“it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.”
– Judy Garland
Happy Valentines Day x
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Every Kingdom - Part 2
I just found this lovely wee trailer for my album of the year - from
Ben Howard. Is it too early for a little wild swimming?
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Haunted By Waters...
Do you feel a haunting connection to water? Walking along the coastal path at the weekend, as the afternoon light faded over the sea, I was reminded of a beautiful excerpt from a book by writer, Norman MacLean. The eldest son of a Scottish Presbyterian minister, born and raised in America, MacLean's great love was The Big Blackfoot River of Montana. You can read the original excerpt here. Meanwhile, I was inspired to adapt his poetic words to reflect my love of the ocean and walks along the banks of the River Forth estuary, where it flows out to meet the North Sea....
"Now some of those I loved and did not understand in my youth are gone. But I still reach out to them. And now I sometimes walk the coast path alone, even though some friends think I shouldn’t. But when I am alone in the half-light of the estuary, all existence seems to fade to a being of my soul and memories, and the sound of the water and a tidal rhythm, and the hope that a whale will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s greatest flood, and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs."
“I am haunted by waters.”
- Adapted from Norman MacLean's excerpt from
'A River Runs Through It'
Photography by Acoustic Wave's all-round creative, James Lowe. See more at The Gallery.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Rise Above Plastics - The Surfriders Pledge...
Living right by the sea, the mis-use of plastic is rarely far from my mind. Whenever I go for a walk, I see where the ocean spits plastic out on the coastal path and the beaches. I see it floating in the harbour and gathering on rocky shores. There's no getting away from it - plastic makes the ocean sick!! Below, find out more and learn how you can help to heal the ocean...
Why Take The 'Rise Above Plastics' Pledge?
Each year, one million sea birds and
one hundred thousand marine mammals die
from ingestion of, or entanglement in plastics.
- Surfrider Foundation
one hundred thousand marine mammals die
from ingestion of, or entanglement in plastics.
- Surfrider Foundation
Of course, plastic itself isn't the problem. The real issue is that as a society and as individuals, we choose to use single-use and disposable products, packaged in plastic. Consider this. It takes one person just a few minutes to consume a snack yoghurt, or a bottle of water, or a tub of ice-cream. Then, we throw away the plastic packaging. Recycling isn't the answer. Unlike glass and aliminium, the life-cycle of recycled plastic packaging is still short. So, what happens to all that plastic?
With the exception of the small amount that is incinerated,
virtually every piece of plastic that has ever
been made still exists in some shape or form.
- Surfrider Foundation
virtually every piece of plastic that has ever
been made still exists in some shape or form.
- Surfrider Foundation
If this troubles you, you can rise to the challenge. Take the 'Rise Above Plastic' Pledge. Here are a few of the ways we can all honour the pledge, reduce our 'plastic footprint' and help keep plastics out of the marine environment. These tips come directly from Surfrider Foundation and I've added a few bonus tips & a shopping hit-list too...
- Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water. You can get cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.
- Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws and other 'disposable' plastics. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at bbq's, potlucks or take-out restaurants.
- Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.
- Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use them. A great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups. Bonus Tip: I've done this at Pret A Manger and they're often glad to oblige - it's won me extra points on my loyalty card!
- Go digital! No need for plastic cds, dvds and cases when you can buy your music and videos online. Bonus Tip: If you really want a hard copy - buy second hand on Amazon
- Seek out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.
- Recycle. If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics. Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.
- Volunteer at a beach cleanup.
- Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.
- Spread the word. Talk to your family and friends about why it is important to Rise Above Plastics!
Rise Above Plastics - Shopping Hit-List....
- Yoghurts, ice creams and milk (often long-life or organic) can be found in paper-based carton packaging.
- Switch to reusable razors.
- Switch to good-quality soaps, which last much longer than hand and body wash.
- Buy meat from a butcher to avoid the supermarket's big plastic packages.
- Skip snack dips and spreads packaged in plastic - make your own!
- Choose butter and cheese in paper wrapping.
- Buy fizzy drinks in cans
- Choose tap water in restaurants and at home, filter if necessary, take a re-usable metal bottle
- Buy loose fruit and vegetables.
- Rather than using washing liquid, choose washing powder, which is packaged in cardboard boxes.
- If you can't find glass or cardboard packaging, choose brands that offer 'refill' packs, to reduce the amount of plastic packaging in your regular household items.
