I came late to your work and am already losing it! Your meditations and images create a world I have gotten to visit and learn from. Godspeed, whatever is next.
Thank you Jeffrey, there are sunbeams glancing through my kitchen window and though the air is fresh from a frosty beginning, the North wind is temporarily silent, it is a day to profit from a long winters walk!
Beautiful words Susie. Your observation and expression are both theraputic and wondrous. Liminal moments, devouring fog, calligraphy in trees. Those long, long wanders are a gift to the imagination and the soul.
Thank you Sìodhna - it makes me glad always to find another soul wanderer, there is so much that can be said and written in the good to be found in time spent outside, nature is so very curative. I wish you happy wanderings over the holidays - with love x
Thank you for reading dear Fotini, I can only whisper the prayers back that are whispered so often to me from the trees and the wind, the petals of the flowers and the bees that feed from their hearts… bless your beautiful soul for hearing. xx
Beautiful writing, inviting me to join you on those rarely trodden "paths formed by lifetimes of habit and landscape in communication"...
and a stunning photographic record of the slice of paradise you are sharing with your fierce sparrowhawk neighbour. Thank you for sharing your walks, Susie 🩵🙏 🪶
Veronica, Thank you so much for joining my wanderings on old paths and new, it is a joy to lose myself in the ancientness of this small paradise which I know you would appreciate also.
May your holiday, no matter how your celebrate, be filled with peace and wonder and love x💫x
Beautifully written with gorgeous photos that provide further description of your wanderings. Always love your posts with accompanying images. Wishing best over the holidays and look forward to a New Start in 2025. Love n Light SS. xoxo
Thank you for reading sweet soul, I know you too are so busy! I hope we can chat at the end of this week - enjoy the beautiful snow! with love and light back always! 🤍💫xx
Another stunning piece. Your imagery leaves me breathless and also, I must admit, feeling inadequate as I scrape together my words. But then again, as I've perhaps said before, we're not the same type of writer. And I have to tell myself that that's okay.
Betty I think there is always a great danger of finding ourselves inadequate when reading anything we love… I read yours and have kicked myself for not having had the same idea, what better excuse for travelling than writing about the places you visit, but I would never accomplish this as well as you do! So, yes, it is ok… better because we are each different and that is what makes the reading so interesting!
I wish you happy holidays too lovely lady - I hope your day is just as you wish it to be! xx
Thank you Susie. So very, very much. I loved this and wonder if it could be my favourite of the four.
I so wish I could send you some of the snow we have this morning, finally, it has cushioned all in silence and beauty.
Have a wonderful Christmas and festive season. Personally, I am so happy that the light will return, now, especially with the added wonder of snow. It feels right.
I shall be writing more about your walks soon, as I want to share them and the others in a different manner, probably as a pinned page, with an index and snippets from each. I don't like how they vanish into the substack Archive ether... For now, though, sending much love and thanks, I appreciate you, your words, your mind, and your photographs so much.
Alex, all thanks must go to you for inviting me to join you on this literary adventure, because it has been just that, despite my disorganisation in being ready in advance and avoiding the stress of posting when I wanted to! See imposed stress of course...
I wish you could send some snow, even if it only lasted for Christmas and Boxing Day, it would make them perfect even if everything else went wrong, (I have a long list of Christmas traumas in the kitchen under my belt) 😂.
I'm sending love and all good wishes to you and your lovely family for a wonderful Christmas filled with more than a little magic and plenty of laughter and of course good food! Enjoy.. 🥂
The wonder that you conjure so masterfully with your words, Susie, leaves me breathless and in awe. This is so beautifully written, I see the frost on your hill and feel the bitter kiss the North wind that visits, hear the sparrowhawk warning me not to linger and the Robin sing into the cold. What an utterly glorious tapestry you spin for us. Sending wishes for a cosy and warm holiday season, dearest Susie ❄️🤍🩵
Thank you dear Emily, for your always attentive reading and generosity in sharing and commenting. I am so very happy to know you here and truly hope that one day we may wander the hill together, though I have a feeling we may not concentrate so deeply on the landscape for talking non stop! It would be a delight no matter though... I send you and your family my love and very best wishes for a fabulous and not too dramatic Christmas Day with your loved ones... 💛💫🎶xxx
I'm about to board a flight to Perth, to be by the beach in the sunshine. But, as much as I love the sun and blue, your magical words of winter make me long for the crackle of a warm fire and to sit and have the view that you embrace with the hill and forest and animals.
Nathan, the embers are dying here now as we prepare for a well earned sleep after a mad mad day of Christmas preparations - why do we do it...? year in year out, I ask myself every year! I am exhausted... as I always am and honestly, your sunny beach in Perth sounds like utter bliss - enjoy!
