2018: Reflections through the Seasons

  • blue whippet in a winter jacket on snow covered path with trees and viewpoint shelter overlooking the water
  • black whippet in wintercoat on the beach with snow covered mountains across the water
  • two whippets in winter jackets playing in the snow
  • two whippets in winter jackets running in the snow
  • blue whippet in pink fleece snuggled up with sleeping back whippet in red fleece
  • snow covered mountain seen from the forest glen
  • blue whippet in winter jacket walking on frozen shallows
  • snow-covered shoreline with high rolling waves and a snow shower across the water
  • two whippets in winter jackets running on the beach
  • blue whippet in winter jacket shaking water off a pink ball
  • a cormorant on a pole watching seals bask in the sun

As we near the end of 2018 we are reflecting on a very special year, both in terms of gratitude for the people we have known and lost, and in gratitude for the love of those who are still with us.

The first months of the year were colder than normal and even the beaches saw ice and snow. Eivor and Pearl enjoyed running in the snow and were happy to snuggle up in front of the fire when we returned home.

On a relatively mild day near the end of January I wrote ‘When Nature Gives us Poems‘, a poem that became the most popular post created on this blog during 2018. An edited version of the poem appears in our book, Sharing Our Horizon, alongside the photograph of the cormorant and seals you can see in the collage above.

  • two whippets on the beach at low tide
  • two whippets playing on the beach
  • black whippet in black harness looking to his right on a forest trail
  • nesting box in pine forest around Loch Deo
  • blue whippet in a purple harness beside heather
  • mountain view of a loch and mountains beyond the pine trees

Our Spring was warm, in so many ways. It was lovely to walk in the hills and mountains again, breathe in the scent of pine. The beaches were still empty, with plenty of time to run and play or pause to meditate, enjoy the silence.

‘Happy Place‘ became our most popular post in the Spring. Little did I know when I created the post, what a happy place it turned out to be. The cold Winter had just left us and the long-lasting heatwave of Summer was still a month or so away.

  • two whippets playing with a green and black ball on the beach
  • Cove Bay at low tide under a blue sky seen from the West
  • two whippets running on wet tidal sands, having fun
  • smiling blue whippet running through a tidal lagoon
  • black whippet leaping through a tidal lagoon towards seaweed-covered rocks
  • a blue damselfly resting on young heather
  • blue whippet running down a forest trail
  • a salmon leaping against the flow near the top of a powerful waterfall
  • the river Shin flowing through Achany Forest
  • black whippet leaping across the sands with a green ball in his mouth

Our Summer was the hottest we have ever experienced since moving to the Highlands. The heatwave saw wide open beaches with a sea that was retreating further and further away. The rivers were running low, some of the lochs ran dry. There were many forest fires. We found our shade in the forests of the North, a few rivers still sparkling with water. We saw salmon leap. We saw Eivor leap. ‘Toys‘ became one of the most popular posts in the Summer.

  • two whippets in winter jackets on forest trail with golden ferns
  • sunlight beaming through the trees in a forest with autumn leaves
  • a black whippet standing in an autumnal forest, eyes and ears alert
  • a black whippet approaching a large wooden bear sculpture in the Autumn forest at Raven's Rock Gorge
  • a blue whippet in a purple harness and a pink and black collar standing on a forest trail
  • looking East across Lochan Mor towards the mountains with yellow and golden birch along the shore
  • the hunter's moon of 25 October 2018 in the night sky
  • rear view of a black whippet on a beach transformed by the wind
  • two whippets in winter jackets walking up a forest trail in autumn colours
  • Lochan Mor in autumn colours with fading reeds and lily pads
  • two whippets in winter jackets and three people silhouetted against the setting sun on the shoreline
  • two whippets dancing on the tidal sands
  • close up shot of a black whippet in a maroon and grey winter jacket on a forest trail, smiling at the camera
  • view over Loch Morlich and the hills beyond seen from high up the mountain trail with two whippets in winter jackets

We were blessed with the most beautiful Autumn colours along the shores, in the forests and in the mountains. Early October also saw the publication of Sharing Our Horizon, our first collection of poems and photographs especially created to help raise funds for animal rehoming shelters. Our post ‘Our Book is Here‘ was the most popular post we created during the Autumn months and the second most popular post created on our blog during 2018. A very big thank you to everyone who helped to share the news, bought the book and posted a review.

