Toads North Fife 2012

Toads North Fife. About 25 years ago I created a garden pond that fills naturally from ground water. Frogs, Toads, Newts breed in abundance, as a consequence when the humidity and temperature are right at this time of the year, first toads appear littering the roadway, making their way to where they were born. Not the quickest of creatures many get squashed by passing traffic. The mating imperative springs into action with much croaking. I can feel the sap rising too.

A large female toad with a male suitor firmly attached quickly followed by another with 3 frustrated others, see below. Rampant wee beasties.

Meditation

I am often asked about meditation. This book is an excellent support and will point the way.

Mahamudra
The Moonlight—Quintessence of Mind and Meditation
Tashi Namgyal, Author
Lobsang P. Lhalungpa, Translator, Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Mahamudra meditation is simultaneously the most profound of meditative disciplines and the most accessible for modern practitioners. Traditionally passed orally from teacher to disciple, mahamudra instructions point the meditator to the innate perfection of every experience.

When it first appeared in 1986, Mahamudra: The Moonlight—Quintessence of Mind and Meditation was the first presentation in English of a major Tibetan Buddhist work on meditation. This classic guide was composed in the sixteenth century by an eminent lama of the Kagyu school and is so comprehensive and practical that it is still widely used today as a manual. Divided into two major sections, it presents first the common approach and then the mahamudra approach to tranquility (shamatha) and insight (vipashyana) meditation.

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It could be the best thing you ever did to buy now. Mahamudra: The Moonlight - Quintessence of Mind and Meditation

North Fife Tuesday 21st February 2012

The sky from between Brunton and Luthrie 21st February, soft cloud forms with leafless beech trees silhouetted, 5-30pm and getting dark.

Meanwhile below fertilizer being spread on the winter sown grain. Rural life goes on come rain or shine.

North Fife Tuesday 21st February

North Fife Tuesday 21st February, temperature about 10c and humidity having doubled overnight, misty with light rain and as I drove along an incipient rainbow was forming. Waiting for a good composition to emerge and 4 miles down the road it all disappeared. There's nothing quite like chasing rainbows.

The River Tay 19th February 2012

Sky over the River Tay 19th February, Oh how I really like them, each day different, not always powerful but lovely never the less.

Later more to the west, eye punching setting Sun.

Snowdrops North Fife

The common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis is the best-known and most widespread representative of a small genus of about 20 species. Snowdrops are among the first bulbs to bloom in spring and can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they are native as they have become here in North Fife.

North Fife Sky February 14th

I just love these skies, quickly changing in their beauty and colour.

Sundown over The river Tay.

Sun setting over Newburgh February 14th.

Amazing colour, I never cease to be impressed and captivated.

St Valentines Day North Fife

A traditional gift on St Valentines Day are roses. Below are pink ones for my lovers past, present and future.

Roses, wild ones. Grace and Gentility, the rose of sweet thoughts.
I'm sending pink roses to show my appreciation & gratitude; saying "Thank you". I enjoyed our time together, it's good to be on the wild side.

A red single red rose signifying Love at the first sight; you are the one. mmmmmmm.

A white Rose with a golden heart signifying "You are heavenly, I miss you" When will I see you again, when will we share precious moments?

A Peony. The traditional floral symbol of China and the 12th wedding anniversary flower, peonies are known as the flower of riches and honour. With their lush, full, rounded bloom, peonies embody romance and prosperity and are regarded as an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage. You'll know if it's for you honeybunch.

Well What Can I say. Happy St Valentines Day. XXX

North Fife Skies 11th & 12th February.

Always I'm aware or the skies, there's so much of it and it's always changing, often quite subtle in its beauty and colour.

Sky over Newburgh 11th February.

Sky over Auchtermuchty North Fife.

Sky from the same spot more to the North West.

Sky over Newburgh 12th February.

Losar Male Water Dragon 2012

Losar February 22nd 2012, New Moon. The year of the Male Water Dragon, here clutching jewels in its claws heralding all happiness prosperity and good health. What else can one wish for?
Happy New Year May all beings be happy, free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

Losar Greetings Card by Lama Thubten Kunsal, from a monastery in Derge, Eastern Tibet.

Losar 2012 Tibetan New year, This year starting 22nd February is Male Water Dragon, on this day, Losar is celebrated in homes and with friends, eating special food and drinking jugs of barley chang. On the first day in Lhasa pilgrims go to pay homage to the most sacred statue of Sakya Muni in Jokhang temple and burning incense all around Jokhang as well as at all Tibetan homes and Monasteries, every one dresses in his/her finest clothes to do holy circuit around monasteries and temples.
The last two weeks of the year in monasteries Mahakala prayers are offered to neutralise the negativity of the preceding year. These energies are directed into a coloured string edifice to be later consumed by fife.

Assembled around the burning mass locals grab at the imbued coloured string and in essence retain and perpetuate some of the negativity, such is non understanding.

Gyaltsap Rinpoche as Dorje Lopon making offerings prior to the Mahakala Torma being consumed.

Tayviews 5th & 6th February 2012

Another wonderful sky over The River Tay 5th February looking to North Fife from Dundee Riverside.

What amazing light in this Tayview on the 6th February.