Picture Post: Bolam Lake Northumberland Jan 2018

Dublin July 2017

 It was a meeting of poets and scientists thanks to a genetics conference at UCD last weekend. Marie Fitzpatrick, Editor of The Linnet's Wings, Kathleen Mickelson, former Editor of Every Day Poets now Editor of Gyroscope Review and I took the advantage of proximity to meet up. We'd never all met before nad it didn't take too much time 'til we were old friends.

 Kent Reed (Minneapolis) with his wife Peggy was there for the conference but was also one of our poets at Every Day Poets way back. I'd met Peggy before. It was lovely to meet Kent.

 Mandy and Rob were attending the conference but it was a good chat we had in the Bridge pub.

 Noel and Kathleen on the Ha'penny Bridge

 Cathedral

 Kath -- happy to be there

 Kath, Noel and her husband Jim, a research professor, who was attending the conference too, at old Dublin walls.

The Liffey

No Vikings were injured during this invasion :)

Nobody got lost!

All in all a very good weekend was had by all.

Magic in May -- Disappearances can be deceptive

 Now you see her
Now you don't

 So, time always seems to fly when Esme comes for her annual holiday!  And we always seem to do so much in the short time she's here I end up quite exhausted -- even though it has to be said that year on year we do less and less but that is inevitable! This year Alnwick Gardens was kind to us -- no thunder storms. And the cherry orchard, although the blossom was past, had the addition of some nice swing seats. I was the only member of our party to indulge (big bairn) but they are great fun.
Now you see me --

Now you don't       The fountains as always played photographic-hard-to-get Now you see them and of course then you don't But you still get the picture and you get to play hide and seek amongst the fountains just like a small child or a figurine on a giant's wedding cake and sometimes the disappearances are so strange they're a bit worrying! But we all managed to keep our heads and left in one piece. Thanks to the magic of Alnwick and    where'd that there wizard go?? Ah! There he is -- under the oldest tree in the gardens
                                        They've been friends for years!

To me nothing is more beautiful than the British countryside in Spring

Belsay House and Gardens is well known to be one of my favourite spots but you see it's different every time we go there and each new week seasonal treasures emerge -- so why not keep going back? This walk sustains me even when I am not there. I take a walk sometimes in my imagination and when the world seems a dark place, I think of all that's bright and good in this garden. Everyone needs such a place. What's yours? Today there were frogs (or toads) (hard to tell when they are in the water)

cavorting around. And bog lilies which look just like plastic or wax and have a most unpleasant scent. and then through the quarry arch that used to carry stone for building, a blaze of colour as summery as the weather was today. Down by the castle, daffodils, Beyond, the English countryside. Northumberland is not the greenest part of England -- or these isles. Ireland is of course the greenest place on Earth ('cos it rains so much.) But I don't mind a bit of rain in exchange for such as this. I was saying to Noel as we stood by this gate that I would not like to live anywhere less green.

Spring 2017

Photos from Wallington 
on St David's Day

Three Pounds of Cells -- Availble on Amazon

I am happy to announce that Three Pounds of Cells is Poetry Kit's Book of the Month. And to celebrate I'll probably open a bottle of wine. Forgive me if I uncharacteristically go WHOOPEE! (just this once)
https://oovj.wordpress.com/…/poetry-kit-book-of-the-month-f…

Three Pounds of Cells is the weight of a human brain -- but not its capacity. Oh no! That's a whole different bag of cats...
Buy via this LINK
and I would appreciate some reviews on Amazon too. Please spread the word.

Thanks Marie Fitzpatrick, Kathleen Mickelson, John Stocks and Don Webb, Dave Morehouse, Pippa Little, Geraldine Green, James Graham, 
Noel, my sister Esme and everyone who believed in me.  I hope you enjoy the poetry.

The Sunday Pipe 3 -- x 3 Meerschaums

This trio of handsome Meerschaums are just lovely to look at. The two 'tea' coloured ones are not 'aged' as such though they are between 15 and 20 years old. They are Manz Meerschaums. The clay from which they are made is still block meerscahum but it comes fro Africa and is that colour naturally. You can just see on the stem of the pipe on the left, a little mark -- that is the maker's mark and it's actually Isle of Man legs -- hence Manx Meerscahum. The stems are standard vulcanite and the bands are stainless steel (we think). You can see that the one on the left has a bigger and rounder bowl than that on the right. Both of these pipes were purchased in the Tobacconist's at the corner of Pink Lane. Sadly that shop no longer exists. Like so many other tobacconists it has fallen foul of a healthier lifestyle but

To me the pipe is an ancient art, 
entirely unlike the quick fix addictive brain-rush of the cigarette. 
It's more a hobby than a smoke! 
It's a leisurely 
moment, 
of peace 
a drift 
of cloud, 
 a pipedream, 
 an aromatic room-note 
prairie prayers 
a mini hearth 
winter warmth 
slippers.

By comparison the middle pipe is white as white, with it could be said a cadger's bowl. It has a faux amber stem made of resin. Durham Market has a rather fine tobacconist still and this came from there about 5 years ago. It has no maker's mark but it is pure turkish block meerscahum and apparently a very nice smoke. Wisps upward like a ghost of winter!