Taexalia

Twitterings

Taexalia — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Hope the sun has seared your snush... @carencarter (ps usual time for #SoulCollaboration tom?) #
@carencarter yay! see you the morn oh and you might like @Taexaliadotcom, she's affa fine in reply to carencarter #
@blogmum those are stompin! in reply to blogmum #
http://tweetphoto.com/12929807 beads of balance that I maded... one for each ankle? #
RT @kermit0702 Stripeymouse web design to commence tonight - thanks to @carencarter and @taexalia for the logo! <#
Midgies canna cope wi winter: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8542670.stm #
RT @iybuk: Lynx, brown bears, wolves + elk considered for reintroduction http://bit.ly/9x3JFZ (via @NaturalScotland) #
Here comes another creative and inspiring day with the @carencarter #soulcollaboration #
I dreamed I found rose quartz crystals at the bottom of a very deep swimming pool... #
Tougher wildlife laws proposed: Petition calling for new measures against those who kill birds of prey http://bit.ly/dpEIbI (via @STVNews) #
Is there a polite way to suggest to someone that they keep their dog's bared teeth away from my quiet, walking on a lead, dog's legs? #
@josordoni I think he thought it was impolite to suggest he have his dog under control... in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni oh how dare you be so considerate! I want to live on an island! #
Celandine Sun Worship ~ Spring Messenger http://tinyurl.com/yemttzc #
@josordoni re supermarket plonker - and if you had barged on through he would have said something about that too.. Blech in reply to josordoni #
@theknickermafia happy birthday xxx in reply to theknickermafia #
RT @theknickermafia a 50 y/o ps3 playing sex toy testing grannie ... Noooo!!! <<<< we'll see come the future!!! #
@theknickermafia a pantless 50 y/o ps3 playing sex toy testing grannie ... #
Go outside and listen to the birds singing! #
Caddisfly thought extinct found near Assynt, Scotland http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8547815.stm #
@givemestrength excellent!!! in reply to givemestrength #
If the Aberdeen City Square thing goes ahead I expect Donald Trump will build a crazy golf course amongst Ian Wood's concrete jungle... #
@WoodlandTrust saw a ladybird on my buddleia earlier in the week in reply to WoodlandTrust #
The hoover just died. I am devastated. #
Back to the bead making then! #
@josordoni you can tell that I didn't do anything like check the fuse to fix it, can't you? in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni no - when it stopped working I just returned it to its place in the cupboard ;o) in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni most likely that will be me in reply to josordoni #
RT @Crowstate @Taexalia is that called a vacuum void? <<#
2nd last Fife Circle fae Embra on a Saturday niicht guid fer banter, bit nae yet bein a bona fide Fifer a hae tae reed lips a bitty... #
He who fixes hoover must prove it works by rolling it over the carpets, including the stairs! #
@je72 Glad it is not bad news, snuggles for William x in reply to je72 #
@MarkAvery have been blogging signs of Spring in Fife http://taexalia.me in reply to MarkAvery #
48 weeks after moving in I have just located the box of favourite ornaments and fings in the loft!!! #

Twitterings originally appeared on Taexalia on March 7, 2010.

Buzzard

Taexalia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:50:54 +0000

Did you know each Buzzard's markings are unique?

Buzzard originally appeared on Taexalia on March 5, 2010.

Celandine Sun Worship

Taexalia — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:35:57 +0000

Yesterday we found more signs of Spring in a secluded corner by an old wall. The yellow flowers of Lesser Celandine were dotted against a backdrop of dark green, heart-shaped leaves that resemble ivy - amongst the browns and russets of dead undergrowth and rotting leaves.

Lesser Celandine seems to have little folkore attached to it, which is disappointing given it is sometimes called the "Spring Messenger". It was also called Pilewort since its tubers resemble the affliction and it is listed as a cure for haemorrhoids. It is also listed as toxic and can cause skin irritations.

Wordsworth favoured the plant, although his memorial plaque was mistakenly decorated with Greater Celandine, and C.S.Lewis decorates the floor of the wood with the yellow flowers of Celandine for Aslan's arrival in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

If you know of any other story or folkore references for Lesser Celandine, let me know in the comments.

This morning, we returned to the same spot before the sun had come around and I took the chance to photograph the flowers before they had opened for the day...

In this last picture, you can see the different stages of the blooms - a bud protruding from the green carpet, a closed flowerhead and an older flower that is losing it's colour and fading to white...

