Pilgrim's Perch

…also known as ‘Daylight’s Gate’ – that period of the evening when daylight fades and twilight draws on…

At this time of the year an evening (or early morning) walk will reward you with some magical sky-sights. Clear sky and sun just below the horizon gift us with ‘The Blue Hour’.

The technical explanation has to do with the relative diffusibility of shorter wave lengths of light (the blue-er rays) as against the longer wavelengths (the red-er rays). During the blue hour red light passes out through space whilst the blue light scatters into the atmosphere and reaches the Earth’s surface. ‘Chappius absorbtion’ and its interaction with ozone also plays a part but if too much science makes your head spin, don’t worry. The important thing is to observe this wonderful phenomenon and just enjoy the effect and the dramatic views that can be seen.

If you enjoy photography then the Blue Hour is a wonderful time to experiment and let your imagination run free. In days gone by, when we had to use rolls of film, wait for them to be developed and returned – we might discover that perhaps we should have done something completely different (fine-tune the exposure, adjust the angle – you know the story.) And by the time we’re able to make corrections the blue hour window has passed and it’s all too late. The joy of using modern technology is that we get an instant result. Errors can be corrected right away – and by the end of our walk we’ll have a collection of wonderful ‘daylight gate’ mood photos to savour and enjoy.

I’ve just received a message from a friend ‘down-under’ who is looking forward to springtime and the opportunities it brings.

Here in the UK we’re well into autumn – a wonderful time of change and transformation as nature winds down after a full and active summer.

We might already be grieving for those long, warm summer days; now the days shorten and the evenings seem to darken so quickly.

But it is a good time to take stock. A new academic year has begun and many young people face new opportunities and new challenges. Just as we tidy our gardens, raking up leaves, pruning over-exuberant growth and, perhaps, planting bulbs for next spring, so it is a good time to check out what is going on in our own lives.

Are there areas that need review? Is it time to make a change? Take an evening class, try out a new exercise regime, make some changes to our diet or health regime? Or simply to be thankful for where we are, to enjoy it and make the most of it – for ourselves and those around us?

As the evenings lengthen and we spend more time indoors, consider reading a book, listening to a favourite piece of music or learning a poem. Don’t let the TV dominate; give social media a rest; have a face-to-face conversation without distraction.

As we pass the autumnal equinox, when the days and nights are of equal length, let the seasonal change happen. Here in the UK the clocks go back – the evening dark draws on rather quickly. But we can look forward to cold crisp days when walking can be bracing. We can enjoy the rain – many of us had little enough of it in the summer! Get outside whenever you can and sniff the air and feel the temperature. Relish the contrasts affecting all the senses and just enjoy…

And just remember, if you do find the idea of autumn and winter a little overpowering and dunting, just remember those words of Percy Bysshe Shelley in his poem ‘Ode to the West Wind’ –

… if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

‘And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.’

William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2, scene 1

Many years ago, a relation of mine was enjoying attending calligraphy classes. That Christmas we all received bookmarks, each one inscribed with a memorable phrase or anecdote.

Mine displayed this verse from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It. It seems to sum up my feelings about the world around me and in which we live. Once we get ‘off the beaten track,’ there is so much to discover and value; so much that can enhance our lives and our appreciation and understanding of the world in which we live.

Trees – listen to the sounds made by the wind as it passes through leaves, twigs and branches. Rattle, rustle. The soft whisper as a solitary leaf floats to the ground, released from its anchor at the end of the season, as autumn draws on, slumber settles on all growing things. 

Or in late spring, when the tree is in proud new leaf-flourish. A breeze plays through the leaves and makes them dance with hope, anticipation and expectation of the summer months to come.

Continue wandering through the trees and we might encounter a running brook. See how it ripples, trickles and wanders between pebbles, rocks, overhanging branches and undergrowth. Hear the different murmurings as it encounters obstacles on its way. What does it sing or whisper to you?

When in full spate the brook might proclaim joyfully – a chorus of bubbling, rushing, laughing jubilation.

Or, if the season is dry, it might be the merest trickle, creeping its way gently, lazily, sleepily.

Then, in the depths of winter we might find it frozen, paralysed in ice and frost. Strange shapes and structures caught in the act of motion and held captive until warmth should return.

Further on in our wandering – we may come across a stony beach, by river, lake or sea.

There’s a scrunch as we step onto the stony, pebbly surface. A scratchy scraping sound as one stone rubs against another. The uncertain footing – yes, it’s hard work walking in stones!

But pause for a moment and pick one up. Feel its weight, the state of its surface. Smooth? Rough? Abrasive? What colour is it? How does it feel as it sits in your hand? How many years has that stone seen? Was it washed up to that particular point one day, or has it been there forever? What stories might it tell…?

Returning from our walk, our ‘time out’, and having allowed ourselves to rest and reflect on simple things – things encountered so often we might take them for granted – we might then feel more able to perceive the ‘good in everything’ which can so enhance our lives and remind us of the joy, beauty and blessing there is to be had in so much around us.