Showing posts with label lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lake. Show all posts

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Wandering

Hi, folks!


Today was a scorching hot day, which is pretty unique for mid-september. Oh well, it's better than rain and cold!

Remember my last blogpost, a few months ago? I wrote about Kralingsebos, a forest/lake in my city. Today, I went there and visited the small botanical garden next to the lake.


The botanical garden


Small, but cozy and quite pretty!



I don't know why, but this statue really appealed to me.

The yellow flowers in the centre are from the Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). (Click!)

Common marigold (Calendula officinalis) (Click!) in the medicinal herb garden.

One of the most spiritual trees in the word: the fig. Here the common fig (Ficus carica). (Click!)

Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale). Actually not a crocus! (Click!)

I met this beautiful frog, today. Frogs symbolize peace, fun and transformation and are often related to emotional healing. The frog is connected to the healing ceremony of water.


The lake


During my wander around the lake (not the entire lake: way too hot!) I ran into a massive amount of hops! Naturally, being a true hedgewitch, I couldn't resist and harvested some strands to take home. They are now drying for medicinal use in herbal teas.


Hops (Humulus lupulus). (Click!)

One of the most charismatic herbs. Aren't they pretty?




When the sun shines in th clear water and you can see all those water plants and small critters... Oh, boy!


For questions and comments: leave a message below. I always respond!


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Thursday 17 October 2013

A peaceful death

Today, I found a dead coot along the waterfront of a recreational lake. I don't know how it died, it seemed like the bird just washed ashore after a silent, natural death.

However, it was in perfect condition. It lay there so peacefully, like God himself put it down on that small beach. 

I know there are people who don't like to look at dead animals, because they think they're filthy, scary or they just don't want to get faced with death. But every time I look at an animal -dead or alive- I'm always astonished by the beauty of nature. A dead animal is innocent, inspiring, beautiful. It stands for transience, but also for new life. The sight of a dead animal is so peaceful, I forget all those things I normally worry about. 

I think it's healthy to be faced by death, every now and then. A dead animal put your legs right back on the floor. And I hope, I really do, that I will not be the only one who is thinking about this in this way. Fore those people I took some pictures of this wonderful, inspiring bird. 

This is how I found the coot. 


I turned the bird, just to gauge its condition.


Everything was so perfect: its eyes half closed, the sands on its beak. His beak and forehead were so bright white, it seemed as if someone furbished it.


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