Lesser Celandine is listed as a weed but it seems to me it is a helpful source of nectar to early insects, as well as a cheery reminder to open oneself to the sunshine and cherish the light.

Celandine Sun Worship originally appeared on Taexalia on March 3, 2010.

Twitterings

Taexalia — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Eerie out there what with vixens and owls... #
Rare species of bumblebee discovered in Scotland: http://bit.ly/bdgwV4 (via @STVNews) #
Are the election tricks campaigns going to be murkier and dirtier than usual? #
@givemestrength sad isn't it. I would scrap the party system altogether. in reply to givemestrength #
@givemestrength who are the Tories? * Scottish grin* I suspect the turnout will be depressingly low in reply to givemestrength #
Bit concerned at amount of smoke coming out of mini toaster oven! #
@givemestrength sadly I don' t think any of them will change any time soon and we all pay the price in reply to givemestrength #
Taking a Springer Spaniel and a Greyhound for a walk together. May need a sedative. #
Have just been informed about my lunch tomorrow... Is it Creative Tuesday #Soulcollaboration yet?! #
@josordoni up here they call such things jakey injuries in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni try harder next time hope foot better the morn x in reply to josordoni #
Good morning world #
New at ProBlogger: Dear FaceBook Friends, I’m De-Friending Most of You http://goo.gl/fb/0YyM (via @problogger) #
@josordoni hope your foot is feeling better today x in reply to josordoni #
wildlife musing: Plants http://taexalia.me/2010/02/23/plants/ #
Join the Caledonian Mercury online focus group http://tinyurl.com/ybpdduo #
@theknickermafia UK has visa waiver scheme for holidays but I think you will still need to fill in the online form thing in reply to theknickermafia #
@theknickermafia http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ ESTA in reply to theknickermafia #
@blogmum I suppose telling the merchants how pointless and annoying it is could be a start...? in reply to blogmum #
is it really bad if you prepare two bowls of ice cream and then consider weighing them before choosing one? #
RT @BigGreenIdea How to make your lawn more wildlife friendly - http://bit.ly/adXv4t #
I really want to have a go in one of those inflatable hamster balls they have in various adverts. #
I think @cesarmillan would love to meet the King of the Greyhounds, but he doesn't have any extreme behaviours, humph. #
wildlife musing: Sunscapes http://taexalia.me/2010/02/24/sunscapes/ #
Be Plant Wise campaign urges gardeners to help stop the spread of invasive plants. http://bit.ly/cjCNCj (via @scotgovweb) #
Social Media: a way to talk about weather, dogs and ice-cream with the world. Giggle. #
@josordoni how is your foot today? in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni must have been a swashbuckling dream! ;o) in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni good question... maybe I should train Logan to do something mad and compare them... in reply to josordoni #
@josordoni Lorcan could be very mad! But even the prospect of meeting a sexy whisperer isn't a good enough reason to undo my achievements in reply to josordoni #
wildlife musing: Is It Spring? http://taexalia.me/2010/02/24/is-it-spring/ #
I am nothing if not inconsistent... I post nothing much for months and then find myself debating whether to publish a third post today... #
wildlife musing: Eranthis Hyemalis ~ Winter Aconite http://taexalia.me/2010/02/24/eranthis-hyemalis-winter-aconite/ #
RT @problogger Please be careful about opening links in DMs (phishing) http://is.gd/975U2 #
How to mistreat animals and pay the price http://bit.ly/adC3kp #
...sort of enjoying rooting around in my 2007 blog archives and sort of sad about the toll noisy neighbours have taken on my spirit... #
kicking off my sunday shoes! #
Wildlife: cantankerous Crow, fiesty Field Vole, bedraggled Buzzard and a soggy Rabbit who has misplaced it's body from the neck down. #
Thinks it's funny when BBC tweeters blame "a hacker" for sending DM spam rather than admit they clicked the link themselves #
@JoeDorward that's what I think is funny - if they engaged in Twitter, rather than marketing, they would have have understood days ago.. in reply to JoeDorward #
The postman just delivered a twelve inch tall lemon tree. My job is to persuade it to live and bear fruit *nervous* #
@JoeDorward snigger btw just oggling your webbie - right up my street (is a north east quine) in reply to JoeDorward #
@JoeDorward aye aye min, fit ye moolachin aboot at loon? in reply to JoeDorward #
I signed the "Save Fife Music" petition! http://petol.org/savefife #petol #
@JoeDorward my Granda was a Buchan loon and always accused me of moolachin aboot - wis nivver a compliment! in reply to JoeDorward #
@JoeDorward heh my Granda was ace furryboots yer roots onywye? in reply to JoeDorward #
RT @STVNews Twitter scam leaves MP Willie Rennie red faced.: http://bit.ly/dnqAqf < another one who clicked the link but blamed "hackers"? #
eating a massive salad. expect instant results. #
I am officially rubbish at graphic design. #
OK who is going to take me to visit @FraochWood ? *looks pointedly at certain readers* #
@FraochWood Thank you! I will let you know if/when I am visiting already linked to you this afternoon in reply to FraochWood #
@FraochWood no worries in reply to FraochWood #
@FraochWood aye a'll be expectin a reed carpet, ken? *gigglin* in reply to FraochWood #
Fife pedestrians beware of Snush. #
Funny how writing content for my jewellery blog feels scarier than writing for my wild blog... #
My favourite footpath has developped lochs and burns and I am indulging in first weather gripes of the winter. Poop. #

