Just a few images of the amazing sweet, singing Labrador, Clancy, and the awesome scenery all around. I hope to explore the area and share more photos, but I'm so happy here I may hunker down and stay close to home. We'll see what happens!

I only had one day to spend in Edinburgh, but I got to tour the Real St. Mary's Close, which is basically a city under the city. They essentially chopped off the tops of all the buildings and built new ones right on top. Meanwhile, people still lived and worked in this subterranean-feeling "basement" city. Fascinating history!
Edinburgh Castle was impressive and the little narrow streets called "closes" held all sorts of secrets and mysteries.
One was The Writer's Museum which I really loved.
Steak and ale pie and tea at a fantastic pub, then back to celebrate the Full Moon on IT and Substack. Action packed day!

I still need to study up on this expedition and all that went along with it. I enjoyed the tour and found it fascinating to see how sailors lived 125 years ago aboard ship. Really cool last day in Dundee.

I can see how this vibrant city will come alive on summer nights. Lots of people with their dogs and kids, live music in the park. World famous donuts... Dundee and the McManus Museum are wonderful!

This is the attraction that brought me to Manchester.

Built in the 1400’s, it started as a baron’s home, then became a seminary for priests, got switched back and forth between Catholic and Protestant uses a few times, depending on the religion of the king or queen of the time.
Humphrey Chetham was a very wealthy businessman who tried to purchase the property but couldn’t manage it in his lifetime. His estate purchased it after his death and created a school to educate poor boys. The library came later, as the scholars of the time attended school at Oxford, but had no means of continuing to study when they returned home to the North.
I was reminded of how knowledge, information and education have been kept from "ordinary" people and reserved for rich men of high status. It's better today, but this oppression still exists.
Chetham believed that education was the answer to poverty and decreed that a school be created for poor boys. Only those born in wedlock and never girls....

The closest "green space", where we can find quiet, grass and trees, is a giant cemetery right next door, so Barron and I walk there a lot. We've also been to Chorlton Park and Mersey River. I ventured out for excursions on my own to wander the neighborhood and one day took buses and trams to nearby Altrincham, a darling market town. Manchester UK so far.

While working on my 2025 Vision Board, I happened upon this collection of photos from the last decade. Rituals, readings, altars, ritual elements. I found this really beautiful and wanted to share. Maybe you'll be inspired in your own spiritual practice. Loving the beauty and freshness of a new calendar year! Happy 2025!

I never got around to sharing the photos from one of my walks along the Thames, and it felt like these two journeys could go together.

There is a darkness to the winter here, sometimes that feels like more than the scarcity of sunlight.

The first part of this video is of the River Mersey here in Manchester on December 27. We see many people out walking and being together despite the gloom and damp. All of humanity making the best of what is?

Then we switch to the River Thames and a segment of Oxford, a short walk from an affluent neighborhood. People here are living in boats or in makeshift tents in the woods.

It's a lot to think about and a further reason to be grateful for what we may take for granted. Shelter, food, health, love...

This is a very random video, from a late-blooming rose on my way out of Oxford, to the darling little Cockapoos who were my special friends in Royal Leamington Spa, along with two sweet kitties. I didn't manage to explore much of Leamington Spa but we did find a wonderful old cemetery. I love roaming these, especially in Northern England, and I always have my eye out for a family name; Brock, Howard, Osborne.... Foster. I haven't seen any yet, but you never know.
Now I'm in Manchester with this super sweet old guy, Barron. He is a Podenco rescue from Spain and super sweet. He reminds me of a young deer! We're settled in for a long winter visit. Happy Holidays 2024!

My stay in Oxford is short, but full of wonder. My temporary home is right on the River Thames, gorgeous. Oxford is lovely and diverse, and the museums are incredible. The Museum of Natural History is touched on here, and I tried to capture the vast knowledge included in the Pitt Rivers Museum. This is a must see for any adventurer! As soon as I entered, I realized that I know almost nothing, in comparison to all there is to know. And of course, my sweet charges. Loving cats, thriving in their river home.

My new friend Franny takes me somewhere new at least once a week. This day, we went to Grange Over Sands, a fabulous, Victorian era seaside village. Then had drinks with friends at a local pub in Silverdale called Woody's (short for The Woodlands.) Bertie and I stopped into the Wheatsheaf Pub on our street for a British ale and some company on a rainy Sunday. Rural Britain is wonderful!
British beer isn't actually "warm" I learned. It's just not chilled. So, coming from a cold cellar, it's not close to warm. Quite nice actually.

