I'm a Considerate Creator...

It's official. My Personal DNA makes me a 'Considerate Creator'.

To read my DNA report click


You can also follow the link and create your own - WOW! Just what you wanted for Christmas but nobody realised...

Yes, I know I've been away a while. More soon. Promise.

Albion.

Remittance Girl

She's back.

New Website (...oooh!)

New stories (...mmm)

New comment (...OH!)

Visit her site, please; I promise you won't be disappointed.

But a word of warning...if you visit, be prepared to stay quite a while...

I'd say more, but Remittance Girl can say it far better than I ever will.

Just read...then tell me what you think - please. It's just between you and I...honestly...

Ciao, my lucky friends

Albion.

Wear Sunscreen

Hello, Good people,

Short post. Found myself remebering a raod trip I had to do that kept me away for a few days and it was disorientating. As the memory of it floated around in my head and my body recalled the feelings, something that I had forgotten came back to me.

I turned the radio on and heard something that - it seemed - the whole world had heard except me. Perhaps I had, but it was only at that moment that I lsitened. Whatever it was, I haven't heard it since until just now when I looked for it, goaded by my absract recollection of that long journey. To hear what I heard, click the link at the top of this post, or this one:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/bazluhrmannsunscreen.htm

Have a good weekend.

Dance.

Albion.

The Lunar Eclipse

Well, it was quite a sight, I have to tell you. Worth being a little tired today, I assure you. And this is what it looked like:


This series of images took around three hours between 21:30 and 00:30 GMT, by which time I was having to cover the camera to stop my breath from condensing on the lens. If anyone wants higher res images to print, just email me - they are free!

Well, I was up early this morning, even after shooting the eclipse; the boiler had gone out and the house was getting cold, so while Vivienne hid under the quilt I mended and then cleaned out the iron beast that keeps our cottage warm. Worth it in the end; there's nothing quite as tasty as bacon cooked on a wood stove...even the tea tastes better...

...speaking of which, I feel another cuppa coming on...

Ciao!

Albion.

The Eclipse passes

I have some excellent news; Remittance Girl is back! She has a new website and it it great!

This lady has just the finest eye for a photograph, the sweetest, hotest, shiveriest touch with words and one of the best reality-check blogs I've come across.

Please, I beg you; visit her website and submerge yourself in her writing...but be careful, for she will seduce you until you will gladly drown...

RG, we, your readers, love you, and your new site is like the passing of tonights eclipse; we can once again bask in the welcoming worlds you weave...

Yes, tonight really is the Lunar Eclipse, and I will post images here and on the Suicide Girls site.

My camera is still outside on it's tripod, so I'll go and rescue it now from the midnight damp.

More later...

Albion.

Strider RIP

Cat. Felis Silvestris Catus. Not much to describe the one-eyed (no, he's not winking!), chewed eared ruffian that we rescued and who became our companion and friend.

We had a bad week. On the 7th December we had to go to Essex (nearly four hours motorway from where we live) to visit Vivienne's mum, who was very ill. We arrived home in the early hours of the morning to find Strider sick. He'd been fine when we'd left him that morning and by the time we found him he was one ill boy.

We took him to the vet - yes, it was about 2am, but without it he would have died by the time we woke up in the morning. We got drips in him, and fed him a diet of re-hydration and supportive medications and kept him going a little over 36 hours. Then the thing we feared happened; the phone rang at about 9pm. The treatments had only helped to slow his decline, Strider was starting to suffer and the duty vet wasn't prepared to let it go on. So I went down there, shedding more than the odd tear or two as I drove into town, and as soon as I saw him I knew I had to help him.

I held him and talked to him, and eventually he relaxed, lay down with his paws and chin on my hand, just as he alwasy did at home, and started to purr his contented ragged, off-beat purr.

And he died.

We gave him the shot anyway, as he was already catheterised, just to make sure he wasn't in pain, but in truth he had already gone...

A little while ago we had nursed another adopted poushca through kidney failure; he died in October this year as I was driving home from a day working away; if I hadn't been stuck in traffic I would have been home. As it was Vivienne was home on her own and had to look after him as his heart failed.

Not nice.

And so it was that when Strider needed help on his way I wasn't about to put her through it again, and went on my own. As it turned out it was as good an end as we could ever have hoped for. This was one crittur that had had a tough life; he parted us with grace and dignity...

...and the other day we brought him home again. I didn't want to bury another cat; I'd already done two this year, and a third was a bit much even for me, that has been doing all the family pets for pretty much the last twenty years. So we had him cremated, and at the crematorium they placed his ashes into a sleeping black cat sculpture and he came back to us with a bunch of flowers and a condolence card. He's great...in fact he's sitting on the coffee table behind me and joins me on my desk occasionally, just as he always did.

A few more tears fell the day he came back, and I find myself choked up now as I write these words.

He was old and it was his time, but we're going to miss that old boy.

When I feel a little more distance and clarity I'll tell you about the other cats that have shared our home; Magic, Arfur, Katie, Rumour and more about Strider.

Till then, I feel in need of a cup of tea. And possibly even a nice glass of this really dark rum I just got...or even two. Well, I have a friend to toast...

Ciao.

October Song

Every year at this time of year I play the same track off the same album...or CD as it is now ('though it was vinyl when first I began this ritual)...so what is it?

October Song
by Robin Williamson

I'll sing you this October Song
For there is no song before it
The words and tune are none of my own
But my joys and sorrows bore it.

Since I first heard this tune (in about 1977) I was hooked on Mr. Williamson's lyrics and musicianship; he is a fine player of just about anything he picks up. Damn him... no, I can't seriously be envious of one that has brough so much pleasure into my (and many other people's) worlds. When I hear these lyrics '...birds fly out behind the sun and with them I'll be leaving' (another quote from the song.

To hear this and more of Robins early work buy the album 'The Incredible String Band' on the Elektra label 7559-61547-2. You can buy the recordings from Robin's website: http://www.pigswhiskermusic.co.uk

Their music won't blow you away...it will carry you away on gentle wings...it will surprise and delight...

Wherever the String band are heard they leave little bits of themselves lying about all over the place...

Have a good October and i'll write more soon

Yours aye,

Albion