‘Behold my brother and sisters, the spring has come,
The earth has received the embraces of the sun
And we shall soon see the results of that love !’
(Sitting Bull)
Finally the cold days seem to be over! (Though the gardeners in our nearby town religiously refuse to plant their flowers until the 21st of May).
Most trees are now clothed in fresh green leaves – only the oaks are still a bit reluctant. There is an abundance of colour painted into that radiant green background – flowers and blossoms everywhere! Spring is finally really here! (Though mind you – this is the North of Scotland and we did have snow in June before…)
Beyond the Park and Wilkie’s Woods an ocean of yellow gorse flowers stretches almost to the sea – fragrant of coconut in the sunshine.
The birds are busy building their nests and the other day I saw the first bat of the season, as well as my first two hedgehogs here in ages.
The warmer weather and longer days also draws people out onto the land.
Beltane has passed with many different celebrations in different locations around the Park. And our shelter site with its fireplaces has been busy with many happy and colourful gatherings. Draeyk in full druidic regalia was guiding around 60 community folk (plus kids and dogs) through a joyful celtic Maypole ceremony – despite it having been a rather cold day.
Beautiful decked out women gathered for a ‘Red Tent’ event, and there is no shortage of bookings of our facilities for the next weeks and months.
Workwise – our new shepherd’s hut has been put into its location near the Green Burial Ground – just waiting for a committed volunteer or apprentice to move into that cosy wee space. (‘Build it – and they will come’ – from the movie ‘Field of dreams’ with Kevin Costner).
We have put a fresh layer of wood chips on our camping pads to welcome this season’s wild campers.
The gorse and grass on firebreaks and paths has been cut back with the topper, now it’s been weeks of following up with the brushcutter. The annual cycle of maintaining what we have created…
Wee trees which were planted last year are beginning to grow out of their little spiral tubes and need to be put into bigger tubes to keep the deer from eating them.
It feels like a busy time of the year – with everything bursting forth with life.
And yet –
‘…once in spring
I with god
Had a quiet talk.’ (Shuntaro Tanikawa)
It’s when we pause to feel, look and listen, when we close our eyes to smell the sweetness of the air – the different scents at different times of the day – when we stand still in the midst of all that bursting forth – and consciously open ourselves to the presence of the divine within it all – it is then that it will find its way into our hearts and make us flower wildly & quietly from within – and truly make us part of the celebration of life that is ‘spring’.
Enjoy…
Kajedo,
Findhorn, May 2023
News from the land – Spring 2023
‘Behold my brother and sisters, the spring has come,
The earth has received the embraces of the sun
And we shall soon see the results of that love !’
(Sitting Bull)
Finally the cold days seem to be over! (Though the gardeners in our nearby town religiously refuse to plant their flowers until the 21st of May).
Most trees are now clothed in fresh green leaves – only the oaks are still a bit reluctant. There is an abundance of colour painted into that radiant green background – flowers and blossoms everywhere! Spring is finally really here! (Though mind you – this is the North of Scotland and we did have snow in June before…)
Beyond the Park and Wilkie’s Woods an ocean of yellow gorse flowers stretches almost to the sea – fragrant of coconut in the sunshine.
The birds are busy building their nests and the other day I saw the first bat of the season, as well as my first two hedgehogs here in ages.
The warmer weather and longer days also draws people out onto the land.
Beltane has passed with many different celebrations in different locations around the Park. And our shelter site with its fireplaces has been busy with many happy and colourful gatherings. Draeyk in full druidic regalia was guiding around 60 community folk (plus kids and dogs) through a joyful celtic Maypole ceremony – despite it having been a rather cold day.
Beautiful decked out women gathered for a ‘Red Tent’ event, and there is no shortage of bookings of our facilities for the next weeks and months.
Workwise – our new shepherd’s hut has been put into its location near the Green Burial Ground – just waiting for a committed volunteer or apprentice to move into that cosy wee space. (‘Build it – and they will come’ – from the movie ‘Field of dreams’ with Kevin Costner).
We have put a fresh layer of wood chips on our camping pads to welcome this season’s wild campers.
The gorse and grass on firebreaks and paths has been cut back with the topper, now it’s been weeks of following up with the brushcutter. The annual cycle of maintaining what we have created…
Wee trees which were planted last year are beginning to grow out of their little spiral tubes and need to be put into bigger tubes to keep the deer from eating them.
It feels like a busy time of the year – with everything bursting forth with life.
And yet –
‘…once in spring
I with god
Had a quiet talk.’ (Shuntaro Tanikawa)
It’s when we pause to feel, look and listen, when we close our eyes to smell the sweetness of the air – the different scents at different times of the day – when we stand still in the midst of all that bursting forth – and consciously open ourselves to the presence of the divine within it all – it is then that it will find its way into our hearts and make us flower wildly & quietly from within – and truly make us part of the celebration of life that is ‘spring’.
Enjoy…
Kajedo,
Findhorn, May 2023