunga {"Loong-ga"-Italian for 'long'} has her favourite place to fluff-out. For reasons known only to her, she likes to stop halfway up the stairs. It reminds me of the words in that lovely wee song from The Muppet Show..."Halfway up the stairs is a stair where I sit.. There isn't any other stair quite like it.. It's not at the bottom, and it's not at the top, so this is the stair where I always stop". Anyway, her stare says it's her stair if you'll pardon the pun.{cringe}

Tuscan beach sunset

Sit awhile with me and we'll watch the sun go down together. You're looking out across the sandy beach with a light, still, warm breeze, gently whisking the downy hairs on your face. The sand is stuck to your furry feet like dried sparkly powder glistening in the evening light. Your skin feels slightly tight from the salt water and you can't wipe the grin off your muzzle as your soul drinks in this scene, committing every moment between blinks to your memory forever. We've had a great day Puppy Dog!