Millions of people, both local residents and visitors, enjoy Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty every year – many without realising they are in a protected landscape.

Well I certainly didn’t know I was living a protected landscape, an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We are within the North Pennine AONB, one of very many areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland so designated.

This afternoon I was invited out for tea. We drove up the West Allyn valley, then turned left over the moors to Allenheads at the top of the East Allyn valley. There in a pleasant cafe within the lead mining heritage center where we had our treat. Later we headed down the East Allyn to Allendale Town, known by many as the centre of England. And then back up over the moor to home. That’s all within outstandingly beautiful countryside, naturally. And now that’s official!

It’s always pleasing to come across a Buddhist altar in the home setting. This one is on a corner shelf and contains the usual flotsam and jetsam of items picked up and honoured for awhile, and then cleared off to make room for new things.

Altars can become the living expression of practice which is forever evolving and changing, or they can gather dust.

Things have moved on with vacuum cleaners. For one thing, in England we no longer refer to them as ‘Hoovers’. Now there are so many more manufacturers, sending them to our shores from all over the world. I’ve recently become intensely interested in all things to do with vacuum cleaners. That’s because I volunteered to take care of ours, an extensive fleet of them. However my feelings towards them, up to now, has been ‘distant’. First task then is to hunt them down. Then check their bags and filters and see how they are doing generally.

This morning I went on a tour of inspection. There they were lurking in cupboards, in stair wells and the final three were found nesting collectively in a down stairs bathroom. Replacement bags there are aplenty. Sooo many different sizes. What next? Well, already I see myself nudging towards anthropomorphizing them. They are all different to be sure. Each has unique characteristics, particular strengths and weaknesses and special features. They have a whole host of attachments too, some concealed neatly out of sight and others sprawling all over the cupboard. So like we human beings?

Although my tendency has been to remain distant from these busy machines (there I go again!) I’ve generally treated them with respect. And, while they may be ‘just’ machines they do have particular needs to take into consideration when dealing with them. So I approach my new responsibility with enthusiasm and a thought for their general well being. So like how I’d like to be treated.

The next task? Find and read the manuals! See also…

This hawk was particularly friendly and seemed to want to pose. He did a spectacular display of hovering in mid air after this photo was taken. Then he landed right next to the road, so we could say hello again. Sent to me by the same monk who took yesterdays photo at Tule Lake.

Today I went to Newcastle with one of the monks. Our mission was to fetch carpet samples and hunt down some fabric. Carpet was easy but no luck with the fabric although I saw the exact colour several times. That’s: made up as sheets, boys shirts, shop assistant uniforms, and a pile jacket worn by a chap walking out of the cafe where we sat waiting for lunch. An interesting conversation ensued.

Hi guys! (I’m used to being mistaken for a male person, it happens quite often.) I finger his jacket, talked about looking for fabric just THAT colour. There were some awkward moments as we banter back and forth. Which way is this conversation going to go? And then his story emerged. Of having been in our valley one day mending a bridge as a workman for the county council. Then driving the empty road with trees meeting above him. In the distant gloom two lone figures, dressed in religious garb. Not something you see every day of the week, it takes people aback. Later on he had seen the sign for the monastery. He’d made the connect between that startling event and seeing us and obviously wanted to connect and to talk. So we did, until lunch came.

It seems that beings naturally wish to connect with others. That’s when they land long enough, and find willing eyes and ears.

These are thought to be Tundra Swans however I have my doubts. By this time of year shouldn’t they be in Northern Canada, on the tundra? Photo taken recently at Tule Lake Northern California.

And if you, or I, are in any doubt about the size of planet Earth in relationship to other heavenly bodies, ideas will be shattered in one moment….

Sometimes ones personal world seems so huge and overwhelming, knowing how small Earth is, in the greater scheme of things, helps get a more realistic perspective on everything.