enuff of that walking trudge nonsense… neo-plod-olithic! back to the smOOthe ZOOOOming Finn and I out for a training ride with London to Brighton coming up… a sunny may day and work a little quiet (hmm) we both made it up Seaford head… Finn flew, oh to be 21, whilst i dropped into granny gear and grim ground it out… impressive bit of puff! could probs both make L2B without too much practice, but training ride a fun thing to do on when both at a lull coming back down was a cheerful hurtle!!
ha! looking at snaps side by side he’s twice the size of me… what do they feed these whippersnappers nowadays! x
buddhafield yatra, a collated smattering of pics borrowed from wren, kamalashila, nigel, lokabhandu and khemashalini… thanks last weeks pilgrimage walk along the Ridgeway to the sacred stones at Avebury… walking in single file, in silence a beautiful heart opening week of camping with some lovely people in the full abundance of spring amongst many things… hmmm swimming in father thames, waking up 10ft away from iron age long barrows, metta bhavna meditation outside for an hour before breakfast, guzzling porridge… a huge lightning flash fest, thunder earth rumble storm… whilst overhead the fizz of fresh beech leaves thrashed in the gale…. delish vegan grub, sore feet, campfires, endless cheerful natter, horses, sheep, cows… golden glow of dandelions at avebury, skipping along the sanctuary awash with the simplicity of love … arriving at uffington white horse (dragon!) on the eve of St Georges for a glorious sunset ritual, wild fierce wind, red flag against the sky, transforming delight of dragon energy … myriad blackthorn blossom, their white 5 petalled flowers, sacred to venus aphrodite, the subtle fractal filligree of unfurling ash leaves the weather generally benign, one day of endless rain, me wind hurtle joyfully running around the earthen ramparts of barbury castle, soaked to the skin, with still a few hours left to walk! ah, a happy and garbled jumble of memory and sensation… my most powerful time was probably the morning from uffington to the amazing neolithic chamber tomb at waylands smithy, standing at the chalken eye, then plodding onwards in solemn silence suprisingly strong feelings of sorrow, so much lost, to mourn, yet much that still remains. how to allow this? to be easy with loss, sadness and yearning? well as i tried to articulate in the closing circle… what better than the support of friendship and community, gratitude for the compassion of our fellow walkers, thanks… but also, nearly beltane blessings, this sorrow held, mitigated, transformed by the beauty and abundance of this sacred country, our land, here in the full power of spring, each leaf bud bursts with the gentle tenderness of heart. love x
comment to wren: ha! thanks love xx DRAGON! Sunset, before the flag puja ritual, uffington white horse, dragons knoll, buddhafield yatra, eve of St Georges, 2018 lurid beautiful hues of amitabha and the setting sun, wild, wild fierce wind, sore feet, fervour and love in the heart
replies to comments
blissful! tho if had been as soggy as today probs would have been a smidgin gruelling! xx
indeed, a fierce beauty in our souls and this astonishing land… tho do wish kipping in a tent was a bit more comfy, ha xx
ooh no… just the walking! and up till breakfast (after meditation)… i’m not the most impressive conversationalist before porridge anyway! was plenty of pleasant idle nattering rest of time xx
thanks! being outside, in good company, during an intoxicatingly beautiful british spring, is a boon and a blessing… hope all be grand down in oz xx
ha! noooo… spring rules ok… as i peer out the window at teeming rain and a howling gale… british winter tho, that can bog off!… watch out for a somewhat wrinkled and dishrevelled rapscallion turning up on your doorstep one january xx
tree of the day… bay willow… i’ve been enjoying it’s beautiful hedgehog spike spiral sputnik spunk flower/catkins over the last few weeks lots of willow around on the vast marshland near my home, but only finally worked out which type this was on my pedal back from tide mills… after an early evening sea bathe (delish!) buckthorn has of course been the star of the show, it’s rich refulgent pong, five petaled florid venusian(!), but good to highlight a different member of the cast my tree knowledge is reasonable… but much of it puzzled through as an adult… i was lucky to have a quasi rural childhood… woods and stuff… but back then my interests were butetrflies, birds, footie and, of course, dragons! ………………
audio of text
oh and the slow drip drip hectoring of facebook does work… i picked up some other folks left over plastic off the beach! always astonished that anybody would choose to leave rubbish on the beach? not that i’m in anyway virtuous, far too many wonderful long haul flights in my life Rubbish should be tackled by a combination of individual, corporate and governmental responsibility… it’s amazing useful stuff, but less is best till then best we all womble womble away anyway a home for home made nettle pesto and congo natty on me headphones hmm just rambling, haven’t spoken to anybody much all day… really i should be packing! sun hat AND thermal long johns! a winning combo! hurrah x
not congo natty, but there was a cover of this mighty song..
