...........why gardens are flowering earlier this year! Rain and strong winds have featured in parts of the country, but reasonable temperatures have persisted throughout much of this winter season to date.
Photo from earlier this week, by now this gigantic tree will be surrounded by a carpet of purple.
In Greek mythology Gaia is the personification of the Earth.
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The artwork on the sphere was created by Luke Jerram using the Visible Earth series from NASA in 1972. We are all aware that the earth is known as the Blue Planet, but as the sphere slowly turns it is astonishing to see how overwhelmingly large the seas and oceans are compared to the landmass. Clearly, it is imperative that urgent action on climate change must happen to prevent further melting of the ice caps and glaciers and the rise in sea level.
That Gaia installation was shown in Edmonton not too long ago and was displayed at our local botanical conservatory, I believe. I didn't make it out to see it, alas. Perhaps there are several of these installations touring at the same time, I don't know. You took some fantastic photos of it, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just checked the internet and actually, it was here a year ago. Doesn't seem that long since I saw it advertised.
DeleteI understand that it is heading to Canada again Debra, but you are right there are several of these installations travelling around the world.
DeleteI'm sure you found that so interesting and beautifully curated Rosemary.....and the abbey itself looks amazing for a 900 year old Norman building!
ReplyDeleteHere we are in our younger, almost 40 year old house, and find it's suddenly aging quickly (like us!) and so many things require attention, replacement, or repair! These coming months, starting next week with a replacement roof, are going to be awfully busy.....and of course expensive!!!
Hope you are enjoying the early signs of spring dear - I just noticed a few daffodils are in bud here!
Mary x
The abbey is one of the finest Norman buildings in the country Mary - over 900 years old and built to last.
DeleteI sympathise with you Mary re: the work, but good luck. Getting jobs done on and in the house is far more expensive post pandemic here and I suspect it is the same with you.
It takes me all of my time trying to keep the interior of the house looking smart and clean these days, but I am working myself up to having four chairs in the sitting-room upholstered in a different fabric and colour.
Outrageously beautiful. Thank you! You've made my day even better. From the base of the mini-mountain in Maine.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit and lovely comment.
DeleteBeautiful Earth, thanks for the photos of something fantastic that we will probably never see in person!
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that you enjoyed seeing it Katerina, and thank you for your visit.
DeleteHello Rosemary, Happy Chinese New Year--I just got back from a New Year's eve dinner. I opened a tab on Tewskbury Abbey, but I will study it tomorrow--too late right now. About the early flowers, since you have a seemingly very moderate climate it should be ok, but in cold places like Cleveland, this warm winter weather tricks plants into blossoming, then a hard freeze comes and kills it all back, resulting in some crops being eliminated, as well as collateral ecological damage.
ReplyDelete---Jim
Hello Jim - Happy Chinese New Year to you as well. Actually it hasn't quite arrived here yet as it is still the 9th. However, I understand that this year it is the year of the Wood Dragon.
DeleteBeautiful flowers, tree and building, but oh Gaia is the best of all! What a wonderful image to see right before one's eyes. Indeed, most of it is water, and our climate change is affecting us all.
ReplyDeleteWhen you see this globe slowly spinning around you do realise just how much of our beautiful planet is indeed water, and how easily it would be for it to spread over onto our precious land.
DeleteWow! What gorgeous pictures! And what an amazing exhibit of Gaia! So beautiful, our Earth, and more fragile than we realize. Hopefully we will figure out how to slow down the climate change. Thank you for sharing your beautiful countryside.
ReplyDeleteIt is in the hands of our leaders who sadly do not tend to think long term.
DeleteThat's a coincidence! Only this morning Eddie and I were saying that the flowers seem to be flowering that little bit earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs from the Gaia exhibit.
We must look after our Earth.
All the best Jan
I always wonder whether it is wishful thinking on my part, but the flowers do appear to be showing much earlier.
DeleteWhat wonderful photos. I see the exhibition has been to Adelaide but I am sure it hasn't been here. A lot of the Pacific Islands are having trouble with rising sea levels.
