Mercury Retrograde

Looks like I may be stuck in Portugal - serious doubts that my flight will take off tomorrow because of this continued ash cloud situation. My poor husband is in England trying to sort out his mother´s funeral, and I should be there. I am trying to get things in persective - I am not the only one with serious reasons for travel. I am praying for a breakthrough - for everyone affected.

Pippy on look-out...

...watching the last of tonight´s storm pass over.

Not looking too hopeful ...

... for my flight to UK on Monday. The earliest UK airports will be open is from tomorrow morning, but then, think of the backlog. Anyone reading this, please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Storm coming...

I hear the first rumbles of thunder so, after a very trying and tiring day, I am switching off early and turning in. I have had to make plans to travel back to England next week and it looks like a rough few days ahead, so I really need all the beauty sleep I can get.

And here´s a scene to back up my distaste of The Matrix...

... a christian crucifion scene.

A powerful phone conversation with a friend...

...prompts a very useful Hallowquest meditation. I know I should resist double-posting and linking to my own blog but I found these lessons learned very valuable. Perhaps someone else will too:

http://myhallowquestjournal.blogspot.com/2010/04/sword-queen-meditation.html

Why I think the Matrix is crap

I don´t get why so many otherwise intelligent people, give credence to the pile of USA propaganda bullshit, known as The Matrix Trilogy.
I´ve given it my best shot, this being the third attempt at watching the trilogy. I am just watching Revolutions, and all I see is a re-hashed "messiah" story and jingoistic, militarism.
I realise that this isn´t a reasoned argument, and it is far from complete, but is all I am able to say at the moment.

Having said that; I did enjoy spotting this scene...

...during a new moon in Aries.

Word of today - Nadir

The nadir (from Arabic نظير nathir, "opposite") is the direction pointing directly below a particular location; that is, it is one of two vertical directions at the location, orthogonal to a horizontal flat surface there. Since the concept of being below is itself somewhat vague, scientists define the nadir in more rigorous terms. Specifically, in astronomy, geophysics and related sciences (e.g., meteorology), the nadir at a given point is the local vertical direction pointing in the direction of the force of gravity at that location. The direction opposite of the nadir is the zenith.
Nadir also refers to the downward-facing viewing geometry of an orbiting satellite,[1] such as is employed during remote sensing of the atmosphere, as well as when an astronaut faces the Earth while performing an EVA.

This diagram depicts a satellite observing backscattered sunlight in the nadir viewing geometry.
The word is also used figuratively to mean the lowest point of a person's spirits.[2]
The term nadir can also be used to represent the lowest point reached by a celestial body during its apparent orbit around a given point of observation. This can be used to describe the location of the Sun, but it is only technically accurate for one latitude at a time and only possible at the low latitudes. The sun is said to be at the nadir at a location when it is at the zenith at the location's antipode.

Dirty girl ...

After Pippy had settled in my rocking chair, I spotted the state of her paws - absolutely filthy grey, instead of her natural white socks. I had strong words with her about the cheek of choosing my chair when she hadn´t cleaned up her act. She took it on board and set to work on the clean up. Like me, she doesn´t like people to home in on her weaknesses, but she accepted I was right.

She´s gone ...

 ... she hung in until she could hang in no more.

My first ever homemade candle ...

 
 ... it´s made from recycled old candle stubs and I even made my own wick. I´m pretty pleased with it.

Enough! I give in!

Travel plans for S. are still turning out complicated and costly. My car is in the garage too from today, until ? , so I am stranded here at the quinta. Life seems to have us in a bit of a stranglehold at the minute.

Hekate´s Garden

 

Still beautiful, despite being a wilderness

 
 
 

Never be afraid to admit you were wrong

 Thats what S. and the late John Peel have preached. I was wrong indeed by obstenantly denying S. and H. the chance to prune the mulberry tree over winter. Now the leaves are out and I stand back and take an objective look, I can see that the shape is all wrong. It is too far from the desirable "umbrella" shape that is ideal for providing summer shade. It´s just that I encourage nature to be wild and free!

Reflections

This mirror mobile is so photogenic. I love it´s changing faces, and the play of light it makes under the mulberry tree.

Yuk!

Our camper is broken down in Spain. It´s turning out to be a jinxed vehicle, despite how much hope (and funds) we poured into it. S. had said the vehicle represented "freedom" to him - poor S. His travel plans are having to be remade and more cost incurred. No wonder I couldn´t face updating this blog yesterday.

Checking in

S has had to leave for England again. I´m not going to say more on that.
Am about to chill out in front of Sleepy Hollow. More tomorrow.

More signs of spring

Leaves opening out on our mulberry tree, ready to provide us with a canopy of shade just as the weather is hotting up.

... and the mirror wind chimes reflecting light in the star, under that canopy

You ain´t seen me, right !

Pippy, always Queen and mistress of style and never fails to find a unique and amusing place to rest up. The funny part today was watching her wiggle into this tight spot and taking the stool up on her back in order to do so.

Here she is, a few months old, already trying out her "What? What´s wrong with this?" look!!!

And here, she has "that" look polished to perfection.

A prayer for JL

 Someone dear is passing.

This is a new development...

 It is forbidden to pick mushroom, asparagus and other wild plants. Why has this just been introduced, I wonder?

Reinvestmento

The "south" rock, making it´s first appearance this year as a path is roughly cut from the entrance of our labyrinth to the first turn. It is our objective to complete restoration of the labyrinth before Beltane.

Why Kermode rocks

Cronnekdhu

Tonight´s altar.

The Glory of Oak

The arrival of spring has decked the young oak trees in soft, downy leaves, delicately edged with rose pink. How long, I wonder, before these young oaks reach the magnificance of the mighty, spreading cork oak I meditated beneath today.

How do I know when I´m really lucky? ...

... When my dh picks me wild flowers.

Vintage footage of Kalimpong

Thanks to Kalimpong Info for bringing this to my attention.

Ratting

Eagerly anticipated return

According to my friends, they have spotted the first bee eaters of the year. I really love to see their return. They are such beautiful birds, as you can see from this picture of an unfortunate bird that flew into our window a couple of years ago. It stunned itself but recovered after a while and we were able to release it back into the wild.