Where Has the Time Gone?
I realise with horror that I have not written to you for so long—not since the end of February. The truth is that nothing new of great interest has happened. It seems at times as though the world as we once knew it is reshaping itself. It is a time when the best course of action seems to be that of an observer, keeping one's own values rather than getting caught up in the maelstrom all around.
I have just been walking around my garden, and the growth of everything seems to be an example of how to continue thriving and not be drawn into something beyond our control; nature is showing us the way forward.
Regarding time, we are often told to be in the present. In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote:
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is why they call it the present.”
However, the Mayans have a completely different concept of time. Their fascinating belief is that there is no such thing as the present—it simply does not exist. They recognise the past, which is in front of them, because they know all about it and can thus see it. The future is behind them because they cannot see it. It is still to come, and they don’t know what it will bring. Once the future arrives, they know about it, and then they can see it—it is before them and immediately becomes the past.
It brings us to the realisation that as a human race, we may all see things in different ways. What may be right for one person does not necessarily hold true for another.
I came across several inspirational quotations:
“But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”
— Khalil Gibran
Desmond Tutu, the South African Anglican cleric who in 1984 received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the opposition to apartheid, wrote:
“God's dream is that you and I and all of us will realise that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and for compassion.”
— Desmond Tutu
He also said:
“If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.”
— Desmond Tutu
We have been having quite exceptionally warm weather, and the spring flowers are bursting into bloom. The snowdrops and primroses are giving way to azaleas. (I have one in my garden that was here when I moved in over 30 years ago. Each year, I wonder if it will survive the winter, and yet again this spring, its buds are about to burst into flower.)
Also, the Amelanchier lamarckii has almost overnight turned into a sea of blossoms. How blessed we are.
I have just read that Michael Morpurgo—author of some truly special books—has a new release. He is high on my list of favourite authors. He has a way with words that few authors possess. A couple of his books, War Horse and Private Peaceful, are written with such sensitivity; his words pierced my heart.
The reason for mentioning him now is that his latest book, Spring, has just been released—appropriately enough, at this time of year—and I cannot wait to read it.
However, as you can imagine, this warm weather is not for everyone. The poor farmers are tearing their hair out, as spring is the time when crops such as barley and early wheat should be well established. At the moment, they are barely a few inches high—not yet enough to leave anything beyond a temporary imprint. This is the crucial growing period of the year.
We are told that insufficient rainfall directly affects soil moisture levels, leading to stunted growth and lower crop yields. Many crops require a specific amount of water to thrive, and without adequate rainfall, they may fail to mature. But don’t despair crop circle lovers as nature has a way of healing itself and soon the fields may be rippling with lush growth. I have seen this happen before.
However, to add to the farmers’ concerns, for the first time, inheritance tax is being levied against those whose estates—when they die—are valued above a certain threshold. Given that the value of agricultural land has risen considerably, many farmers—already struggling—may no longer be able to pass their farms on to the next generation. Instead, they may have to sell the land in order to pay the inheritance tax. Many have worked the same land for several hundred years, passing it down through generations.
Maybe this is a good moment to say how grateful we are to the farmers who allow us onto their land to enter the crop circles. Although it may seem hard, we need to understand that it is their land and livelihood. Sadly, many times people have damaged crops, and it is for that reason that some farmers have closed their fields to visitors.
Please remember to book your place/s; as already mentioned this probably the last year I will be taking will be taking the tours. Sadly I only have a limited number of places available. I have met so many wonderful people for all over the world; it been such a pleasure and privilege for me.
Oliver’s Castle, Nr Devizes, Wiltshire. 15 April 2007