Closing it down

I've decided to do a bit of downsizing in my bloggy world.  So - with the exception of a couple of photographic memes, I will no longer be blogging in this space. Most of my day to day happenings are around the home and garden, and concern children and family - so I will be posting about these issues on my other  blog - The Interrupted Gardener.  This was my first blog, and I started off keeping it strictly as a gardening blog.  I have found, however, that the garden is a big part of my life, and so are the 'interruptions' to it, and it was becoming more difficult to decide what post should be on what blog.  Enough, already! For the sake of simplicity,I will blog about family, gardening, food, creativity and general reflections on The Interrupted Gardener from now on.
I know there are some followers who also follow IG - bless you.  But if not, I invite you to join me over there.  Thank you all anyway -  I am constantly amazed that people take time out of their busy, creative lives to read what I have I have to say. xxx

Shadow Shot Sunday - A boy and his dog

James and Robbie the dog, enjoying some late winter (or early spring?) sunshine.  But - where has my grass gone?!

See more shadow play at Shadow Shot Sunday.

Skywatch - shining through

The pale sun this morning, seen from our driveway, looked almost pear-shaped as it squeezed through this narrow cloud band.

Pushing itself upwards

easy does it,

almost there now,

Yay!  Brilliant!

See more skies at the excellent Skywatch blog every Friday.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Homemade paper lanterns

It is the Chinese New Year  tomorrow, so we made paper lanterns to celebrate. 
It is also Sunday in Australia now - visit Tracy for Shadow Shot Sunday.  Happy New Year!

Skywatch - Rosslyn Castle

Another wee day out on Wednesday, this time for a walk in Rosslyn Glen.  We had visited the (in)famous Rosslyn Chapel before, but had never made it any further.  This time, we passed on the chance to fight our way through the hordes of visitors vying to stand in the place that Tom Hanks stood in the DaVinci Code film, and headed off down the glen, eventually finding our way to Rosslyn Castle .  It was a lovely late winter day, with just a faint hint that warmer weather could be on its way back.
See what other skies around the world look like at Skywatch Friday - join in!.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Ancestral shadows

I make no apologies for posting more images of the 5000 year old Callanish Stones.  They were so stunningly beautiful and special. 

 

The first day of our visit was bright, sunny and cold - perfect conditions for finding shadows.

 

Maybe they are the shadows of the people who built this sacred place.

Scroll down for more photographs of our trip to the Outer Hebrides last week. And visit Tracy, at the other side of the world to see more Shadow Shots.

. 

Sacred Space

 

We travelled up to the Hebridean Isle of Lewis on Brigid's eve - an auspicious coincidence, we thought. And so it proved.  During our 2.5 days on the island, we visited the stones at Calanais 3 times.  It sounds so cliched, but there is a magic within that sacred circle that kept drawing us back. The weather was perfect - cold, sunny and the lightest of snowfalls on the Wednesday - no other tourists either, so we had the place deliciously to ourselves.

 

. Each stone has it's own unique personality.  Kristine commented on my skywatch post how they looked like old men.  They really do have a human quality, and I wonder if those ancient ancestors who first erected these stones were portraying their own community. This chap was a formidable guardian at the end of one of the long avenues

The colours are amazing.  The stones actually glow with the shades and hues of the land.  Pinks, oranges, whites, green and greys.  I love in these two shots how they seem to merge into the winter landscape.

 

To me, the inner circle looked like a group of strong ancient matriarchs.

While the men spread around in a protective outer ring. 

  

It is a special place.

Another special place was Breanish over on the far West side of the island.

  

So far on the edge, you can see St Kilda, hazy on the horizon.

An if you look really hard - maybe you can see America!

If not - there are always other delights to behold closer to the shore.

And, of course, there are always the stones.

Skywatch - Sky, snow and stones

A wintry view of the 5000 year old Callanish Stones against a pale blue sky on the Isle of Lewis, taken on Wednesday 3rd February. 
See more skies from all around the world at Skywatch.

Book Sharing / Shelf Sharing. - Brigid's Day

 

An unexpected bonus of sharing pictures of our bookshelves as well as book, is that ou come across forgotten gems - like this one - Celtic Wonder Tales by Ella Young.  Based on the Celtic creation myths it contains exciting sagas of good overcoming evil and is full of celtic wisdom. 

 

For Brigid's Day, I will share this excerpt from the creation tale, The Earth Shapers.  In Tir-na-Moe, the land of the Living Heart, Brigit was singing.

Brigit sang:

Now comes the hour foretold, a god-gift bringing

A wonder-sight

Is it a star new-born and splendid up springing

Out of the night?

Is it a wave from the fountain of Beauty upflinging

Foam of delight?

Is it a glorious immortal bird that is winging

Hither its flight?

It is a wave, high-crested , melodious, triumphant

Breaking in light

It is a star, rose-hearted and joyous, a splendour

Risen from night

It is a flame from the world of the gods, and love

runs before it,

A quenchless delight

Let the wave break, let the star rise, let the flame leap

Ours, if our hearts are wise,

To take and keep.

Alex hosts Book Sharing Monday at her blog, Canadian Home Learning.  Drop in and see who else is sharing.

Meanwhile, to continue my bookshelf sharing, here are the two bookshleves in my bedroom.

These shelves are a mix of parening, health, lifestyley type things, books I find particularly inspiring and ones that mean a lot to me.

 

Anyway, we are off to the far North for a few days.  Have a good week.