The Writing Wolf

Cardigan, on the totally unspoiled West Wales coast, is the birthplace of the Welsh National Eisteddfod. With a population of 4,200, Aberteifi (its Welsh name meaning bridge over the Teifi) stands on the banks of the river Teifi where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire.  Just outside Cardigan is St Dogmaels, an ancient and tranquil village nestling peacefully around a ruined Abbey at the mouth of the river Teifi.  The monastery at St. Dogmaels was formally established as an abbey on September 10th 1120.  It suffered in the dissolution of the monasteries and is now a picturesque ruin - well worth a visit. Near-by is Poppit Sands,  one of west Wales' premier blue flag beaches with acres of golden sands and where you can get lungfulls of bracing sea breezes. That is where the wonderful Pembrokeshire coastal path begins.  But it is the river at St Dogmaels that I love best - fascinating in all lights, tidal so constantly changing, but with a wonderful calmness.  Nowhere quite like it on ...

The most sensual of flowers for those who love Proust! The Cattleya is a genus of 42 species of orchids from Costa Rica to tropical South America.  It was named in 1824 by John Lindley after Sir William Cattley who received and successfully cultivated specimens of Cattleya Labiata (pictured above) that were used as packing material in a shipment of other orchids. But the full glory of the orchids, their significance and fascination, is shown in Proust’s first volume of Remembrance of Things Past – Swann’s Way.   Swann’s lover, loves Cattleyas because they have the “supreme merit of not looking like other flowers”  “scraps of silk” – like something cut out of the lining of her cloak - “a distinguished and unexpected sister” – so delicate and so refined!  But in due course they take on an entirely different significance when “doing a Cattleya” becomes their code for their intense and intriguing intimate relationship.

Fukushima City, the capital of Fukushima-ken is the southern gate to the Tohoku Region of Japan. It is located in a  basin surrounded by the Abukuma mountain region and the Azuma-Adatara mountain range. Thanks to its big seasonal change in temperature which creates a sharp seasonal difference in the climate, delicious fruit is available throughout the year and it has a reputation as a leading production centre for pears and peaches.   Along the Fruit-line route, you can enjoy picking or gathering a variety of fruit. Fukushima City is also called the "flower country" because it is famous for many kinds of flowers and the alpine plants of Mt. Azuma are also famous. In this area, the two mountains stand out – Azuma and Adatara.  Deep in the these mountains lies a colorful hot spring – it is here you will find the Buddha.

The European rowan ( S. aucuparia ) has a long tradition in European mythology and folklore. It was thought to be a magical tree and protection against malevolent beings. The name "rowan" is derived from the Old Norse name for the tree, raun . Linguists believe that the Norse name is ultimately derived from a proto-Germanic word * raudnian meaning "getting red" and which referred to the red foliage and red berries in the autumn. Rowan is one of the most familiar wild trees in the British Isles, and has acquired numerous English folk names, for example, Mountain ash, Quickbane, Whispering tree, Witch wood and Witchbane,   Many of these can be easily linked to the mythology and folklore surrounding the tree. In Gaelic, it is caoran, or Rudha-an ( red one , pronounced quite similarly to English "rowan"). The density of the rowan wood makes it very usable for walking sticks and magician's staves. This is why druid staffs are said, for example, traditional...

For the Lakota (Sioux) nation a sacred woman of supernatural origin, is treated as a prophet or a messiah and is central to their religion. Oral traditions relate how she brought the extended Lakota nation of the Teton Sioux their seven sacred ceremonies. The Creator sent the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman to teach the People how to pray with the Pipe. With that Pipe, seven sacred ceremonies were given for the people to abide in order to ensure a future with harmony, peace, and balance. The story goes back two thousand years.  She appeared to two warriors at that time. These two warriors were out hunting buffalo, hunting for food in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, and they saw a big body coming toward them. And they saw that it was a white buffalo calf. As it came closer to them, it turned into a beautiful young Indian girl. That time one of the warriors had bad thoughts about her so the young girl told him to step forward. And when he did step forward, a black cloud came over...

Zen Garden of Kyoto By Karen Larkins Smithsonian magazine, January 2008 Buenos Aires: a City's Power and Promise Big Sur's California Dreamin' Invasion of the Lionfish The Triumph of Frank Lloyd Wright Brain Cells for Socializing George Koval: Atomic Spy Unmasked Harboring History in Pensacola Tattoos Gobekli Tepe: The World’s First Temple? Children of the Vietnam War Zen rock gardens, or karesansui (translated as "dry-mountain-water"), originated in medieval Japan and are renowned for their simplicity and serenity. The most famous of these can be found in Kyoto at the 15th-century Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. "While there are other similar gardens of great beauty," says James Ulak, curator of Japanese art at Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler galleries, "Ryoan-ji remains the ur-site of the type—powerful, abstract, Zen Buddhist landscapes designed to invoke deep meditation." Measuring 98 by 32 feet, th...

