Christmas Night
Christmas Tree 2015
It is a field grown western white fir (Abies concolor) - about 8 ft, 3 in (2.5m) high by about four to four and a half foot (1.3m) diameter at the bottom -
Missing The Village
The River's Blue, The Bird a Perfect Sight - by Du Fu
江碧鸟逾白
山青花欲燃
今春看又过
何日是归年
山青花欲燃
今春看又过
何日是归年
The river's blue, the bird a perfect sight,
The hills green with flowers about to blaze.
I've watched the spring pass away again,
When will I be able to return?
The hills green with flowers about to blaze.
I've watched the spring pass away again,
When will I be able to return?
Our Simple Creche - day one
I plan every year to start a few weeks before Christmas and bring out the creche scene a piece a day, with the crude stable and the angel above as the beginning of the approaching Christmas day. And as always time slips away so that I rush things a bit as shown above with the kine chewing their cud in ancient patience for the events about to unfold already part of the pageantry.
Listen To The river
The fisherman used to dive into running water
And take a shining sixpence from the floor
Now he's waiting for the Salmon of Knowledge
To help him wade out from the shore
He looks down on the lake on a sunlit morning
Loves the ancient world that is within
The surface shadow is his simple warning
Transformation must begin
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
The rain pours down on Barley Harbour
As expectation fills the pier
The fisherman looks out on the horizon
The Salmon of Knowledge is coming here
Let the bells ring out in the heartland
Let all the poets come to pen
May they write in praise of celebration
The salmon goes upstream once again
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river...
And take a shining sixpence from the floor
Now he's waiting for the Salmon of Knowledge
To help him wade out from the shore
He looks down on the lake on a sunlit morning
Loves the ancient world that is within
The surface shadow is his simple warning
Transformation must begin
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
The rain pours down on Barley Harbour
As expectation fills the pier
The fisherman looks out on the horizon
The Salmon of Knowledge is coming here
Let the bells ring out in the heartland
Let all the poets come to pen
May they write in praise of celebration
The salmon goes upstream once again
Close your eyes
Listen to the river
Open your heart now
Listen to the river
Close your eyes
Listen to the river...
According to the liner notes this song was inspired as follows:
In March 1996, Greenpeace, Ireland undertook its maiden voyage; a celebration of Ireland's great river Shannon. Luka Bloom was invited to join the voyage from the mouth to the source, as a crew member and on-board bard. The boat was christened 'An Bradan Feasa', meaning The Salmon of Knowledge. "Listen To The River", was inspired by this great experience.
As I listened to the all great songs on this CD but in particular to this one song, I was struck by their choice to be included on a Christmas album - and this one in particular lead my mind to the spiritual meaning of Christmas more than much of a lifetime of pondering the inexplicable has ever done. If you get a chance to listen to this voice render effortlessly the melody of rural Ireland to the somewhat mundane words and lift them to the meaning of life, do not pass it by
Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.[1] His parents were Andy Moore and Nancy Power, who had already raised three daughters and two other sons. Moore attended a Patrician Brothers primary school and later studied at Newbridge College, run by the Dominican Order. In college he formed the group Aes Triplex with his brother Andy and a school friend. He later attended a college in Limerick, but he dropped out after a couple of years to pursue a music career.
In 1987, Moore moved to the United States and began performing using the stage name of "Luka Bloom". He chose the name "Luka" from the title of Suzanne Vega's song about child abuse and "Bloom" from the main character in James Joyce's novel Ulysses
Bowmore Islay Single Malt - Small Batch, No Age
I am working on a review of this reasonably priced, probably three year old Bowmore. I have tried it for about a week now - maybe five or so times - and find it very pleasing except for the lack of a good finish. When I get my notes typed up I will post the complete review here - and with a photograph of the nicely understated bottle.
Donate To Wikimedia
Dear Stephen, (i.e. NorvellHimself)
Thank you for your donation to the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. Our mission is to build the most accessible and comprehensive source of free knowledge in the world.
We believe that knowledge is a fundamental human right. As humanity rushes into our digital future, we need open, accessible, public spaces to access knowledge online. Wikimedia is such a space. Wikipedia delivers free knowledge to people, by people, in hundreds of languages around our planet.
Over the course of a year, Wikipedia is edited and read by people on every continent, including Antarctica. Nearly half a billion people visit Wikipedia every month for everything from preserving cultural heritage, to improving cancer detection, to researching homework. They come to learn. They stay and discover.
Everyone is a potential Wikipedian. If you don't find what you're looking for on Wikipedia, you can start creating it yourself. The articles, words, pictures and data are created by a diverse community of people who volunteer to share their knowledge with the world.
Every day, we ask ourselves how we can increase our impact, and ensure Wikipedia and its sister projects are even more accurate, rich, and accessible tomorrow than they are today. Your donation will help us get there.
Thank you for keeping us growing and impacting lives another year.
Lila Tretikov
Executive Director,
Wikimedia Foundation"
Thank you for your donation to the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. Our mission is to build the most accessible and comprehensive source of free knowledge in the world.
We believe that knowledge is a fundamental human right. As humanity rushes into our digital future, we need open, accessible, public spaces to access knowledge online. Wikimedia is such a space. Wikipedia delivers free knowledge to people, by people, in hundreds of languages around our planet.
Over the course of a year, Wikipedia is edited and read by people on every continent, including Antarctica. Nearly half a billion people visit Wikipedia every month for everything from preserving cultural heritage, to improving cancer detection, to researching homework. They come to learn. They stay and discover.
Everyone is a potential Wikipedian. If you don't find what you're looking for on Wikipedia, you can start creating it yourself. The articles, words, pictures and data are created by a diverse community of people who volunteer to share their knowledge with the world.
Every day, we ask ourselves how we can increase our impact, and ensure Wikipedia and its sister projects are even more accurate, rich, and accessible tomorrow than they are today. Your donation will help us get there.
Thank you for keeping us growing and impacting lives another year.
Lila Tretikov
Executive Director,
Wikimedia Foundation"
I do not donate large sums but I try to kick in a few times a year to help this great organization and would hope that many of you feel the same
Morning Fire Still Settling In - still good hot coals after overnight, then add small splits
The wood burning stove that I have is equipped with a catalytic smoke burner which I cut in when the stove temperature reaches about 500 °F (@ 260 °C) and when it is burning nicely there is very little particulate discharge - the above smoke is long before the stove has reached cruising temperature.
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