- Boycott brands that don't offer reduced plastic or plastic free options. They'll soon get the message.
- Beware of bio-plastics. In an attempt to be more eco-friendly, some brands have switched to bio-plastics. However, it generally only biodegrades in special composting heaps which are not commercially available. It's often made using GM plants. Also, the plants used to make bio-plastics are sometimes planted in far-away countries, using up valuable food production land.
- Shop Consciously - and you'll really start to notice where plastic is being used and wasted unnecessary....
- If you're buying gifts for others - choose non-plastic!
Rise Above Plastics - Take The Pledge...
As I've said before, here at Postcards From The Coast, we usually aim to celebrate the ocean, via articles featuring inspirational images, products and places. Yet, in the same way that it's impossible to walk along a beautiful coastline without seeing the damage plastic is doing to our planet, it's also become impossible to close our eyes to it in everyday life - and that includes here on this blog. So please, join me in taking the pledge to Rise Above Plastics ....
Find out more and pledge to Rise Above Plastics at www.riseaboveplastics.org
Go here to 'like' Rise Above Plastics' @ Facebook
Leave a comment below and tell us how you pledge to Rise Above Plastics.
Remember, a drop in the ocean has a ripple effect!!
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Every Kingdom...
Ben Howard - Every Kingdom, created by the Devon-born singer-songwriter-surfer is the perfect go-to album for laid-back, lazy weekends by the sea. It's available to check out on Spotify or ITunes. The album's available to buy at Amazon too - and you can get it on vinyl. There aren't many modern albums that feels right on vinyl, but this one has it.
Eco Music Tip: Many albums are still packaged in plastic - which ultimately breaks down and finds its ways into our food-chain (and oceans). One way to discourage this is to buy via download or if you really love having a hard copy, consider choosing a high quality second hand version instead.
Eco Music Tip: Many albums are still packaged in plastic - which ultimately breaks down and finds its ways into our food-chain (and oceans). One way to discourage this is to buy via download or if you really love having a hard copy, consider choosing a high quality second hand version instead.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
The Mermaid Rock of Luna Beach...
"See a mountain, see an ocean,
see the years that bring
Rock and tide together....
Settle down I said to myself,
things that come with time
Will always be better"
- Rock & Tide
Rock and tide together....
Settle down I said to myself,
things that come with time
Will always be better"
- Rock & Tide
Joshua Radin
The Mermaid Rock of Luna Beach
A Short, Fictional Tale, by Vicky Watt
It is said that the mermaid on the rock was caught between two worlds. Every day the mermaid loved to visit Luna Beach on Scotland's rugged east coast. She climbed high up onto the cliffs, far above the sea, even above the birds that surfed through the air waves. The mermaid watched the humans as they moved busily through their days, living in a simple, harmonious settlement, nestled in the dunes behind the beach. The Mer-Folk - the mermaid's own people of the sea - encouraged her to venture beyond the shores she loved. They wanted her to cast away her fins forever, as many of her kind were doing. They hoped that she would find a safe place in the human world.
The mer-folk believed that they were increasingly under threat from sea-farers who would come from distant lands. It was said that these men feared the mer-folk and their powers over the sea. These men would soon come and teach the local humans to forget the old ways and their respect for the ocean. There were prophecies amongst the mer-folk of great webs that the humans would cast out across the water, trapping the sea creatures in their thousands, of lifeless carcases that would multiply and float in the sea for an eternity, thunder rising from the seabed so loud it could drown out whale song, and a black death that would creep across the surface of the water, eventually bringing an end to all life in the oceans.
Yet, every time this mermaid considered venturing beyond her beloved shores, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her heart told her that her place was right here living in the sea and bathing on Luna Beach. She couldn't believe that the humans she watched everyday would ever turn on her kind.
Then, one day, as she was bathing on a beach rock, she saw a great ship on the horizon - far bigger than any of the boats she'd seen used by local people. Despite the blue skies and sunshine, a chill coursed through her bones. She began to wonder if the prophecy of her people was coming true. Perhaps she shouldn't have listened to herself. Maybe she should have trusted others and fled Luna Beach for a new life in the land beyond the cliff path. There was still time. Yet, she did not move. She continued to question her future and all that she knew, until she was too exhausted to think of it anymore. She became hypnotised by the flickering light of the sun as it played upon the shallows. Her eyes grew heavier and she rested her head on the rock, unaware that as she fell into a deep sleep, a cloud was stretching towards the shore and casting a shadow on the sparkling sea.
