This morning the frost was there again and remained all day, I left my footprints in the Glen, missed the little bug in his birch scroll, found a third Birch on the football pitch with witches broom and a feather in it, played hide and seek with our elusive, playful, and sometime resident Egret –Continue reading “Sunday 3 January A deeper frost”
Category Archives: general
Into January with the frosts
Today was another frost morning with a deep red awakening sky. I took an early walk through the Birch portal, checked in on the shield beetle – the birch shieldbug [Elasmostethus interstinctus – also known as stink bug because it protects itself by secreting a foul smelling mucus] he was still sheltering in one ifContinue reading “Into January with the frosts”
New Year’s Day
I revisited the Birches in the Glen today, I greet the young tree at the gate, aptly placed, as in Welsh legend the Birch is said to mark the Gateway to the Otherworld. I found some jackets from last nights Demons and Ninjas. I saw the fabulous firework display last night over the rooftops ofContinue reading “New Year’s Day”
Out with the Old and In with the New
Birch switches were used for clearing the hearth on New Years Eve, sweeping out the negativity and letting in the light, even the bark is peeling back for new exposure, revealing a kind of semaphore in the scarring that is beyond skin deep…
31.12.2020 Birch
Beith (Birch) ᚁ is the first letter of the Ogham alphabet and it is the tree given to the first month – from 24 December – 20 January on the Celtic Tree Calendar The birch is known as a ‘Pioneer Tree’ – meaning that it can restart the colonisation of woodlands after long term naturalContinue reading “31.12.2020 Birch”
30.12.2020 ~ Prosto Bench
So nearly at the end of a year and here’s a thing I’ve wondered about – the PROSTO bench! PROSTO(Polish) adverb full exactly // directly plainly // simply // in a simple manner //smack //directly and with force //square // firmly and directly // squarely // directly and firmly // straight // in a straight, notContinue reading “30.12.2020 ~ Prosto Bench”
29.12.20 Full Moon
A late walk home through the Glen under a cold clear sky, a full moon rising in the North East and trees throwing shapes, dancing with the streetlights against the deepening blue. I have been thinking about the winter rhythms, the pauses we celebrate in Cork, from the quickening and sharpening in the air ofContinue reading “29.12.20 Full Moon”
Hairy Bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta // Searbh-bhiolar giobach is sprouting out of the ground already. It is a native plant and member of the Brassica family. Like many of the plants in the Glen it is self seeded, and like many Glen plants it is widely considered a pest by gardeners. It claims its place, taking hold byContinue reading “Hairy Bittercress”
Mon 28.12.21 ~ Old Man’s Beard
Clematis vitalba also known as Traveller’s Joy and Gabhrán (meaning traveller) in Irish
last year’s galls
In summer 2020 I made some ink from the fallen galls of the large oak on ‘the ridge’ and since then I’ve been watching and waiting to see the arrival of new ones, hoping to catch a glimpse of their formation – there is no evidence of galls on the branches there yet, but onContinue reading “last year’s galls”