In 1893 Monet had bought a strip of marshland across the road from his house and flower garden, through which flowed a tributary of the River Epte. By diverting this stream, he began to construct a waterlily garden. Soon weeping willows, iris, and bamboo grew around a free-form pool, clusters of lily pads and blossoms floated on the quiet water, and a Japanese bridge closed the composition at one end. By 1900 this unique product of Monet’s imagination (for his Impressionism had become more subjective) was in itself a major work of environmental art—an exotic lotusland within which he was to meditate and paint for almost 30 years. The first canvases he created depicting lilies, water, and the Japanese bridge were only about one square yard, but their unprecedented ope ads and blossoms floating on the quiet water, and the Japanese bridge closing the composition at one end,  have an almost hypnotic effect.  This picture and the others depicting his garden go on to inspire the imagination ...

Quercus robur -  the English oak - is synonymous with strength, size and longevity. Despite its apparently random method of reproduction, oaks can grow to well over 30m and can live in excess of 1,000 years. This deciduous broadleaf tree grows in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. Of the species of tree native to Britain, the English or pedunculate oak is probably the most well-known and best-loved. This king of the forest can live for more than a millennium according to some sources, and grow up to 40m (125ft). Mature specimens are usually home to many species of wildlife.  Quercus robur is named for its robust or sturdy nature and since iron tools were first made, people have been cutting down this mighty tree for its strong and durable timber. It can take as long as 150 years before an oak is ready to be used for construction purposes but it is well worth the wait. Until the middle of the 19th century when iron became the material of choice for building ships, tho...

The caracal ( Caracal caracal ) is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over the Middle East and Africa. The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". Although it has traditionally had the alternative names Persian Lynx and African Lynx , the caracal is a form of African Lynx or "The African Golden Cat" . Its ears, which it uses to locate prey are controlled by 20 different muscles. The caracal is classified as a small cat, yet is amongst the heaviest of all small cats, as well as the quickest, being nearly as fast as the serval.  North African populations are disappearing, but caracals are still abundant in other African regions. Their range limits are the Saharan desert and the equatorial forest belt of Western and Central Africa. In South Africa and Namibia, C. caracal is so numerous that it is exterminated as a nuisance animal. Asiatic populations are less dense than those of Africa and Asiatic population...

A heady mix of stunning scenery and contemporary living make Guernsey an ideal place to relax. Inspiring walks along the cliff paths, rambles through the rural interior can be combined with lazy days on the island’s beautiful beaches. St Peter Port, the island’s capital, is a bustling harbor town with a tapestry of architectural styles that tell the story of the region’s changing fortunes. Here bistros, restaurants and boutiques jostle, while the harbor ferries make travel to the other Channel Islands (Jersey, Alderney, Sark etc) simple. Although Guernsey is geographically much closer to France than the UK, it is loyal to the British crown. This loyalty, can be traced back to Norman times when the Channel Islands first became part of the English realm, and forms the basis of the island’s constitution.

Most of us think rarely about the jet stream and the impact it has on our lives but it has a huge influence on weather and climate and certainly on air travel. As the picture shows, from space it looks quite beautiful.   Here the Northern Hemisphere Jet Stream can be seen crossing Cape Breton Island in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada. The Jet Stream is a narrow zone of high-speed winds typically found at altitudes of 4 to 8 miles (8-12 km) above the earth. They result from temperature contrasts between polar and tropical regions. The strongest Jet Stream winds are found in the winter when the contrast between polar and tropical regions is the greatest. Wind speeds can reach 90 to over 180 miles per hour (145 to over 290 km/h) from west to east. Jet Streams are found between latitudes 20? to near 55? north and south. During the winter months over the United States and southern Canada, the path taken by the Jet Stream can have a large influence on the weather conditions of this ...

Article by Michon Scott design by Robert Simmon April 20, 2009 This Article is from the NASA Earth Observatory Website to which there is a link below Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface. It forms in both the Arctic and the Antarctic in each hemisphere’s winter, and it retreats, but does not completely disappear, in the summer. Sea ice plays an important role in the climate and ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctic. (Photograph ©2008 fruchtzwerg’s world .) The Importance of Sea Ice Sea ice has a profound influence on the polar physical environment, including ocean circulation, weather, and regional climate. As ice crystals form, they expel salt, which increases the salinity of the underlying ocean waters. This cold, salty water is dense, and it can sink deep to the ocean floor, where it flows back toward the equator. The sea ice layer also restricts wind and wave action near coastlines, lessening coastal erosion and protecting ice shelves. And sea ice creates a...

