Christmas takes hold of me even though I try to loosen its grip. For it seems to be healthy that we have one time each year when we are able to recant our failings, forgive each other and move forward promising to do better.

For me that means living a little healthier and I am only sorry it has taken too long. By healthy I mean both body and mind. For I think we cannot have one without the other. Merry Christmas.

18th Dec 2007

Something a little lighter tonight I think. 4 new photos from the last week or so. The giant Santa outside Manchester town hall, the bare snakelike path of the flood water than ran down the garden hillside, the growth on the Monkey Puzzle tree and perhaps the saddest Christmas tree ever...and it was decorated by members of the sisterhood. They should be thrown out of the club if you ask me.

Mon 17th Dec 2007

In case you’re wondering what that’s all about it was a video I watched on the fur trade the other day. I don’t think I have ever been so down and could hardly sleep during the night. It was like a brief glimpse of hell. But it has made my mind up to become a vegetarian again. No more sophistry...no more lies to justify eating meat. I need to be a better person.

The world grew ever darker the other day
So dark that it may never lighten completely
How can we endure the hurt others inflict?
Not on us, but the innocents of the world
How can we fight past that pain and anger?
And how may we win against mediaeval texts?
Where to err is human and to slaughter divine
I cannot stop this madness, but from tomorrow
No sentient being shall die in my name again
I should die myself than remain silent witness
For what monsters take an innocent life’s skin
While it lives before and remains screaming after
And I now see that they are but a reflection
In the ghastly cracked mirror of our evolution
For it is you and I that make them what they are
For we do create the greatest hurts of them all
When we remain silent to it and tell no-one

If you awaken in the depth of the night

Attune your mind to solitude’s dark calm

And then question everything around you

Who are you and why are you here now?

What is the reason we exist in this time?

No answers shall come that give revelation

But the answers that do come in earnest

Shall be always less than the questions we asked

I took a sound from the repository of memories and revelled in its depth of sensation. The years do not dim nor do the seasons dull the rise and fall of a soprano voice. Clear and sharp as a winter frost it pierces consciousness to invade a realm of deepest calm. As a shaft of sunlight that lies on a hoar frost it is both a catalyst and a pointer toward things unlooked for that is a benison and more than we should ever deserve to experience. For beauty warms a cool soul into being.

Slow falls the hand of sleep, as I lie wrapped in the warmth of wings that shall fly no more. In the void between the transition to nightly oblivion comes softly the wonder of the path that leads my life here this night.

Here in the fastness of night, the wind howls down from the hills and enters the room carrying the scents of a nocturnal world. I smell the owl and the fox and the warmth of the rich, moist earth at the badger’s set. It sirs within and I must rise for they call me.

The view out the window is quite bright from the full moon. Would it be ridiculous to get dressed and go off exploring by the light of the moon? Following silvered paths under tall black branches that shiver and exhale with the breeze to stumble into secret places.

As a child one hears stories of fairies and the night reverberates the stories around my mind and whispers that sometimes there is a kind of magic we can touch. I feel that if I walked long and quiet enough through the drifts of leaves I would eventually witness that magic. Be it a fairy gathering or a wonder of nature’s nocturnal creatures. One night soon I shall take this walk into the moonlit night but not just yet.

For throughout all this I sense you and know you would come with me on this adventure and I wait for you to arrive. For though I no longer believe in fairies I have always believed in someone like you.

Wednesday 12th Dec 2007

Tonight I am listening to the CD ‘Symphonic Canzonas’ by Sigfrid Karg-Elert which is works for organ, violin and soprano...in a word it is ‘superb’. Plus it’s much cheaper to buy on-line too. However it is nice to buy from a real store as they do provide a good service and it will be a poorer world when all the specialists have gone. Have a look here. The music is enchanting...how could you convince a rapper or rocker of its worth though?

The weather at the minute is cool and sunny. Been hearing of the ice-storms that are affecting the US at the moment and they sound pretty harsh. I guess we are lucky here to have such an even (if grey,) weather pattern.

The snow if it comes shall be brief and shallow ultimately dissolving into days of warmer disposition. Yet even now I see the change as the diminutive trailing hazel catkins stretch downward. The life essence of nature is not ruled by a clock, only the rise and fall of the seasons and the days that fall within them.