Twitterings originally appeared on Taexalia on February 28, 2010.

Getting High With Mither

Taexalia — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:30:01 +0000

If you are going to climb Ben Nevis then I highly recommend not doing it on the first heatwave day of the summer. I don't recommend doing it during any other heatwave either - but the first heatwave of the year and climbing Ben Nevis is a combination that will leave you puffin, pechin, puggled an pitifu...

Last year we didn't heed this advice. Thinking about it, we didn't really not heed it, we just didn't really think about it in real terms. The day before we just thoucht "Aye fine weather, hope it huds for the morn."

When the Paternal Unit and The GemmaDog deposited us at the side of the road it was 8:15am. Before we even said goodbye, I decided that the fleece I was wearing was already surplus to requirements - and I added it to my rucksack, before lathering my exposed wintry white flesh with sunscreen.

Scottish readers will know how alien a concept it is to be applying sunscreen at 8:15am on a Sunday morning.

We were hot before we crossed the River Nevis and left the shade of the trees. Once we left the shade of the trees we were hotter still.

And then we started to climb.

That's the wonderful thing about Ben Nevis - you start basically at sea level and climb to 4406 (or 4409 depending who you read) feet above sea level. Unlike other Munros, where the car-park might already be at 1000ft above sea level and the summit is 3300ft, you walk all the way. Up. There is no gentle initiation, there is only UP.

We decided very early on that we had the freedom to turn back at any point, given that the heat was, well, hot and given that our recent portfolio of hill-walking was limited to Stac Pollaidh.

Being vaguely experienced, if out of practise hillwalkers, we were equipped with everything one needs to venture onto the Scottish hills. Here is a list of some of the things that were in my backpack... that added to the weight I was carrying... that added to the hotness:

Aforementioned polar fleece jacket
Sweatshirt
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof trousers
Scarf
Fleece hat
Gloves
Packed lunch
Camera
Water

Feel free to guess how many of those items I needed...

Here is a list of things I didn't bring:

My own personal rain cloud and wind system

We were slow, we were overtaken, we stopped a lot. We put one foot in front of the other and kept going despite feeling like we might never make it. We were buoyed by the group of guys who kept overtaking us while we were stopped, who would stop further on and banter as we overtook them. One of these darling guys was to be found around the half way point straddling the waterfall and offering to soak people's hats for them. We accepted his offer. I have to tell you that the sensation of that freezing, dripping hat returning to my bonce was one of the best non-orgasmic moments of my life. Both Mither and I are convinced that it was this singular incident that ensured our success.

Yes, despite the heat, and a mile of thigh-deep-arse-muscle-trembling-banana-skin-polluted-snow, we made it.

I didn't have the energy to be euphoric and I didn't have the sunglasses to cope with the harsh effect of sun and snow (I am not one of those people that does things with snow and graphite shoe accessories). I didn't even really have the energy to eat much. But I did climb onto the trig point and feel funny knowing that for the moments we were up there, no-one in these Isles had their feet on the ground and their heads held higher.

What goes up must come down. Much of the downward trek we were kept company by a pair of conversational Ravens. We also discovered that sweat and sunscreen soup is effective in drowning midgies. When my knees made their final creaking downward motion I was already thinking about The Next Time...

Getting High With Mither originally appeared on Taexalia on February 25, 2010.

Birds

Taexalia — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:38:40 +0000

Birds originally appeared on Taexalia on February 25, 2010.