When The Mermaid awakened, she felt numb. A great ice storm had gripped the ocean. The falling ice rain had turned her legs into a fish tail once more, but the tide was still far out. She was frozen to the rock. The storm was raging all around the coastline. Waves like the tails of great sea monsters whipped against the rocky shore, edging closer to the beach, threatening to consume the little bothies and fisher-families inside.
The Mermaid knew that if the great, powerful waves swept to the shore she would be caught up in the tide and taken back to the safety of the ocean depths - but the people of Luna Beach would certainly perish.
Looking down towards her cherished home of sand and sea, from her rocky vantage, with the crystal vision of a sea-eagle, she realised her own destiny.
The Mermaid took a long, deep breath of sharp, glass air. Then, she began to call out, a single high-pitched note, an almost musical sound that might have been beautiful, had it not been so piercing. The bewildering, eerie cry filled the air, alerting families living by the beach to the great danger just beyond the dunes. Men, women and children rushed from their homes, up onto the sandy mounds and watched in awe and terror as the huge tsunami thundered towards them. The mermaid, high on the rock, continued to call out towards the north sea. The people on the beach were hypnotised by this vision of a raging ocean, threatening to rip through their lives. They held their hands to their ears, trying to drown out the painful sound of sea and screams.
And then, just as this elemental power seemed poised to crash down upon them, it stopped.
The fisher-people stood frozen in disbelief at the miracle before them. A wall of water higher than the cliffs began moving backwards, away from the crescent moon beach. Within moments, the ocean had reclaimed the angry beast that had risen from its depths and now only a few rough waves hinted at the threat below the surface.
Suddenly aware of the icy rain battering their bodies, the bewildered people rushed back towards their cosy home fires. As most families crossed the threshold, into warmth and safety, someone called out and pointed towards the high rock on the beach. There, on top of the rock, was the frozen, lifeless form of a mermaid.
The people realised immediately it was her calls that had saved them all. A few people had claimed they'd seen the fish-tailed woman swimming in the sea and now they all knew for sure that they hadn't imagined her.
Eventually, the unexpected, early winter turned the mermaid from ice to an alchemy of silver and black stone, bright even in darkness and forever enshrined on the far edge of Luna Beach.
Much later, when the world would be unrecognisable to those who'd stood on Luna Beach that day, clever men would claim that The Mermaid Rock was created from nothing more than a million years of coastal storms, volcanic rock chiseled and welded by sharp winds and ice rains, a geological wonder, it's likeness to a mythical sea creature nothing more than a coincidence.
Meanwhile, those who'd witnessed her power over the sea shared their story with any local or drifter willing to listen, there were people who came to worship her as the guardian of Luna Beach, climbing up to touch her tail for luck. Indeed, it seemed that some who came to see the Mermaid Rock understood far more about the mermaid's story than others. They seemed to be gifted with a special knowledge, sharing the mer-folk prophecies about men from distant lands who would come and threaten the old way of life. They seemed eager to keep this fate from the people of St Luna, teaching kin-ship and respect for the balance between humanity and the creatures of the ocean. Others began to wonder if descendents of the mer-folk truly were walking amongst them and not all were comfortable with this notion.
A few days after the storm, in a small inlet several miles up the coast near Aberdeen, a ship-wreck had been discovered. All on board had perished. The locals there were bemused by this giant boat and the shiny treasures on board. They wondered where this exotic, unfortunate people had come from and why they might be sailing in these waters during the worst storm in memory.
In time, another ship was seen on the horizon and this time, it arrived on-shore, bringing with it people who talked of unimaginable riches, a better, easier life and a new way of fishing the seas. They also brought with them dark superstitious and rituals to protect coastal people and fishermen from the fish-tailed sea-witches and demons they claimed threatened the bright future of man.
And so, a new age began on the coast of Scotland. A time when people wanted dominion over the oceans. Reverence for the sea and its magical creatures, including the mer-folk, turned to fear. Every day, the people learned to take more from the ocean, to guarantee their survival, just in-case the sea defeated them in battle. As they did so, the prophecies were self-fulfilled. The more man took from the sea, the less there was to find. They were forced to move further from shore. They plunged to much greater depths. Each trip became more perilous, bigger ships were built and they battled through greater waves. Every day more men and sea-creatures were lost forever. Some of the coastal people, believing what they'd been told by their new allies, blamed their misfortune on bad omens, perhaps the sighting of a selkie or the distant call of a mermaid.
