Today is the Spring Equinox which means that the day has exactly the same number of hours of darkness and light. It is a time to think about balance.
But before I do that I have to ask you HOW did we get from this snowy scene where I needed my coat it was so cold ....
to this?
Now it is the Equinox AND the first day of Spring. The snow has all gone. The garden is full of new shoots. The sun is warm. And I am full of spring fever.
'C'mon let's go chase rabbits' I say.
'We're going to Coldrum Barrow' replies my Minder.
Yup that will fill the bill nicely. I can chase rabbits while my Minder sits on stones to meditate.
Coldrum Longbarrow is our special favourite walk. For those who don't know, it is a very, very old place. My Minder tells people it is even older than Stonehenge. On our way there today she tells me that the big tall stones were put up all those years ago, on purpose, to face the east so they catch the equinox sun. Actually I sort of knew that already - but in an animal way if you get my meaning.
Here is a picture of the tall stones of Coldrum Barrow. The sharp eyed among you will notice that it was taken around the time of the Autumn Equinox. I know. I know. A picture of how the stones look today would be good. But we were in a rush so Mindfulness, balance and the camera were all left at home.
When we near Coldrum I hear drums. I run ahead an up the steps to see what's going on. There are primroses all over the place. Some are even peeping out from under the stones. My Minder kicks herself (again) for forgetting the camera. But then her attention is caught by the men drumming, and after a bit she settles down to meditate. Not me - there are far too many new and exciting scents to explore. So the Minder does her thing, and I do mine, and both of us in our own way celebrate the change in season, and think about how to balance the dark and light in our lives.
Just before I go and finally leave Winter behind, I would like to say a couple of sad farewells to friends who left us during the Winter.
Firstly to a dear dog known as the Rough Diamond. You can read all about him on http://60goingon16.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/shine-on-you-crazy-diamond-.html
He was an old friend of the Minder, and was much loved for many things, but especially his brave kind heart. It was on February 20th we heard the news. I remember my Minder wiping her eyes and nose with a flimsy piece of paper which she gets out of a box at these times. 'Its been a day for tears ' she said to me 'First Jan's funeral which was very weepy, and then I come home to this news.'
And so too goodbye to our lovely friend Jan who meditated with us all. She passed the day before the snow came down. Jan was full of sunshine. She loved rainbows and sunflowers. I think she was like a sunflower. She had yellow hair and a big heart which was full of seeds of loving kindness.
This you tube clip says farewell better than I can. Jan chose Somewhere over the Rainbow as her musical goodbye when she left the church for the cemetary. I'm told she was accompanied by lots of people, and surrounded by masses and masses of flowers. The flowers were yellow - like the primroses at Coldrum.
2 comments:
Hello Flora! What a lovely post and thank you so much for including the Rough DIamond. The Divine Miss M, the chocolate Labrador whom you met all all that time ago in Glastonbury, misses him very much - they were growing old together.
But she sends you many canine greetings and is very impressed by your blogging skills. She thinks she might struggle with mindfulness, however, except in connection with tasty treats, in which case she could be very mindful indeed.
Thank you 60 Going on.... phew my tongue is tied with all the six'es .... for your comment. Please tell the Divine Miss M that we are thinking of her and also of tasty treats now that they are on the table (so to speak).
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