Boxes of photographs…

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Chris Goan

Michaela and I spent some time clearing out a room adjoining Williams room today- which was, and will become again, an en suite shower room. At present it is a junk room- boxes, off cuts of carpet, toys.

In the process of doing so we opened up three boxes that were still more or less unopened from when we moved into the house- 8 years ago. I am sure there is some kind of rule of thumb about throwing out anything that has lain unopened for so long.

But these boxes contained photographs- you remember those- rectangles of shiny paper with images on. What we used before we all had laptops and i phones and flash drives. Which, when you think about it, is not very long ago at all- we got our first digital camera (actually, Emily was the first in our family to have one) around 6-7 years ago. These days my camera is never very far away.

Nothing brings to you the passing of time like a box of old photographs of the life you have lived- the people you knew and the babies now grown.

I need to scan some- but for the moment, the picture above will have to do- my lovely Michaela and little Will taken about 9-10 years ago. During a different life- when we were English.

There were also photographs of this old house– before all the renovations we have undertaken. Why on earth did we buy it?

Photographs make me sad

They make me proud

They make me wistful

And they make me grateful

Andy’s images…

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Chris Goan

My old friend Andy Prosser has a new venture going at present- marketing photographs and images for commercial use.

If you are looking for photographs, or textured backgrounds, check out his account here– good value, high quality stuff. Some of them taken during a recent wilderness retreat.

Andy does youth and community work with Fusion and this is one of the things that will support some of the great things they do- so give it a try!

The one that got me…

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Chris Goan

I live in a beautiful place. Check out the lovely Visit Cowal site here if you do not believe me.

It is something I often take for granted (for which I ask forgiveness) but at other times, it hits me between the eyes. Today there is a storm raging in from the Atlantic, and the sea is being whipped into froth and spray- despite our relatively sheltered location.

The exuberant power of it is exhilarating, but also a little frightening.

Of course, the camera comes out at times like this.

Except this time, I wandered a little close to the surf, and suddenly found myself wet above the knees.

Oh deary me, I said.

This was the one that got me-

Navigation…

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Chris Goan

A few photos from the last week.

More rain here- missed another cricket match- due to be played at the wonderful Mount Stewart house on Bute. Whoever thought that cricket could be played in a West of Scotland climate?

A climate dominated of course, by the sea.

This ship sailed past our house the other day- like a ghost of memory. It is a training ship, the Stavros- which Emily is hoping to get a chance to sail on next year.

Forward a little, from the age of the square rigger to the age of the steam puffer- the ubiquitous water lorry of the Inner Hebrides until around the middle of the last century. Another ghost, seen here passing through the Kyles of Bute-

The sea has been cruel this week too. The storms roll in from the Atlantic. Who would be a sailor?

Apart from Emily that is…

Aoradh wilderness trip 2011- some photos…

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Chris Goan

Fantastic weekend!

The island was wonderful, very much exceeding my expectations. It was perhaps the smallest of our retreat destinations, but at the same time was packed full of delights-

Ancient monastic sites- church, beehive cells, a hermits cave.

Wildlife like you would not believe- otters, seabirds, seals, corncrakes. Nearby ospreys (seen on the return.) Also- a complete absence of ticks and midges!

Sun- three days with barely a cloud. Sure, it was windy, but mostly gloriously warm. Warm enough for diving into the sea for some of us!

We sat round fires, walked out meditations and laughed a lot.

It was wonderful.

Thanks to all of you that came along…

: Ancient cross carved into the wall of a hermits cave, Inner Hebrides

Spring…

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Chris Goan

Spring is yellow

A gorsal revolution

It spikes the eye

Spring is white

Dancing petals blossom

Soft like melting snow

Spring is green

The barren wood sprouts feral fingers

Clawing at the new light

I blinked…

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Chris Goan

I blinked

And the weekend

Went by

These days-

Like feathered things

Fly

Sabbath beach…

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Chris Goan

I have a confession.

For most of my life, I have spent most of Sundays in Church- all those high pressure mornings in some leadership role or other, often followed by reluctant evenings (even if they did turn out to be a real blessing.) But that is not my confession.

Rather it is this- for the past few weeks, I have spend Sunday mornings playing cricket.

It still makes me feel guilty though. Despite the fact that we do ‘church’ differently- we meet in the week, as well as other times.

But this is a chance to do something I enjoy along with my cricket mad son. It is a chance to connect with some other blokes, and to get some good exercise.

And Sunday, I remind myself, is about rest. And all those years of busyness- they were certainly not restful.

After the training session this morning, we went for a picnic- to a local beach out beyond Tighnabruach on the other side of the Cowal peninsular. The sun shone, it was almost warm, and the scenery was stunning.