Looking south over Badenoch, from Torr Alvie, near Aviemore
Torr Alvie is a wonderfully mysterious hill, rising up in the middle of the valley, covered in ancient natural forest (an open mix of birch, oak, beech, pine and juniper). The ‘easy side’ is a long southwards slope which catches the sun, with a great view towards the Glenfeshie hills.
The sky was particularly dramatic on this day a couple of weeks ago as late autumn afternoon starts to turn towards winter. I’m loving the hazy orange and purple colours over the distant hills.
“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”
– Rumi
“Around us, life bursts with miracles – a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there.”
– Thích Nhat Hanh