Floods and the countryside

I was talking to my uncle one day last week. He is 93 and when the talk turned to the floods, this was his response. ‘During the war, we had to grow more food, so farmers were told to dig up the hedges and fill the ditches. The hedges never got put back and now there is nowhere for the water to go so we only have ourselves to blame.’ Part of this is true but there are other factors too. We build houses on flood plains and right by the side of streams and rivers as well as on top of cliffs and under them. We ‘make’ the railway take the shortest route even though it may not be the best route but time is precious or so we think. I am sure you can think of other examples where we stop the rain from going into the ground. How many of you have laid tarmac or concrete on your driveway so you can park your car better? Where does your rainwater go?

As druids should we be more aware of what we do and how what we do affects the land around us? I think we should be very aware of the results of our actions and take the time to think about these actions and whether they are right for our environment. This week we have seen the power of the water and we have been given a strong message about the way we build homes and transport systems. Also there have been many other results of the floods where the animal world is concerned. Some species have not been able to reproduce this year as their homes were swept away by the water. The slug has done well though.

So what can we do to ensure that these things don’t happen in the future? Is it too late to change the way we live? The Woodland Trust has gifts that include the sponsorship of the planting of a hedge as well as preserving old fallen trees for the insects.

To cheer us all up, here is a photo taken earlier this year on Woodland Trust property.

The end of the world?

There were some who were definitely waiting for the end of the world. But it is really just the end of the world as we know it. There are many changes going on at the moment, some seen and some unseen. But we can see the difference and feel it. In general, many people seem happier and more ready to communicate with others. This is good. Have you ever noticed then when there is a very tragic event, natural or man-made, then people come together and their lives change? It seems to need a traumatic event in our lives before we see that there are different ways to live.

As a druid I know that spirit is always around us and if we listen carefully we know what to do and when to do it. It is about being aware, thinking about the things we do, changing when we need to and letting go of the old ways that no longer serve us. To change the world, you have to change yourself first. Can you do this? Can you help each other to make the changes we need to make, to see our world become a better place?

My photo this week was taken in the Avebury Avenue.

Winter ramblings

First of all I must ask you, if you will,  to send prayers and healing to all those affected by the recent tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in the USA. This event will affect many people all over the world because the children were so young. Yet there are many other tragedies every day which do not make the news. We need to have more compassion in our world and help for those who are in need so that our world becomes a better place.

But this is the time of the year when we have some wonderful sunny days with sharp frosts and clear skies. It is a time when we can reflect on our lives and see how we can change. This time of the year especially when many people spend far too much money believing that expensive gifts are essential. And also spend too much money on food that is never eaten. Is this what our world should be like when food is thrown away by some yet others go hungry? How have we managed to get to this kind of state? How can we change it? What are your ideas and thoughts on this?

Enjoy my winter photo taken by my son some years ago.

 

 

 

Taking things for granted

I have just moved from a small narrow terraced house in town to a bungalow in a village. Here I can see trees and hear the birds chirping away. How I missed these. I can also see the sun set and so my heart now sings. Above is a photo of the sunset the other evening.

Do we take these things for granted? If so, what else do we take for granted? Our friends, food on our table, clothes to keep us warm and a roof over our head?

For me now, I feel much happier with the sounds and sights of nature around me. I am surrounded by boxes yet to be unpacked but I can spend hours just sitting and watching and listening. The best things in life are free!

What do you take for granted? What do you miss most in your life? What does this say about you?