Still, others remembered a different story.
Despite the changes and challenges that swept along those rugged shores in the ensuing years, the mermaid's act of courage - witnessed by only a few - kept the glistening light of truth alive in the hearts and words of at least a few people.
Old fisherman and fish wives, sitting in quiet corners of St Luna Inn, their tongues loosened with a few warming whiskies, will share whispers about the legend of The Mermaid Rock. She, who sacrificed herself for the people living in the dunes behind Luna Beach. They say that the piercing call of a mermaid can still be heard echoing against the rocky cliffs in the moments before a storm. Always there, watching over her seas, protecting Luna Beach and the people of St Luna. They say the mermaid is a guardian of the coast who, to this day, helps lost souls hear their inner voice and discover their true destiny.
They remember, what many have forgotten. Surf and soil, man and mermaids, time and tide will always be divinely entwined, seeking perfect balance, just as surely as the sea meets the sands...
A Short, Fictional Tale, by Vicky Watt
It is said that the mermaid on the rock was caught between two worlds. Every day the mermaid loved to visit Luna Beach on Scotland's rugged east coast. She climbed high up onto the cliffs, far above the sea, even above the birds that surfed through the air waves. The mermaid watched the humans as they moved busily through their days, living in a simple, harmonious settlement, nestled in the dunes behind the beach. The Mer-Folk - the mermaid's own people of the sea - encouraged her to venture beyond the shores she loved. They wanted her to cast away her fins forever, as many of her kind were doing. They hoped that she would find a safe place in the human world.
The mer-folk believed that they were increasingly under threat from sea-farers who would come from distant lands. It was said that these men feared the mer-folk and their powers over the sea. These men would soon come and teach the local humans to forget the old ways and their respect for the ocean. There were prophecies amongst the mer-folk of great webs that the humans would cast out across the water, trapping the sea creatures in their thousands, of lifeless carcases that would multiply and float in the sea for an eternity, thunder rising from the seabed so loud it could drown out whale song, and a black death that would creep across the surface of the water, eventually bringing an end to all life in the oceans.
Yet, every time this mermaid considered venturing beyond her beloved shores, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her heart told her that her place was right here living in the sea and bathing on Luna Beach. She couldn't believe that the humans she watched everyday would ever turn on her kind.
Then, one day, as she was bathing on a beach rock, she saw a great ship on the horizon - far bigger than any of the boats she'd seen used by local people. Despite the blue skies and sunshine, a chill coursed through her bones. She began to wonder if the prophecy of her people was coming true. Perhaps she shouldn't have listened to herself. Maybe she should have trusted others and fled Luna Beach for a new life in the land beyond the cliff path. There was still time. Yet, she did not move. She continued to question her future and all that she knew, until she was too exhausted to think of it anymore. She became hypnotised by the flickering light of the sun as it played upon the shallows. Her eyes grew heavier and she rested her head on the rock, unaware that as she fell into a deep sleep, a cloud was stretching towards the shore and casting a shadow on the sparkling sea.
When The Mermaid awakened, she felt numb. A great ice storm had gripped the ocean. The falling ice rain had turned her legs into a fish tail once more, but the tide was still far out. She was frozen to the rock. The storm was raging all around the coastline. Waves like the tails of great sea monsters whipped against the rocky shore, edging closer to the beach, threatening to consume the little bothies and fisher-families inside.
The Mermaid knew that if the great, powerful waves swept to the shore she would be caught up in the tide and taken back to the safety of the ocean depths - but the people of Luna Beach would certainly perish.
Looking down towards her cherished home of sand and sea, from her rocky vantage, with the crystal vision of a sea-eagle, she realised her own destiny.
The Mermaid took a long, deep breath of sharp, glass air. Then, she began to call out, a single high-pitched note, an almost musical sound that might have been beautiful, had it not been so piercing. The bewildering, eerie cry filled the air, alerting families living by the beach to the great danger just beyond the dunes. Men, women and children rushed from their homes, up onto the sandy mounds and watched in awe and terror as the huge tsunami thundered towards them. The mermaid, high on the rock, continued to call out towards the north sea. The people on the beach were hypnotised by this vision of a raging ocean, threatening to rip through their lives. They held their hands to their ears, trying to drown out the painful sound of sea and screams.