ReplyDeleteThe coastline in East Anglia has also been eroded by rising sea levels for more than half a mile.
DeleteAround that tree would look amazing now as you say Rosemary. Beautiful gates there.
ReplyDeleteThe gates make a wonderful entrance to the Abbey.
DeleteThat globe visited Bath Abbey just before Christmas, but they wanted a huge entrance fee to see it and I did not go in from principle (and meanness).
ReplyDeleteThat is a shame Tom - it was free for us at Tewkesbury Abbey. You had to pay after 4.30pm when the globe became surrounded by darkness, but we were happy to view it in daylight.
DeleteYes, Spring is once again just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteThe sun is out today and it doesn't look like a typical February day at all.
Delete“It is imperative that urgent action on climate change must happen….” I hate to be a cynic (substitute realist), Rosemary, but that is simply not going to happen. That has been proven time and again. And I think it is too late anyway. We have passed the tipping point.
ReplyDeleteI am sad David, but I inhabit the same page as you. I am really fearful for our younger generation and for those that are yet to come. The things that we do i.e recycling, travelling less, trying to be sustainable is just not enough. It is on a far bigger scale that things need to change. All of our leaders are not realists, they act short termism.
DeleteThat earth certainly gets around. It was floating on a Jersey reservoir not so long ago. Great to see the spring flowers. B x
ReplyDeleteI am late to the scene re: the travelling earth installation as I understand that there are three or four of them which apparently they have been around for about 4 years.
DeleteDear Rosemary, it is so soothing to see so much beauty in a time that is vibrating with bad news and hate and wars. This side - beauty, nature - exists too, and it is like a drink of fresh water. Thank you for that. Britta
ReplyDeleteDear Britta - the news gets worse day by day, but the tranquility nature offers us is balm for the soul.
DeleteWe live on a stunningly beautiful planet and must care for it better than we have done in the past. Here, too, we have had a very mild and warm winter other than a frigid week where temperatures records fell. The mid-winter flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, warm gloves, hats and scarves were worn at the beginning of November through to March - not anymore. When my brother first lived in Toronto, deep snowfalls lasted for months on end. Apparently this year they have hardly had any.
DeleteBeautiful crocus, ours planted in our front lawn are flowering and do make it look pretty and we have snowdrops at last in our back garden, yours are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteCrocus scattered in the grass always make a joyful sight to see, glad that you are enjoying yours too.
DeleteDear Rosemary – Your Christmas roses are beautiful with snowdrops. In my part of the world, flowering and green-up was much earlier last year while some flowers look to be earlier this year so far. Relatively warm winter with occasional frigid days has brough much more snow, not my place but to the heavy snowfall area. Weather is complicated due to multiple conditions and variables. When the world needs to cooperate to protect Gaia, how could some people keep bombing?
ReplyDeleteYoko
Dear Yoko - I despair at man's inhumanity to man. After each new man-made atrocity—terrorist attacks, shootings, wars — how can people be so cruel and heartless to their fellow human beings?
DeleteAs much as I enjoy the moderate temperature and an early spring. It's just a reminder that we are in trouble and the effects of global warming are becoming much more evident.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree - I am very concerned for our young generation.
DeleteAnother beautiful post from you Rosemary...the flowers, the nature and I hope spring is just around the corner here on the grey island too :)
ReplyDeleteLove from Titti
💚
DeleteThere is a Gaia in our nature museum.
ReplyDeleteI think if I remember correctly that I may have seen it on one of your posts.
DeleteUna buena pregunta. En Béjar los narcisos han nacido un mes antes, nunca en ese mes hemos tenido 18º y ahora nos vuelve el frío.
ReplyDeleteEl tronco del árbol se ve precioso. Cuidemos la Tierra amigo. Es nuestra casa y nos regala mucho.
Buen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.
Gracias por tu visita y amable comentario. Sí, tienes razón, debemos cuidar nuestro hermoso mundo, es demasiado precioso para destruirlo.
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