Winter Aconite Spittle of Cerberus

Taexalia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:26:25 +0000

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) emerges soon after the Snowdrop. Although not a true aconite, it is closely related to them, being also a member of the Buttercup family. As with true aconites, all parts of the plant are poisonous, however ingestion would mean enduring a bitter taste sensation.

Aconites are sometimes referred to as Wolfsbane ~ plants that were said to repel werewolves and also said to cure lycanthropy, the cause of the shapeshifting condition.

It is said that these plants grew from the saliva of Cerberus, guardian of the Gate of Hades. Cerberus was said to be a three headed dog, or a beast with the head of a lion, lynx and sow, or even a fifty headed beast with the tail of a dragon and a mane of writhing serpents. He was the offspring of the giant Typhoeus and Echidna, and is siblings were Hydra and Chimaera.

It is said that when Hercules wrested Cerberus from the Underworld, the beast turned his face from the light and his rabid barking sprayed saliva over the woodland floor. The plants that grew there carried his poison and would open the gate to the underworld, and death.

Aconite is said to have been used by Medea in her attempt to poison Theseus when he arrived in Athens to join his father, Aegeus.

Winter Aconite Spittle of Cerberus originally appeared on Taexalia on February 24, 2010.

Is It Spring?

Taexalia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:40:24 +0000

I'm hearing this question all over the place as people wish the moments away looking for something better. I look for signs of new life emerging - the snowdrops and winter aconite shine their carpets of hope amongst the decaying humus of the woodland floor, the owls and foxes make eerie night noise as they mark territory and call for mates, buds on trees seem to swell a little more and my flowering redcurrant is uncurling leaves...

The wheel is turning, but the Carlin/Cailleach has not loosed her hold yet, today she is still washing her plaid in the Coirebreachan and laying it's white sheath over the land...

Buddha sits in the garden, laughing as Jack Frost leaves his calling card, reminding us that each moment is what it is...

Is It Spring? originally appeared on Taexalia on February 24, 2010.

Sunscapes

Taexalia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:42 +0000

Sunworship with my camera...

Sunscapes originally appeared on Taexalia on February 24, 2010.

Plants

Taexalia — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:48:34 +0000

A collection of photos of trees, plants and flowers that have caught my eye...

Plants originally appeared on Taexalia on February 23, 2010.

Taexalia

Twitterings

Buzzard

Celandine Sun Worship

Twitterings

Getting High With Mither

Birds

Crow eating Smarties

pic7.jpg

Crow

Greater Black Backed Gull

Starling

Dunnock Male

Raven Corvus corax (photo credit @)

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) Holding Court

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Buzzard

Crow Family

Young Crow Take-off

Mother Feeding Young Crow

Grey Heron

2010_0208-blackbird

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Northern Atlantic Gannet Morus bassanus

Northern Atlantic Gannet Morus bassanus

Gannetry Bass Rock

Gannetry Bass Rock

Gannets

Buzzard

Winter Aconite Spittle of Cerberus

Is It Spring?

Sunscapes

Burntisland Winter Sun Firth of Forth

Burntisland Winter Sunset

2009_0131sunrise-dragon.jpg

Sunrise Over Edinburgh From Portobello Beach

Portobello Beach Sunrise

Portobello Beach Sunrise

Firth of Forth Sunrise at Portobello Beach

Firth of Forth Sunrise at Portobello Beach

2009_0131-inchkeith-sunrise-portobello

Solstice Burntisland Beach

Solstice Burntisland Beach

Sunset Burntisland

Red Sky Warning

Midwinter Sun

Midwinter Sun

Midiwinter Sun Worship blue

Midiwinter Sun Worship

Midwinter Sun Trees

Midwinter

Celebrate The Sun

December Sunrise

Dancing Trees Dusk

Sunset

Sunset over Lily's Pond Alyson's Orchard New Hampshire

Plants

Heather in Forest of Deer

Fly Agaric

Fly Agaric Fungi Amanita Muscaria

Herb Robert

Dandelion Clock

Scots Pine and Silver Birch

Winter Silver Birch

Beech Tree at Fetternear Estate

Beech Tress at Fetternear Estate

Fungi ~ Turkey Tail

Turkey Tail Fungi

Forget Me Not

Snowdrops and Winter Aconite

Winter Aconite (Eranthis)

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) closed flower

Lesser Celandine ~ Ranunculus ficaria

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

2010_0305-buds