the running wave

So, here we are - the last day of 2015.  The early morning sky was beautiful, through the trees, and we have enjoyed a few glimmers of sunshine throughout the day  There will be the usual New Year's Eve street party in the centre of Edinburgh tonight.  A quarter of a million revellers, rocking around, having a wonderful chaotic time.  We are just happy to see the new year in here, quietly, with just the hooting of the owls in the wood!  

As 2015 runs out, the light levels are low, the countryside is soggy and the sky is grey.  I think the year is feeling a little weary.  It's been a tough one for the world, but as hope always springs eternal, I think we have to look forward to next year with a positive heart.   One good way to restore one's sense of wellbeing is to take a walk.  Even on a grey midwinter's day, there are joyful little sparks to be seen and heard.   Apart from the daily pleasure of seeing blackbirds, pheasants, blue tits, coal tits, great tits, robins and chaffinches, today I saw : A bellowing of bullfinches Our local buzzard, gliding silently through the trees on the edge of the wood A squabble of goldfinches (that's my own new collective noun for goldfinches!) A murder of crows A skein of greylag geese Our male greater spotted woodpecker One of the nuthatches A jenny wren A charm of yellowhammers A volery of long tailed tits Not a bad little haul for a grey December da

There are a couple of things I mention here on a regular basis - Radio 3 and the Northern Lights.  Radio 3 I listen to most of the time, these days, and the Northern Lights are a phenomena I keep missing in the night skies - grrrrr. However, over the month of December I have been wallowing in the most glorious collection of music, words and images (conjured up in my imagination), by Radio 3's focus on the Northern Lights, which has involved the music, composers, myths and legends, sights and sounds of the very far north of our planet.  They have visited Lapland, Greenland, Iceland, the north of Norway.  It has been just fabulous.  Dark, mysterious, expansive, magical, remote, sparkling, snowy, and wonderful are just a few ways to describe the things the BBC has brought into our home over the last three weeks.  Initially it was going to be a series of programmes to celebrate the Finnish composer, Sibelius, and then it snowballed (sorry about that!) from there.   Hopefully, with

Tilly is now sleeping off Christmas Day treats, and dreaming of chasing the squirrels in the garden!  She might be nine years old next March, but she can run like the clappers when it comes to squirrels!

With all the bright lights, noise and razzmatazz of Christmas, a trip to the beach can be a very therapeutic thing!   Deep peace of the running wave to you and my very best wishes for a Happy Christmas

Red and green.  Complimentary colours.  The colours of Christmas, and all sorts of other stuff!