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.
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.
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.
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.
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
What a fabulous reflection of the past year. I too have so enjoyed you pictures and look forward to more for the coming year. Hug the babies for me and have a great new year.
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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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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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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Perpetua, we wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year too 🤗🐾💖🐾
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So beautiful. If Dusty and Bear could see colors and things in two dimensions, they’d agree. We just had a walk in about 4 inches of fresh powder and it’s still falling. We are all very happy. ❤
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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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❤
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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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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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Happy New Year to you, Xenia, and thank you for your lovely photos and poems. Much appreciated!
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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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Thank you, Xenia. The van is getting a new battery today, our cold snap took it out.
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🙂💕 xxx
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Wow, wonderful pics, you live in a beautiful place and the whippets are so joyful, how lucky they are to have been adopted by you.
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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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Lovely reflections of the year…hope you have a safe and happy New Year!
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Thank you so much for your kind words and your support dear friends 💜 A blessed and happy New Year to you, Lily and all the family from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾🍀 xxx
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What a lovely romp through 2018! Thank you for taking us along — through the year as well as in this summary now! 🙂 May it be a fabulous and blessed year to y’all! Na’ama
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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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Amen to that re: leadership in the world and the many improvements that can be done there … Also, thank you for the lovely blessing! xoxo Na’ama
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🙂💕 xxx
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Wonderful pictures! I was so busy with work this autumn that I had missed the post of your book…now will go back and read it. Dylan and I wish you all a Happy New Year ❤
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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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Happy New Year to you, Xenia, and Eivor and Pearl. Wishing you all a fabulous 2019!
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Thank you so much for all your good wishes and support dear Lois 💜 A blessed and happy New Year to you, Parker and Piper from all of us here too! 🤗💖🐈🍀 xxx
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What a gorgeous collection, Xenia! All the best to you and your loved ones in 2019.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Patti and for hosting this lovely challenge 💜 Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and happy New Year too 🤗💖🍀 xxx
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A fabulous look back with lovely reminiscences and photos 💕 All best wishes for a healthy, happy and peaceful 2019 🤗 Much love to you all xxx
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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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Thank you 🤗❤️🐕xxx
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A beautiful year and a very special one with the publication of your book. Congrats, congrats!
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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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Wow so wonderful, beautiful Pictures! 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Annica 🙂🐾💖🐾 xxx
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🙂 ❤
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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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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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What a beautiful re-visit. May you have many Blessings in the New Year
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Thank you dear Maureen 💜 Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and happy New Year too and please give Bertie a big pat from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx
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Love and tail-wags from Bertie
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Thank you Bertie! 🙂💖🐕 xxx
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A beautiful reflection through your words and photos. A very happy year!
Wish you the best for 2019. 💗xxx💖
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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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Charlee: “Merry Christmas, a little bit late!”
Chaplin: “And Happy New Year, a little bit early!”
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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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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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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Tina, all the best to you and your loved ones too from all of us here 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx
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What a lovely reflection Xenia! Wishing you all a lovely new year!! xx
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Amy 💜 A blessed and happy New Year to you and your loved ones too from all of us here 🤗💖🕊 xxx
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Beautiful! Happy New Year Xenia… Your posts are most inspiring!
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Dwight, a blessed and happy New Year to you and your loved ones too 🤗💜🕊
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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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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Nia and for sharing your beautiful photographs and words with us too. May this year bring you and your family peace, joy and many blessings 🤗💖🕊 xxx
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May You And Your Family And
Dogs Without Instructions
THRiVE IN Home
to: Live From:
Free MoRE iN HoME
NoW Xenia Happy
New Year to You
And YourS Now..:)
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Thank you dear Fred, a very happy New Year to you too from all of us here! 🤗🐾💖🐾
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SMiLes… thanks and the same to you my
FriEnd Again..:)
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🙂💖🙋♀️
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🙌🕺🙌
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Lovely glimpses. I wish you and your dancing whippets a most excellent year.
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Thank you so much for your kind words and good wishes dear Manja, a blessed and happy New Year to you too! 🤗🐾💖🐾
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Gorgeous snaps these are, Xenia 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Hammad 🙂
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Ah! what a lovely gellery of 2018. Have a great year 2019.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Rupali, a blessed and very happy 2019 to you too! 🤗💖🕊 xxx
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Thank you Xenia.
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What a beautiful year…I’m reminded why I enjoy spending time in your world, it’s a peaceful, joyful place and I’m so glad you share it with us all!
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Kim, so happy to share these moments and spread a little joy 🤗🐾💖🐾 xxx
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We are truly blessed…
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