And then, just as this elemental power seemed poised to crash down upon them, it stopped.
The fisher-people stood frozen in disbelief at the miracle before them. A wall of water higher than the cliffs began moving backwards, away from the crescent moon beach. Within moments, the ocean had reclaimed the angry beast that had risen from its depths and now only a few rough waves hinted at the threat below the surface.
Suddenly aware of the icy rain battering their bodies, the bewildered people rushed back towards their cosy home fires. As most families crossed the threshold, into warmth and safety, someone called out and pointed towards the high rock on the beach. There, on top of the rock, was the frozen, lifeless form of a mermaid.
The people realised immediately it was her calls that had saved them all. A few people had claimed they'd seen the fish-tailed woman swimming in the sea and now they all knew for sure that they hadn't imagined her.
Eventually, the unexpected, early winter turned the mermaid from ice to an alchemy of silver and black stone, bright even in darkness and forever enshrined on the far edge of Luna Beach.
Much later, when the world would be unrecognisable to those who'd stood on Luna Beach that day, clever men would claim that The Mermaid Rock was created from nothing more than a million years of coastal storms, volcanic rock chiseled and welded by sharp winds and ice rains, a geological wonder, it's likeness to a mythical sea creature nothing more than a coincidence.
Meanwhile, those who'd witnessed her power over the sea shared their story with any local or drifter willing to listen, there were people who came to worship her as the guardian of Luna Beach, climbing up to touch her tail for luck. Indeed, it seemed that some who came to see the Mermaid Rock understood far more about the mermaid's story than others. They seemed to be gifted with a special knowledge, sharing the mer-folk prophecies about men from distant lands who would come and threaten the old way of life. They seemed eager to keep this fate from the people of St Luna, teaching kin-ship and respect for the balance between humanity and the creatures of the ocean. Others began to wonder if descendents of the mer-folk truly were walking amongst them and not all were comfortable with this notion.
A few days after the storm, in a small inlet several miles up the coast near Aberdeen, a ship-wreck had been discovered. All on board had perished. The locals there were bemused by this giant boat and the shiny treasures on board. They wondered where this exotic, unfortunate people had come from and why they might be sailing in these waters during the worst storm in memory.
In time, another ship was seen on the horizon and this time, it arrived on-shore, bringing with it people who talked of unimaginable riches, a better, easier life and a new way of fishing the seas. They also brought with them dark superstitious and rituals to protect coastal people and fishermen from the fish-tailed sea-witches and demons they claimed threatened the bright future of man.
And so, a new age began on the coast of Scotland. A time when people wanted dominion over the oceans. Reverence for the sea and its magical creatures, including the mer-folk, turned to fear. Every day, the people learned to take more from the ocean, to guarantee their survival, just in-case the sea defeated them in battle. As they did so, the prophecies were self-fulfilled. The more man took from the sea, the less there was to find. They were forced to move further from shore. They plunged to much greater depths. Each trip became more perilous, bigger ships were built and they battled through greater waves. Every day more men and sea-creatures were lost forever. Some of the coastal people, believing what they'd been told by their new allies, blamed their misfortune on bad omens, perhaps the sighting of a selkie or the distant call of a mermaid.
Still, others remembered a different story.
Despite the changes and challenges that swept along those rugged shores in the ensuing years, the mermaid's act of courage - witnessed by only a few - kept the glistening light of truth alive in the hearts and words of at least a few people.
Old fisherman and fish wives, sitting in quiet corners of St Luna Inn, their tongues loosened with a few warming whiskies, will share whispers about the legend of The Mermaid Rock. She, who sacrificed herself for the people living in the dunes behind Luna Beach. They say that the piercing call of a mermaid can still be heard echoing against the rocky cliffs in the moments before a storm. Always there, watching over her seas, protecting Luna Beach and the people of St Luna. They say the mermaid is a guardian of the coast who, to this day, helps lost souls hear their inner voice and discover their true destiny.
They remember, what many have forgotten. Surf and soil, man and mermaids, time and tide will always be divinely entwined, seeking perfect balance, just as surely as the sea meets the sands...
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