I wish you a happy holiday and send my deep gratitude for all your wonderful support over the last year - thank you so much! 🙏🏼🤗
"A path is little more than a habit that comes with knowledge of a place." Love this Wendell Barry quote! When I look at your photos with his words in mind, I can see your knowledge - and love - of the places you've made paths.
Thank you Sarah, I love Wendall Berry’s note also, a favourite, although I have many! I wish only that I could carry my own knowledge deeper into the hill, over more paths and trails - it is a deep desire that may never be fulfilled but I will spend what is left of my life trying… and with pleasure!
I send you much gratitude for your always kind and observant comments, may your holidays be gentle and filled with joy! x
When I read your beautiful prelude to Winter’s Story, I knew I would have a part to play. As winter is my season.
I am a winter traveler, the time of year when my footsteps are entirely fleeting in the bounty of snow. Lulled by your gorgeous ‘wintered’ words , blowing across the top of a hill . I find myself shape shifting , landing on one of those well trodden paths deep in an enchanted forest. Grateful to feel a part of this wondrous journey through time and place. Witness scenes in photographs that act as a visual guide through your story. Thank you for the experience to allow me to share with you. ❄️🎄
Wendell Berry - The Art of the Commonplace ; like you, it seems I am a part of this poem too. We share the same “ritual”.
I am learning to love these winter scenes Lor, it has not been my habit to be joyous in this winter season but with age, I find there is, in the bleak and the cold, the wind and the rain (though I always pray for snow) much to sharpen the senses, to be amazed by, to love! That you feel a part of my winter story, being a seasoned lover, makes me smile hugely.
Words are being blown, too strongly and fiercely to catch hold of today, the icy blast is cruel, but as I watch the crows, ungainly in the buffeting blasts and an unusual black pheasant (a newcomer to my hill, that I would love to catch in a still image for you - he is glorious!) I am excited to be outside again, to feel the stinging on my face reminding me I’m alive - winter may have different ways, but they are bewitching ways… my thanks to you, wonderful winter soul🤍xx
Enrapturingly present and aware, truly glorious writing that keeps our minds awake, illustrated with phenomenal photography. Thank you for sharing this year with us.
I spend so much time also wandering, as you know, so reading your beautifully written observation land deep within my wandering soul. Absolutely wonderful Susie. Thanks
Thank you for reading this winters tale my wandering friend, so different from what your own would depict in snow covered landscapes and forests…
If only our wandering would pay a wage I would happily make it a full-time occupation! In French we are called ‘flâneurs’, tell me, what is the word in Swedish?
Ha! I love this :) Firstly, yes, being an wandering observer should be a well paid job! A proper wage for we wanderers!
So, as you well know my French speaking amie, there is quite often no direct translation of any word from one language to another, although weirdly enough the French word flâneurs actually derives from the Norse word "Flana", which apparently means to wander without purpose, which as we wanderers know is strange because there is always a purpose to wandering, even if that purpose is just to wander :)
I want to tell you a Swedish word that is positive about the flâneur lifestyle, but alas I can’t think of one, there’s always some negativity attached to the philosopher of the road. But there must be one because there is a tradition in Scandinavia of loving life for life sake, think of Tove Jansson’s character Snufkin in Moomintrol as the perfect example.
How strange you should mention Tove Janssens Moomintrols, my son and daughter and I were discussing these stories over supper tonight, I was explaining the etymology of the word… a delightful story “to deter the young Jansson from taking food from his pantry, the uncle told her that it was inhabited by "cold moomintrolls", which would come out of the corners and rub their noses against Jansson if she came to steal food.” which I’m sure you already knew but is one I have used to deter my son from sneaking into the pantry for years - it never worked but he loved it!
Flâneur means exactly that in French too, another coincidence, although here the word is now used more widely for all wandering souls whether they have purpose or not. I didn’t know its origins, and certainly never would have guessed but perhaps we can start a petition titled ‘wages for wanderers’ though…? ;-)
Love your words and how they meander like the paths Susie, love the Rachel Carson quote, love your photos despite the sadness of trees now gone. Love it all. Thank you! 💛
Huge thanks always Jo, I hope you have something wonderful planned for the holidays with your children - sending love from a very wet and windy hill this afternoon! 💛xx
"The cycle turns, lingers and moves on…' beautiful and evocative.
Many thanks Jan, I hope these holidays have been filled with peaceful and beautiful family moments chez toi - and happy in between days! X
I came late to your work and am already losing it! Your meditations and images create a world I have gotten to visit and learn from. Godspeed, whatever is next.
Thank you for being here and your very kind words Kelly, wishing you the blessings of 365 brand new beautiful days 💫
"When the North wind sleeps, there is silence." Beautiful, Susie. I wish you a winter of sleepy north winds!