Feather Star (Antedon bifida) This feather star has ten thin pinnate arms with branches which make it look feather-like. Around the base there are about 25 short cirri and these curl underneath to anchor the animal to the ground. The arms are pink or red with white speckles. The arms are around 5 cm in length. This is a very unusual species and is one of the last remnants of an ancient and largely extinct group of marine Echinoderms - the crinoids. The feathery arms produce a large surface and by being held upwards they collect plankton and detritus from the water. Cilia on the surface beat to drive the material down to the mouth to be consumed. They have separate sexes with the gonads being located on the arms. Feather-stars are found in a variety of habitats, mainly sheltered, and attached to rocks and algae. Sometimes they are found in very large numbers (possibly up to 1000 per metre squared). They are not, however, commonly met and the distribution is limited somewhat to the south...

A Brief Understanding of Sunflowers. There are pieces of artwork drifting through galleries around the world that have become nearly synonymous with the artists name and techniques. The various paintings of Sunflowers and Vincent van Gogh are a perfect example of this. Not only can one make a mental connection between the artists name and painting but also between the artist and their influence on the development of art through these paintings. Vincent van Gogh's Sunflower paintings have been duplicated many times by various artists (although never reaching the vivacity and intensity of Van Gogh's) and displayed everywhere; from households to art expos. The 'Sunflowers' is one of the most popular paintings and most often reproduced on cards, posters, mugs, tea-towels and stationery. It was also the picture that Van Gogh was most proud of. It was painted during a rare period of excited optimism, while Van G...

The AONB's intimate green and silver landscape rises from the shores of Morecambe Bay, with wide views over the Kent Estuary to the  Lake District . Despite its small scale, the AONB shows a unique interweaving of contrasting countryside. The area is characterised by small scale limestone hills rising to less than 200m in height, fine deciduous woodlands and valleys which form sheltered agricultural land. The inter-relationship of salt-marsh, limestone cliffs and reclaimed mosses (peat bogs), at or about sea level, contrast markedly with limestone pasture, rock outcrops and limestone pavements at a higher level. The distribution of copses and hedgerows and the pattern of limestone walls create a strong feeling of enclosure, and are important elements in the landscape. The limestone geology, varied soil types and vegetation, added to a notably mild climate at this northerly latitude, makes this AONB extremely important as a diverse natural habitat. Unimproved pasture and the exposed...

Gemstone: Emerald Flower: Lilly of the Valley May is named after the Greek goddess, Maia. The month is a time of great celebrations in the northern hemisphere. It is the time when flowers emerge and crops begin to sprout. The Anglo-Saxon name for May was Tri-Milchi, in recognition of the fact that with the lush new grass cows could be milked three times a day. It was first called May in about 1430. Before then it was called Maius, Mayes, or Mai. May Day (Garland Day) In Britain, as in most parts of Western Europe, May day marked the end of the harsh winter months, welcomed the beginning of Summer, and optimistically looked forward to the bright and productive months. For our ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated through out the country, especially on the first of May with music, dancing and games. Traditional May Day celebrations included dancing around maypoles and the appearance of 'hobby horses' and characters such...

Famous May 10th Births Those born on May 10th share this anniversary with the following famous personalities: Marcus Aurelius Claudius, Roman Emporer was born in 213 BC. Of barbarian stock, possibly from the area now known as Serbia. It is alleged that he murdered his predecessor Gallienus. Sir Dudley North, English Economist, born in 1641. John Wilks Booth, actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln was born in 1838. Fred Astaire, famed for his terpsicorian (dancing) skills often with partner Ginger Rogers was born in 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska. Screen classics in which he performed include Daddy Longlegs and Flying Down to Rio. Dennis Thatcher, business man and husband of Margaret Thatcher was born in 1915. Maureen Lipman, English actress was born in 1944 in Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, England. John Diamond, journalist, was born in 1953. Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols was born in 1957 Linda Evangelista, Canadian supermodel was born in 1965. English comic A...

Shimmers of memory Long before memory Visions and echoes here Long, long ago Someone is singing here At the edge of my hearing Shadows are moving At the edge of my eye Others have walked this place Others have wandered here Left us their dreams Long, long ago Time before present time Place before this place They left their echoes here Left us their blessing Here in the rocks around Under this sky