Although we are under five feet of snow, in the last few days I have felt the most imperceptable stirrings from the deep down in the earth. The birds, who usually lie quietly in the thicket, are all a twitter – carrying gifts for their mates, fussing around in the bush, tidying and making ready … Continue reading »
Filed under flora and fauna …
What to do with the Christmas tree when christmas is over
So, you have taken the Christmas tree down, chucked it at the back of the garden and forgotten about it, have you? Sad that, isn’t it, especially since it cost so much and probably came all the way from Norway or Canada. There are several sites that give recommendations on what to do with the thing; … Continue reading »
birch
spiders, butterflies and a dung beetle rolled in
Yesterday we went across our waterfall to the meadow to catch butterflies. We had a jam jar with holes in it and a net. After much running back and forth, we managed to catch and identify some butterflies and a moth. Our rules are that we must always let creatures go after we have identified … Continue reading »
spider activities
We have spent a lot of time discussing Charlotte’s Web, (principally about spiders) because we watched the movie recently. I remember reading the book at school, so I hope to be able to read the book to my girls soon. But until then, we have been doing some Charlotte’s Web related activities, some from ideas … Continue reading »
mountain walk
Yesterday we went on a May Day walk into the mountains with children from four families (ten kids ranging from 2 to 10). We walked for an hour to get to the end of the valley and picnicked by a very small stream whilst the children searched around in the water and on the banks … Continue reading »
planting tomatoes
Today we planted out our 12 tomato plants, which I bought from the market on Wednesday morning. Because we live in the mountains and the growing season is very short here, so it is always best to buy baby plants if possible. We have a variety of tomato plants, 3 of each – marmande, coeur … Continue reading »
spider’s webs and new lambs
It is the first day of the Summer term at state school here in France. The more I do here in the ‘un-schooling’ vein with them, the more they want to stay at home. Bubble even expressed an interest yesterday in having her friends come here to play rather than having to go to school … Continue reading »
tadpoles
We are raising extraordinarily healthy and superb tadpoles. It has become our little biology experiment. A month ago whilst down by the lake, we noticed several very large female toads scooting about in the shallow water with four or five male suitors clinging to them for dear life (Bubble’s cousin was told that they were … Continue reading »
Hellebore Haiku
satin petals furled raindrops cling, soggy humus absorbs leaden skies ……….
snow came – so did deer
So the snow came for the second time this winter and boy, did it come – 75 cms in four days, so I walked. Up to my knees in it. We were all taken aback by the amount of snow that had fallen, even the wildlife; I heard owls screeching during the day, saw a … Continue reading »
Happy Eostre
This is my favourite Easter image. It tells of spiritual awakening, rebirth and renewal of life. We still celebrate Geàrr or Hare; symbol of the goddess, shape-shifting, fertility and intuition, through the Easter Bunny today: “Here the hare is the original “Easter Bunny” – the word Easter being derived from the Saxon goddess Eostre, to … Continue reading »
A Photographic eye
I have taken to carrying a camera around with me when I go out on my walks. Practising this ‘Power of Now’ thing more regularly now, out in the open especially, has made my eyes more ‘photographic’ in a funny kinda way. What I choose to focus on and acknowledge has become more sensitive. When … Continue reading »
The Story of the Weeping Camel
“So, my children, now I will tell you about the legend of the camel. Many years ago, God gave antlers to the camel as a reward for the goodness of its heart. But one day a rogue deer came and asked the camel to lend him his antlers. He wanted to adorn himself with them … Continue reading »
Two Eagles
Going on my regular walk this afternoon in blistering sunlight reflecting on snow, I felt uneasy – something was not right. I was feeling down, not quite connected, not quite there. I stumbled around for a while looking vaguely at things, watching two dog-sled teams run up and around the top of our valley and … Continue reading »
Bright Jewels of the Forest
Passing through the forest on my morning walks, I have been noticing a fantastic and rare high-altitude mushroom Fomitopsis pinicola and marvelling at its beautiful colours. It seems that autumn produces the most spectacular shades and hues all around and even going on until the middle of winter, I am finding dazzling bright jewels on … Continue reading »
Deep Golden Yellow turns Paler
I can tell you exactly when the cows had been confined to their quarters for the winter. Not only was it the heavy fall of snow we had last week that gave me a clue, but I knew as soon as my Monday morning butter landed on the table and I unwrapped the white paper … Continue reading »
The Magic of the Night
It is the magic that I love to experience; the time between day and night, dawn and dusk. Twilight, when bats start to flitter around the eaves of the house and the owls call softly from the large trees. At dusk, when the silence descends and the dark starts creeping from the edge of the … Continue reading »
A Robin flew into the kitchen
A robin flew into the kitchen today, we chased him round and round until he was panting and I thought he was going to drop down from exhaustion. I remembered what a shaman said in one of his books about his dead father’s Spirit returning into the house as a Robin, and I also remembered … Continue reading »
Le Dernier Trappeur
Saw a fantastic film. Amazing, and as a result I bought some rabbit pelts off the internet to make into fur hats with. The wonder of the Canadian wilds, the wonder and the danger of it. Wow. Norman Winthur is the trapper and his partner Nebraska, and they live in the middle of nowhere, the … Continue reading »
The birds start singing again.
Been doing a lot of things like work, work and more work. I think that people realise that it is a hard job for me to do with Bubble too, so next year I will be here, but not living in, or working at the same job. It would be really nice if I could … Continue reading »
A Witches Garden
I have been having day dreams about a garden and an allotment in France recently. I have got the urge to dig in the soil again. Because I have been concentrating on touch for the past few days I think already my senses have been heightened a tiny bit because I suddenly have got the … Continue reading »
Tree Moons
1 January – Birch moon: cleansing (air) cleansing and cleaning of the mind and habitat – burning sage etc, purifying the space as a ritual. starting to still the mind, repetitive cleaning jobs around the house, secretiveness, edge of village starting to become aware of sacred web of connection. grounding through the birch tree Meditation … Continue reading »
Swallows
I walked to the common today, along the usual paths to find some serenity. I was guided to the open field and saw the most wonderful sight; hundreds of swallows swooping and darting over the short grass, sweeping back and forwards along insect lines, massing for the autumn journey south. They seemed to be poised … Continue reading »
The Wild Wood
I have been gardening like crazy to get the allotment sorted. Gardening brings me closer to the soil and the elements of life and the country and the past – that is what I need to experience for the moment. Every time I think about the summer and the winter and the seasons and the … Continue reading »