Thank you Jeffrey, there are sunbeams glancing through my kitchen window and though the air is fresh from a frosty beginning, the North wind is temporarily silent, it is a day to profit from a long winters walk!
Beautiful words Susie. Your observation and expression are both theraputic and wondrous. Liminal moments, devouring fog, calligraphy in trees. Those long, long wanders are a gift to the imagination and the soul.
Thank you Sìodhna - it makes me glad always to find another soul wanderer, there is so much that can be said and written in the good to be found in time spent outside, nature is so very curative. I wish you happy wanderings over the holidays - with love x
Your words are like a prayer, Susie, to be whispered in the early morning winter silence that settles over the land. Thank you!
Thank you for reading dear Fotini, I can only whisper the prayers back that are whispered so often to me from the trees and the wind, the petals of the flowers and the bees that feed from their hearts… bless your beautiful soul for hearing. xx
Beautiful writing, inviting me to join you on those rarely trodden "paths formed by lifetimes of habit and landscape in communication"...
and a stunning photographic record of the slice of paradise you are sharing with your fierce sparrowhawk neighbour. Thank you for sharing your walks, Susie 🩵🙏 🪶
Veronica, Thank you so much for joining my wanderings on old paths and new, it is a joy to lose myself in the ancientness of this small paradise which I know you would appreciate also.
May your holiday, no matter how your celebrate, be filled with peace and wonder and love x💫x
Beautifully written with gorgeous photos that provide further description of your wanderings. Always love your posts with accompanying images. Wishing best over the holidays and look forward to a New Start in 2025. Love n Light SS. xoxo
Thank you for reading sweet soul, I know you too are so busy! I hope we can chat at the end of this week - enjoy the beautiful snow! with love and light back always! 🤍💫xx
Another stunning piece. Your imagery leaves me breathless and also, I must admit, feeling inadequate as I scrape together my words. But then again, as I've perhaps said before, we're not the same type of writer. And I have to tell myself that that's okay.
At any rate, have a wonderful holiday season!
Betty I think there is always a great danger of finding ourselves inadequate when reading anything we love… I read yours and have kicked myself for not having had the same idea, what better excuse for travelling than writing about the places you visit, but I would never accomplish this as well as you do! So, yes, it is ok… better because we are each different and that is what makes the reading so interesting!
I wish you happy holidays too lovely lady - I hope your day is just as you wish it to be! xx
Thank you Susie. So very, very much. I loved this and wonder if it could be my favourite of the four.
I so wish I could send you some of the snow we have this morning, finally, it has cushioned all in silence and beauty.
Have a wonderful Christmas and festive season. Personally, I am so happy that the light will return, now, especially with the added wonder of snow. It feels right.
I shall be writing more about your walks soon, as I want to share them and the others in a different manner, probably as a pinned page, with an index and snippets from each. I don't like how they vanish into the substack Archive ether... For now, though, sending much love and thanks, I appreciate you, your words, your mind, and your photographs so much.
Alex, all thanks must go to you for inviting me to join you on this literary adventure, because it has been just that, despite my disorganisation in being ready in advance and avoiding the stress of posting when I wanted to! See imposed stress of course...
I wish you could send some snow, even if it only lasted for Christmas and Boxing Day, it would make them perfect even if everything else went wrong, (I have a long list of Christmas traumas in the kitchen under my belt) 😂.
I'm sending love and all good wishes to you and your lovely family for a wonderful Christmas filled with more than a little magic and plenty of laughter and of course good food! Enjoy.. 🥂
The wonder that you conjure so masterfully with your words, Susie, leaves me breathless and in awe. This is so beautifully written, I see the frost on your hill and feel the bitter kiss the North wind that visits, hear the sparrowhawk warning me not to linger and the Robin sing into the cold. What an utterly glorious tapestry you spin for us. Sending wishes for a cosy and warm holiday season, dearest Susie ❄️🤍🩵
Thank you dear Emily, for your always attentive reading and generosity in sharing and commenting. I am so very happy to know you here and truly hope that one day we may wander the hill together, though I have a feeling we may not concentrate so deeply on the landscape for talking non stop! It would be a delight no matter though... I send you and your family my love and very best wishes for a fabulous and not too dramatic Christmas Day with your loved ones... 💛💫🎶xxx
I'm about to board a flight to Perth, to be by the beach in the sunshine. But, as much as I love the sun and blue, your magical words of winter make me long for the crackle of a warm fire and to sit and have the view that you embrace with the hill and forest and animals.
