· stillpoint ·

At this time of year it's good to remember that bare branches are one of winter's many gifts.     Spring’s hopeful unfurling, summer’s rich fullness and autumn’s treasured passing are all echoed in the seasons of our lives, and so is winter’s unveiling.   This too is gift.    Walking along the side of the canal the branches are outlined clear and stark against the water, no place to hide, the early winter sun turning the still water into a glimmer with a hint of gold.   Then we see him, the still point around which the universe moves, intent, looking at the water, poised, ready, his incandescent blue like a hidden sapphire.    It is SO easy to miss kingfishers, even in winter.   Their very stillness makes them almost impossible to see.   At least in winter if we stop and look carefully and patiently in the right places we may have a chance.   Their darting flight is so brief, sudden and unpredictable we just catch a flash out of the corner of our eye.   We stop in our str