The forecast was calling for snow so we stayed nearby and visited friends around the village of Silverdale. In all of these villages, there are beautiful, ancient forest walks just outside the door. It was a magnificent day.

Bertie and I hopped on the bus, not knowing where it was going, and made our way to Kendal. We discovered these amazing remains! From here the rulers in the castle could see forever in every direction. Such beauty! It was a wonderful day wandering the town and ruins and waiting for the bus home.

Right behind my temporary home in Skjervøy there's a mountain. I found a trail to get up there and then discovered so much wonder. Breathtaking views, vibrant foliage, stunning rock formations. The photos don't capture the incredible feeling of this steep climb. Not literally rock climbing but some very very steep paths. Amazing!

To see the sunrise, I hiked about 25 minutes to the shoreline on the beautiful island of Skjervøy, Norway. This was an amazing way to start the day, seated on ancient stones and witnessing the birth of a brand new day.

My strategy in a new place is to pick a destination and see what I discover along the way. This day, I chose the bridge that connects Skjervøy to the big island of Kågen. Maybe I'll cross over one day, but I discovered this magical beach and spent my time there instead. It was also the day before the new moon, so I drew the tarot cards for the Corn Moon. Magic.

If I ever go to Vienna again, I will buy a month-long pass and visit for a few hours daily! It would take that to see all that they have there. It's one of the oldest research museums and they are still documenting the history of the earth and its inhabitants. Fascinating!

Momo is from India and my charge for my stay in Kaisermuhlen, Vienna, Austria. The Danube is beautiful and the citizens take full advantage. There are always safe, designated paths for walking and biking all over Vienna. These were wonderful first days!

I had the honor of attending a beautiful retreat in Slane, Ireland, celebrating our sovereignty with the Sovereignty Goddesses of Ireland. There aren't any images of the sacred sites. We were constantly engaged in ceremony and retrospection. And it turns out that taking photographs may not be the most reverent way of behaving at these cherished sites. It's still a beautiful video, so enjoy!

My friend and fellow Meditation Teacher Treacy O'Connor swims in the Irish Sea every day, all year round! I couldn't get in above my chest, but I still had a lovely time in this magical place.

My favorite places are away from roads, cars, and people, and the shore along Schull did not disappoint. Ireland cares for its natural places, and this was a magical day. The beautiful, ancient cemetery was a wonderful discovery.

I stayed for a month or so with a darling Tabby named Hatshe and had an entire troupe of cats to see in the back yard. The village was wonderful with live music all the time. The beach at Schull was just a short bus ride away. Wonderful time!

While staying in Ballydehob, I wandered over to the neighboring town of Schull. I saw lots of beautiful people, especially men! It turns out they were having a film festival. Schull, Ireland has lots of festivals, great dining, shopping, and natural beauty. This is the "in-town" day.

I flew into Dublin, stayed at an Airbnb, flew to Manchester, UK to rent a car, came back to Dublin on the ferry for one more night at the Airbnb. All this to avoid getting a credit card to rent a car in Dublin! My first time driving on the left was hilarious and terrifying.
These are the unwise plans I no longer make being a more seasoned traveler. :-). You can read the whole story on the blog.

I spent a couple of days wandering the city of Cusco on my way out of Peru. I had a manicure and pedicure and LOVED the fancy jackets worn by the dogs at the nail salon. I also had some lovely meals and enjoyed the city. There are dogs EVERYWHERE in Peru, and they fascinate me.

While Machu Picchu is the famous sacred site in Peru, I found more magic just wandering the wilderness. These ancient ruins were found on a path right outside the door of my Airbnb in Urubamba. Uncultivated and unrestored, they were left as they were, with all of the energy of their past residents still resonating. So beautiful!

Just a short bus ride from Urubamba is the darling little town and archaeological site at Ollantaytambo. I wandered away from the most popular routes and found myself all alone among the less manicured ruins. I spent time in meditation here, feeling the harmony that the former residents had with the earth. Magical and sacred. Holy and divine.

The "city" was not for me, so I made my way to Urubamba and settled into a beautiful little Airbnb. Shopping, exploring the town, SO many dogs and new fruits. I loved my time here.

This darling business processes cacao magic for the whole world and is run by the most beautiful family I've ever met. This was the perfect first home on my world-wide quest.