Nathan, the embers are dying here now as we prepare for a well earned sleep after a mad mad day of Christmas preparations - why do we do it...? year in year out, I ask myself every year! I am exhausted... as I always am and honestly, your sunny beach in Perth sounds like utter bliss - enjoy!
I wish you a happy holiday and send my deep gratitude for all your wonderful support over the last year - thank you so much! 🙏🏼🤗
And the same to you, Susie. I'm so grateful to have you as a reader and a writer!
Right back at you Nathan!
"A path is little more than a habit that comes with knowledge of a place." Love this Wendell Barry quote! When I look at your photos with his words in mind, I can see your knowledge - and love - of the places you've made paths.
Thank you Sarah, I love Wendall Berry’s note also, a favourite, although I have many! I wish only that I could carry my own knowledge deeper into the hill, over more paths and trails - it is a deep desire that may never be fulfilled but I will spend what is left of my life trying… and with pleasure!
I send you much gratitude for your always kind and observant comments, may your holidays be gentle and filled with joy! x
When I read your beautiful prelude to Winter’s Story, I knew I would have a part to play. As winter is my season.
I am a winter traveler, the time of year when my footsteps are entirely fleeting in the bounty of snow. Lulled by your gorgeous ‘wintered’ words , blowing across the top of a hill . I find myself shape shifting , landing on one of those well trodden paths deep in an enchanted forest. Grateful to feel a part of this wondrous journey through time and place. Witness scenes in photographs that act as a visual guide through your story. Thank you for the experience to allow me to share with you. ❄️🎄
Wendell Berry - The Art of the Commonplace ; like you, it seems I am a part of this poem too. We share the same “ritual”.
I am learning to love these winter scenes Lor, it has not been my habit to be joyous in this winter season but with age, I find there is, in the bleak and the cold, the wind and the rain (though I always pray for snow) much to sharpen the senses, to be amazed by, to love! That you feel a part of my winter story, being a seasoned lover, makes me smile hugely.
Words are being blown, too strongly and fiercely to catch hold of today, the icy blast is cruel, but as I watch the crows, ungainly in the buffeting blasts and an unusual black pheasant (a newcomer to my hill, that I would love to catch in a still image for you - he is glorious!) I am excited to be outside again, to feel the stinging on my face reminding me I’m alive - winter may have different ways, but they are bewitching ways… my thanks to you, wonderful winter soul🤍xx
Enrapturingly present and aware, truly glorious writing that keeps our minds awake, illustrated with phenomenal photography. Thank you for sharing this year with us.
Thank you again John, I am truly humbled by your generosity in sharing, reading and commenting so kindly.
It’s the least I can do. Work like yours deserves the largest possible audience.
Thank you, I wish you a beautiful and magical holiday John.
I spend so much time also wandering, as you know, so reading your beautifully written observation land deep within my wandering soul. Absolutely wonderful Susie. Thanks
Thank you for reading this winters tale my wandering friend, so different from what your own would depict in snow covered landscapes and forests…
If only our wandering would pay a wage I would happily make it a full-time occupation! In French we are called ‘flâneurs’, tell me, what is the word in Swedish?
Ha! I love this :) Firstly, yes, being an wandering observer should be a well paid job! A proper wage for we wanderers!
So, as you well know my French speaking amie, there is quite often no direct translation of any word from one language to another, although weirdly enough the French word flâneurs actually derives from the Norse word "Flana", which apparently means to wander without purpose, which as we wanderers know is strange because there is always a purpose to wandering, even if that purpose is just to wander :)
I want to tell you a Swedish word that is positive about the flâneur lifestyle, but alas I can’t think of one, there’s always some negativity attached to the philosopher of the road. But there must be one because there is a tradition in Scandinavia of loving life for life sake, think of Tove Jansson’s character Snufkin in Moomintrol as the perfect example.
How strange you should mention Tove Janssens Moomintrols, my son and daughter and I were discussing these stories over supper tonight, I was explaining the etymology of the word… a delightful story “to deter the young Jansson from taking food from his pantry, the uncle told her that it was inhabited by "cold moomintrolls", which would come out of the corners and rub their noses against Jansson if she came to steal food.” which I’m sure you already knew but is one I have used to deter my son from sneaking into the pantry for years - it never worked but he loved it!
Flâneur means exactly that in French too, another coincidence, although here the word is now used more widely for all wandering souls whether they have purpose or not. I didn’t know its origins, and certainly never would have guessed but perhaps we can start a petition titled ‘wages for wanderers’ though…? ;-)
Love your words and how they meander like the paths Susie, love the Rachel Carson quote, love your photos despite the sadness of trees now gone. Love it all. Thank you! 💛
Huge thanks always Jo, I hope you have something wonderful planned for the holidays with your children - sending love from a very wet and windy hill this afternoon! 💛xx