Beltane

Tonight is Beltane, May Eve, the spring fire festival: Nos Calan Mai in Welsh. In my garden yesterday the first apple blossom and the first six or seven cherry blossoms opened, and the first pea flower appeared. Tomorrow we may have snow again, but it will be quickly gone.

We have deferred our Beltane celebration to Saturday night, partly because of logistics, partly because the first local farmer's market of the season is Saturday morning, and we like to shop there for part of the feast. I feel there has been enough calendar reform over the centuries that any time within a few days of the date is good enough.

Last year I posted a description of an ancient Beltane celebration from my book Storyteller. On another blog this morning I read a beautiful description of a small modern celebration. There are many ways to celebrate the turning of the seasons. The main thing, I think, is to be aware.

-GRG

Two Weeks...

Well, I have been busy, but it's really no excuse. A weekend out of town, another involving SCA activities. Welsh class, gardening - including some emergency rose salvage when the empty house next door finally sold and the new owners decided to make a clean sweep of the back yard! - and life in general. No new chapters of Ash Spear, either - but that should change. I've set aside this weekend and most of next weekend for writing. We'll see how far I get!

Now for something different...

Lately I've been enjoying Xcel Energy's webcam link to the pair of eagles nesting on one of their properties. Spring is Colorado can be harsh, and the third egg hatched late yesterday. As of this morning both parents were sitting on the nest together to protect their three small chicks from the snow!

-GRG

Update...

Finally finished another chapter of Ash Spear - figures on the sidebar as usual. A busy weekend, and I'm tired - perhaps I'll post more tomorrow. I still have to explain about the Great Expulsion of Mice...

-GRG