On The Day

 I started to write this after Mr Jones died.    But the words would not come. He was a special guy, deserving of that great name. A name from the song I would sing to him when I'd get home ' Me and Mr Jones.... got a thing going on'  He was great company, very loyal with a great personality. His best buddy was a Springer called Flakes. Sadly, Mr Jones did not do well after Flakes died. He decided to follow him shortly afterwards.  They are buried together under the alders. I feed the birds there each morning, hoping to keep that place warm and alive.  As I have heard, we get these angels on loan for a while. They give so much and when they go they leave a hole in our souls.

photo Céline Kavanagh      I am as guilty as anyone for not looking and seeing what is hidden all around me. Do I see and old thing as being Old? Some old things are seen as priceless and collectable like this Bog Oak buried and hidden for years and years.   What is Old and what is New? What is valuable and what is not? I suppose I should stop looking at it and start seeing what is around me every minute. Time is the most precious, oldest and yet newest thing of all.

Beal Trá Surprises are just that really I suppose. Unexpected and have a tendency to often stop you in your tracks. Generally they evoke a torrent of clichés... " Wow"! "Fantastic"!  " Holy S----"! and other less polite exclamations. We are always amazed that when we do something unplanned and random, go somewhere different or let our minds wander, that we come across the unexpected.     In the case of the photo above, I walked somewhere nearby that I had not been since I was a teenager. I was “Surprised” to see the small collection of soft sand among the rocks. I looked at it " From another angle". I saw it  "From another Light" and then… Surprise! I got my unplanned photo. Loaded with clichés but nice!

Cameras sometimes have a life of their own. Most of the time when I have "Dud", I delete and move on. But more often it seems they have a "Light" all of their own that links in with the pictures in my life. This was taken in a busy venue.... Well I never knew that a "Lace of Light" was swirling above my head! Just a thought!

  Gandhi said once very wisely that we were all looking back, looking forward wishing or waiting. worrying or wanting, planning or pleasing. That we forgot to live in the present.   Sounds very wise and all knowing. We cannot plan or know our future. We have all had the situation where we wait for a letter with important news. The decision has already been made by others. It holds the plan for our future, rather the basis on which we have a choice to run with their decision or not. When it is a job interview, we have already decided that we want the job... didn't we? Well we went for the interview. We would not have gone for the job otherwise! The result is in the post. We must wait and see what's the plan... what is the outcome... what's next.   Life is funny sometimes. What we want changes so quickly and so often. Maybe Gandhi had it right and we all should just know that what matters is what happens in a day    

I came home this morning after night duty. I was really ready to flop into my nice cozy bed, contemplating a hot water bottle in August! But then again this August anything goes. My Dog Flakes and my Cat Mr Jones came tearing out to do the usual meet and greet. Flakes, of course doing several bounds to and from the bedroom, to the kitchen and in and out of any open door, while being chased  by the cat . Not very relaxing , but what a welcome home ! I got myself sorted and met my springer's eyes after I had pulled back the quilt. The Sandman had indeed called and the evidence was sprinkled on the sheets. I got the usual sidelong glance from him, The one that always makes him not only beyond reproach, but one that makes him appear like he has been here before and has it all sussed out! He watched me out of the corner of his eyes as I cleaned his sandy beach deposits from my side of the bed.  I could only imagine him thinking, that now I will have some nice dreams too, cou...