Category Archives: Falls Between the Cracks

Doggy Life

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The dogs where I am staying in Cornwall. But soon to drive north to lovely Cumbria.

A whoof of greeting to all dogs everywhere. And to the people who love them, especially my dear hosts here in Cornwall.

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Not Alone

The Midland Hotel, Morecambe.
The Midland Hotel, Morecambe.

The mark of a good action
is that is appears inevitable
in retrospect.
Robert Louis Stevenson

The photograph isn’t linked to the quote by the way.

I’ve long intended to see the Midland in the flesh and the other day circumstances conspired to have me and a friend walking around catching sight of people enjoying high tea. One day I’ll go in and have a cup of tea while gazing out over Morecambe Bay. Another day when conditions conspire to take me there again. Tea anybody!

Too late in the day to ponder on the above quote at any length. Enough to say there is no escape from the law of cause and effect. Our own hand shapes us as we wander through life. Not alone.

 

 

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Robust Feet – Walking On

From a  tapestry based on The Decent From the Cross by Rubens 1612.
From a tapestry based on The Decent From the Cross by Rubens 1612.

Just look at these wonderful feet! Strong robust toes, firm lower legs – and minimalist shoes! The tapestry can be seen hanging on the wall of Whitewell St Michael’s, a Chapel of Ease built in the late medieval period in Whitewell in the Forest of Bowland. The tapestry is HUGE and impressive – a labour of love. In the original painting, titled The Decent From the Cross the feet (foot) is in the right hand bottom corner of the painting. A spectacular foot to be sure.

I’ve been appreciating feet these past days while I ‘wear in’ a pair of minimalist/barefoot shoes. It’s taking measures of perseverance to stay-with these new shoes, which I’m committed to doing.

Developing a deep appreciation of the ground beneath ones feet is rather important. In every level it’s important practically and spiritually, of course.

I’d found myself in the Forest of Bowland on Tuesday because I was in search of a high place to sit and contemplate, decompress (and nap) after a six hour, early start, drive north from Exeter. Unfortunately all views towards the West were obscured by cloud
up high in forest of Bowland
so I drove on visiting the chapel in Lower Whitwell, then the hotel for a cuppa and later cutting through the Trough of Bowland pausing briefly to admire the purple heather – and sheep

Sheep up highthen to find the sun shining on the high moors.
Forest of BowlandThis post is for my cousin in America who I met for the first time last June. We ‘tooled’, her expression, around the area I covered last Tuesday even passing by the cafe we had lunch in. Happy memories. Come again and we can explore some more.

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Where Colour Photography Began

Mount Shasta - 1916
Mount Shasta – 1916

Words escape me…! These images, in colour and black and white, were taken by National Geographic Society photographers in the early 20th century, curated by Retronaut and showcased by Mashable ,are something to behold. Enjoy, but don’t follow the links unless you have lots of time to spare! That’s if you enjoy photographs, as I do.

These Autochromes – the first commercially available color photographic process – were taken by National Geographic Society photographers. The Society eventually moved on to other slightly more advanced photographic processes and finally to Kodachrome by 1938, but not before amassing a collection of more than 12,000 Autochromes.

These images are truely amazing. An amazing document of the time, of photography and the people (including youthful celebs). Scroll down the page to find more archive images and articles too.

Hat tip to Michael in Canada for sending me the link and bows to Mashable, the National Geographic Society and Retronaut. These images need to be seen, and appreciated.

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Bigger Than We Can Think

This morning on returning to my room after meditation and morning service I thought to myself, Yes, all my brain and body molecules have now arrived in the UK. And appear to be arranged as they should be. What a relief. Traveling internationally can seriously disrupt ones functioning that’s on subtle and not so subtle levels.
Then later in the morning, with perfect timing, a beautiful hardback book arrived in the post. Not one I’d ordered so it’s something of a mystery as to who sent it to me. (I’ve a good idea though). I opened the book at random, titled The Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel, and read this:

Subheading The Embodied Brain, The Organization of the Brain.
The brain is a complex system of interconnected parts. At its most basic level, the skull-based portion of the nervous system consists of over one hundred billion “neurons” and trillions of supportive “glia” cells. Collectively, these neurons are over two million miles long. Each neuron has an average of ten thousand connections that directly link it to other neurons. Thus there are thought to be about one million billion of these connections, making it “the most complex structure, natural or artificial, on earth.

The brain is a wonder to behold. Complex beyond our imaginings yet infinitely ‘plastic’ in that the wiring can be changed, re routed around damaged areas, mentally spoken to in such a way that faulty wiring can be corrected. And that is just for starters.  So nothing much ‘hard wired’ up top, contrary to how the brain has been conceived until relatively recently.

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