Raise our vibrations!!! second sea swim of the year on a gorgeous sun strewn morning… the world suddenly flooded with light every tree and bush burgeoning with leaf and blossom… on castle hill the playful frolic of a gaggle of gold finches… a glorious abundance of nettleage blessings be for the health of my body and the beauty of the world a lovely weekend, delicate balance of city and country, family, friends, workshops new moon in aries fire-y beginnings, hurtle hectic towards beltane, ride the waves of frazzle frenzy singing, yoga, dance, poetry… a counter weight to the gabble babble madness delicious to be alive!
Roisin: Your posts never fail to make me smile 🤗
just found a wilted dandelion (dent-de-lion) flower perched behind me ear… sure it’s helped with the mornings coding! xx
Roisin: be sure it doesn’t make you wet the bed 😂 we would always get told that as kids!!
true dat… diauretic, piss-a-bed is one of its more charming colloquial names xx
Man at C&A… Homo Catalogus… seldom seen since the early 80’s, hunted to the verge of extinction, for its luxuriant tumeric hued pelt, Homo Catalogus survives and thrives in the balmy conditions midst the heart of the south downs shake it like a polaroid picture!
Mark: Pleb
that’s always been one of my fave words x
Rich P: Would’ve been the title of a great sixth form magazine too, if only…
ha! well memory rummage remembered… i was thinking that when i typed it… would all be the interpleb nowadays x
possibly one of the dullest snaps i’ve posted (even by my not exactly exalted standards!)… here/now up in the loft next to my computer …. but but but… also one of the more exciting! seeds galore! the perplexion of potential… too da max! nature abhors a vacuum (i’m not a great fan of hoovering myself)… all being well… with a little sunshine, periodic watering and my singing to them … rainy night in georgia being todays fave in a few months, all will be glut and abundance. sow seeds now! tis a revolutionary act! this batch toms, chilles, courgettes and lettuce… mostly stuff which has loitered forgotten about from last years crop, that and some from the marvelous seedy sunday this year i am cheating slightly… shop compost, my home produced wonder stuff… size of a cow… will be for when they go out into the cruel harsh world as with mine theres always random nettles growing through… too many years of nibbling away playing lettuce or vetch… usually vetch i retch anyway eventually it will stop raining? easter blessings y’all xx
katie: This is definitely not dull!! It’s brightened my day no end…the seeds sown and Randy Crawford on a rainy day in Seaford. Thank ou
ha! better than a Seedy day in Rainford… my pun-tastic brain wants to say, hope your all getting on swimmingly!… pop in some day soon, and will keep ya posted if theres any socials up at the garden xx
hannah b: Of course you know Katie Hall, Richard Basgallop ! Haha. I also like your seedy pic, need to get going with mine bit involving a toddler in the rain makes it more of a daunting task than usual… 😉 ! Need to meet up soon xx
ha! my tentacles are everywhere… get going with your sprouting, tho yeah must be many toddler-esque distractions! we should all rendezvousvous… now that all be spring xx
megan: I have started lots of mine too. Nothing I can think of provides more hope and optimism than this!
growing galore! life fills me with profound astonishment… with the caveat that just as well i don’t have to survive solely on the shoots i tend, ha… hope all be glorious in that most beautiful of cities xx
soothe balm serene… first nettle,dandelion,cleavers glug of the summer
tho if i’m going to post a new order vid, always should be this one… adored bopping around the room to this when 19 at uni… had a tape new order on one side durutti column the other… bliss! x gawd facebook is dull nowadays… always has been in fairness… nowt but tumbleweed… and nettles… spare a thought for those tormented souls whom ‘work’ from home