Autumn also saw a very powerful Hunter’s Moon, sparkling in a clear night sky. When we walked towards the beach the following morning it looked like a ‘Moonscape‘.

Our new Winter has just begun. We enjoyed a mild Christmas with family and friends and look forward to what the new year has in store.

A big thank you to all our followers and blogging friends for your love and support during the year.

May your New Year be filled with peace and blessings.

  • two whippets in maroon winter jackets walking towards each other on the edge of a tidal lagoon
  • two whippets in maroon winter jackets leaping towards each other on the edge of a tidal lagoon

For our first annual review on our sister blog Tranature please click here.

With love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #25: Reflections

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #26: Photographic Review of 2018

Dutch Goes the Photo Tuesday Photo Challenge: Cold and Warm

Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her adopted and fostered whippets.

70 thoughts on “2018: Reflections through the Seasons”

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Anita and Eivor and Pearl say thank you for the hugs too! 💜 We wish you a blessed New Year and much love to you and Mimi from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx

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  2. What a grand wrap for the year of your adopted dogs. Thank you for sharing the horizons of Scotland. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vancouver, Canada.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Martha 💜 So happy to hear Dusty and Bear are enjoying your walks in the snow, we hope the fresh powder will keep on falling! 🙂⛄ Much love to you all from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx

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  4. What a lovely retrospective, beautifully illustrated.
    Thank you for continuing to bring us the beauty of the Highlands, the dogs, and a life filled with poetry.
    May peace find you and keep you throughout the New Year.

    Paz

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Paz and for sharing your beautiful words and meditations with us through your images and words. Wishing you and your family a blessed new year and may peace always find you too 🤗🐾💖🐾

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Steph and for sharing your beautiful photographs and stories with us too. We wish you a very happy New Year and magical travels and adventures in your new van! 🤗💖🍀 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words 💜 We feel truly blessed to be surrounded by all this natural beauty and are very grateful that Eivor and Pearl have adopted us too! Thank you for stopping by and we wish you and your family a blessed New Year 🤗🐾💖🐾

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and your support dear Na’ama 💜 May the New Year bring many blessings, peace and understanding and a new wave of compassion among the leaders of this world 💜🕊 We wish you and your loved ones a fabulous 2019, may all your light continue to shine brightly 🤗💖🌞 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Helen, we hope you’ll enjoy reading the post about this lovely team effort 🙂💖🐕 We wish you and Dylan a blessed and happy New Year and a beautiful time with your family in Sweden 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and good wishes dear Cathy, hope you are enjoying your holidays! 🙂💜🎄Wishing you a blessed, healthy, happy and peaceful New Year and much love to you and Finn from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾🍀 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and your support dear Laurie 💜 and many congratulations with the publication of Library Lost too! 🎈🎉 We hope you are enjoying your holidays and wish you and your loved ones a blessed and happy New Year 🤗💖🍀 xxx

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  15. What a beautiful photo collage and recap of 2018, Xenia. I really enjoyed how you captured your past year through the seasons and your action shots are my favorite! As always, it brings a smile to my face to see Eivor and Pearl’s happiness.

    Happy holidays to you all and a fantastic 2019 full of gratitude, inspiring walks, beautiful poems and many dogs saved and finding new homes! Xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and good wishes dear Liesbet 💜 We wish you and Mark a blessed, happy and creative New Year and yes, may many more dogs be saved and find their happy forever homes and may many more people make adoption their first option 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx

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  17. Pingback: Our First Year in Review – Tranature

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Amy and for your part in hosting the Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenges 💜 A blessed and happy New Year to you too from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your good wishes dear Charlee and Chaplin, we just found your greetings hiding in the spam folder. A blessed and very happy New Year to you all!
      🤗🐾💖🐾

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  20. What a fabulous review of your year Xenia – and I must admit I’d missed your post about the book which looks marvelous. Good for you for donating the profits! It seems your year was picture perfect (except perhaps for the summer weather travails). I love the way you’ve illustrated it. All the best to you and yours in the coming year.

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  23. This is one of beautiful blog that I follow… I love your little amazing friends… and I love your poetical touches, and sure, your photography, great captures like an art. Thank you, Happy New Year dear Xenia, Love, nia

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  26. Pingback: Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 140 – Dutch goes the Photo!

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