I wish you a wonderfully happy, peaceful, healthy and fulfilling New Year 2023.
This past year, 2022, has really been largely dominated and overshadowed by the Russian dictator Putin’s attack on Ukraine in a 'military exercise' that was to only last a few days! Little did he expect the valiant resistance that followed his invasion. The ensuing result of this conflict has had a worldwide effect, with trade links cut, food and other shortages, and astronomical price rises. This part of the world - Central and Eastern Europe - has been in constant turmoil going back centuries. So I decided to investigate more fully to try and make sense of what has happened and found myself exploring an ever changing and troubled region of the world.
We are told that 'The history of Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, officially begins with its founding in 482, but the city may date back at least 2,000 years. Archaeology dates the site of the oldest known settlement in the area to 25,000 years BC. Kyiv was the historical capital of medieval Kievan Rus' from 879 to 1240, and is now the largest city and the capital of Ukraine.'
I also came across an excellent article in the Spectator written by Norman Davies who has helped clear up many of the questions I have been asking regarding present day Ukrainian’s determination to retain their own individuality and identity as a country, as opposed to being engulfed by their eastern neighbour Russia. In order to remain separate, the spirit and determination they have displayed, has been truly remarkable. Despite superior numbers of manpower - and watching their homes crumbling around them as they fall beneath the intense shelling of Russian missiles - their spirit remains unbroken. Classical, elegant, ancient buildings, once standing proud over city squares and elsewhere, now lie in rubble and dust. A cultured civilisation shattered on the surface but belying a steely inner fighting spirit. An enactment of the David and Goliath story.
He tells us that: “Since the outbreak of war in February 2022 there has been an overwhelming focus on the historical links between Russia and Ukraine, partly to counter Putin’s grand assertions that Kyiv belongs to Moscow. But this spotlight on Russia has meant the important history of Poland and Ukraine has been fatally overlooked.
Ukraine was part of the Polish state for longer than it was inside Russia – and this is key to understanding why Ukrainians are different from Russians. In other words, it is impossible to comprehend Ukraine’s history without examining the impact of both Poland and Russia.”
So what is the history behind all this? Far from being 'an upstart' country, Ukraine had a long and important role to play in this arena. I urge you to read the above article.
So what is my feeling about this? In a way I believe that, quite remarkably and unexpectedly, sometimes amazingly wonderful happenings or results may come out of what may seem a hopeless situation, rather like the legend of the phoenix rising from the ashes; symbolising immortality, resurrection and life after death, and in ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology it is associated with the sun god. According to the Greeks, the bird lives in Arabia, near a cool well.
Lockdown visitors
Thinking of birds, my elder son who lives in Sydney told me a lovely story this morning. Sloane has an extraordinary wonderful affinity, understanding and love of birds and one time when he was very small, he was on a river bank and on spotting a pen with her cygnets, went straight up to them, sat down beside her and one by one put her cygnets on to his lap. And there sat Sloane, the pen and her cygnets all quite happily together for some considerable time.
The story he told me this morning:
“Lockdown took us all by surprise. Our concept of freedom and space changed, and we all had to make the best of the new limitations imposed on us.
I live in Sydney very close to both the ocean and inner harbour. Coastal walks and the water itself are a significant part of my day-to-day life, so when we went into lockdown, I had to find other things to do.
I have always had a keen love of nature, and Australian animals are inherently wild, very wild, and for those that have reared a Kookaburra, Magpie (the Australian Magpie is very different from the European and American variety, and more like the crow) or Rainbow Lorikeet will know the immense joy and wonder that comes with it. They are all very playful and rather naughty!
The tables were turned and now nature was free from our interference, and we were restricted to the spaces within our own homes.
The birds in particular realised this too and came in for a closer look at the humans within!
Living on my own, I was thrilled to have any company available, and after a little Google research, established what was best to feed the birds, and like us, not everything they like is good for them!
I dug up bugs and ordered in mealworms for the Magpies and sunflower seeds and apples for the Rainbow Lorikeets.
My flat has mosquito nets on all the windows, and not all accessible, so my kitchen window seemed the best option, especially as it is often where I sit and eat, and so we could all eat together.
I soon realised that birds have no etiquette or table manners and my kitchen soon filled up with escaping Mealworms, and the fine shelled skins from the sunflower seeds, and with regularity, everything getting scattered everywhere when there was a punch up between the birds, something I later managed by creating dividers for the birds.
I decided to build a makeshift bird table for my windowsill in order to contain the food and limit how far the birds came into the kitchen, with some success.
The latter didn’t always work, and I would often find birds of all descriptions in my kitchen looking outside of the box so to speak!
There is a special feeling when a wild animal shows trust. It takes patience and time.
Since lockdown has finished, the birds still visit, and at this time of year they are well into their 2nd batch of fledglings, so the bird table is busy.
Amongst many, I currently have one family of Lorikeets who introduced me to their two youngsters, and feed from time to time at my kitchen window.
Along with the more glamorous parrots, we have two breeding pairs of pigeons, generally not the most popular of birds and I’m somewhat frowned upon for feeding them, but they hoover up all that’s left behind by the other birds so serve me well and illustrate that there is balance in nature.
I had one of my regular pigeons arrive on my windowsill the other day with both his feet tangled in the fine cotton thread. She found it hard to walk, and I could see it was very tight on several of her toes. I knew it could only get worse and possibly lose her toes.
I caught her with ease and albeit she struggled initially, after a while I think she realised what was going on and calmed down. I noticed how soft and pink her feet were, and clean too and I guess this comes from living a rural life.
After about 20 minutes with only one hand to do the snipping, cutting and untangling, it was done and I let her go, and she flew a full circle in the sky and came back through my window into my kitchen landing on my hand.
As I write this, I’m looking out of my other window where I have my office (the same side as my kitchen window) and there is a large Gum tree, and I can see the birds preening and winding down for the day.
Soon the Magpie will sing and lastly the Kookaburra will say goodnight, I have a family of nine.”
As usual, I attach Pam Gregory’s latest findings. I think you will find them encouraging.