Nick told me off last night for the poem as he said it was a little suicidal but it was a play on global warming. Got your card and gifts today Scott so thanks for that so very much. As ever the consummate books...thank-you! Hope the weather is a little better in Pa.

http://www.lammas.co.uk/canzon.htm

Winter now descends toward anarchy

Any semblance of the old order lost

Gone the long, hard frost of yesteryear

Yet still remains the cold, ceaseless rain

Drenching fluids across the sodden vistas

Onto a misty backdrop of constant daylight

That rises and falls across the years seasons

Intense or occluded regardless of Earth’s orbit

Constant in its equal measures of uncertainty

Thurs 6th Dec 2007

A few more pictures from the recent holiday. I didn’t take many more than that sorry. One of the dunes and a picture of David, Ray, Mike and me in Maspalomas and a sunset from the balcony. Off to the Imax on Saturday to see Beowulf in Manchester with Nick and a whizz around the Christmas markets in the town square. I really want to see the film Golden Compass too at some point over December.

Gran Canaria Nov 2007

Arrived at Las Palmas at sunset and by the time we’d got to the hotel it was dark with a huge full moon. Quickly had dinner and took a stroll down the promenade. Every now and then the moon breaks free of the clouds and shines its silvery white light across the sand dunes revealing what looked like a tropical snowscape and highlighting the waves breaking far out to sea.

Sunday started cloudy but then it all vanished and so we walked to the beach where after an hour of glorious sun the heavy, dense clouds returned making everyone rush to put on shirts. Decided to head back to the hotel and sleep for a few hours.

Monday had a great night’s sleep and though awake at 6.30am feel much more refreshed today although have a pretty bad head...feels like my sinuses are blocked. Still very little cloud this morning but after a hearty breakfast of 2 eggs, toast and teas. By 10.30 we were off to the beach (which takes an hour to walk to by the way!)

Tuesday and finally a little colour is beginning to show. It’s amazing the transformation a couple of days can make. This is another hot and sunny day but as were heading home around 4pm a huge wind blew up scattering sand and people everywhere. In the evening after dinner watched a “Diana Ross and the Supremes” tribute ban from South Africa who were actually excellent. Seem to be developing a cold as I have a slight sore throat and cough...hope it doesn’t get any worse.

Wednesday didn’t sleep very well at all and woke up feeling terrible. Definitely got a cold but keep trying to overcome it with mind power but in the end gave up and took 2 aspirin (which helped.) another sunny day and met David and Ray (2 friends from home) on the beach. The day before they were telling us a boatload of Africans arrived on the beach in a motor-less boat at around 5pm which saw the beach swarming with police. Went for a couple of beers in a German bar after the beach...which was best described as interesting. Nice people and so friendly once they have some beer. Had some Frikadellen but don’t think I shall be having any more. Don’t know if it was the beer or the cold but felt ill by the time I got back to hotel and only managed a bowl of soup for dinner. Fell asleep at 9pm and didn’t wake till 6.30am the following morning and that was one of the best night’s sleep in a long time.

Thursday Browner and calmer and who would think I could be sat outside on a balcony in my shorts watching the sunrise...in November. Following a pattern now of breakfast, beach, dinner and bed. However not much sun today and even some drops of rain. The view to the mountains obscured by huge, black, brooding clouds and all headed this way. I think we been on the beach for around 20 mins before the sun vanished (never to be seen again that day.) everyone tries to wait but two-by-two slowly the beach empties and then there is no one. I wonder where they all go to? Still nice to walk back in the shade and have afternoon coffee and cake at the “cafe De Paris” in the Yumbo centre. I bought a pair of bright canary yellow trunks for the Australia holiday in 2009. Very racy and nothing left to the imagination (unless it is to wonder where the rest of it is hidden.) The beach is full of people nude bathing with everything trimmed and shaved and forever constantly fiddling to enhance their attributes.
It’s now 5.30pm and I am sat on the balcony with a cup of tea (never mind diamonds, a travel kettle is your best friend!) going to eat early tonight and then stroll down the prom and take some pictures. It is the last full day here tomorrow...where has the time gone? But for now I shall enjoy the sunset and the smell of food wafting up from the restaurant and read my hi-fi magazine. It has the most amazing picture of Tannoy Westminster’s in. I’ll try and find a picture of the magnificent beauties.

Friday and feel like spending the day in bed and oh yes, my voice has now disappeared completely. Still you can keep me from the beach but after the walk all we got was cloud and wind and some more rain. Left about 3pm and had coffee and cake and a walk around the shops in Maspalomas. There is a lot of new building work around here and the whole area looks quite stylish.

Saturday grabbed a few hours on the beach and then began the long trek home. I have to say the highlight was travelling back from the resort to the airport on the coach with a crazy Scotsman singing

Finally arrived back home at 3am Sunday morning. I wrote some prose on holiday and i'll type this later. hope you're well.

3rd Dec 2007

Back from holiday and completed my first day back at work. I kept a diary on holiday so I shall be typing it up this week and posting it...hope you are well. Enjoy the first picture