Time is flying by so just a quick reminder to take down your Bridget’s crosses and burn them. If you need a new one, I do have a few left. I should have reminded everyone before 1st February. My apologies.
Anyway on to my walk. Last week, I managed to fit in a long walk at Sibleyback Lake, in between downpours of rain. Cornwall has been hit hard by three storms one after the other, the worst one being Storm Goretti. My home is not far from St Michael’s Mount, which lost around 80% of its trees. I suffered power and water outages lasting from 6pm on Thursday 8th January through to the morning of Saturday 10th January. Thankfully I had some supplies in my store, a wood burner, two water butts full of water and a camping kettle, so I was able to eat, cook and wash. The storm did show me the items I need to get in store for the future, namely a battery radio (so I could have contact with local news), camping lights (candles are great but not the safest), back up battery packs (for my mobile phone). Money permitting, I might even consider solar panels for complete independence.
The storm showed me what it was like to get back to basics, and after the initial shock, I soon got into the swing of things. When the wifi is down, I get no signal so walking up the hill was the only place I could get connection with the outside world. The storm also brought the best out in people. A tree had fallen across the road out of the village and a neighbour had put road closed signs and was directing traffic to another route. Neighbours were checking up on each other and reporting what updates were coming in.
Looking at the area in the aftermath, it was like cyclones or vortexes had travelled through the forests. One person described it, as if a huge tank had crashed through and cut the trees down. Fortunately, my home was protected, but my neighbour at the back of my property lost many trees, one landing on her annex roof and another crashing down into another neighbours garden, narrowly missing her kitchen!
Walking around Sibleyback lake I could see both beauty and devastation. Trees down, just as if a giant had gone through in a rage and knocked them all down.
And then beautiful colours, as if the remaining trees had been washed. It was almost primeval.
The good news, the lake is full and it was good to see the water flowing over the dam.
Belated Imbolc Blessings to you all.
“Find what you love and love what you find”