To read more of this journey,

go to:

Imogen Crest - Nature Hermit Travels,

Travelling with Enchanteur,

Lemuria.

These journeys are fun, intriguing, and often

life changing, creative adventures.

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

just a little Valentine I had a lot of fun putting together.

Strange things happen at Rainbow Beach.  Finally able to wrench

Faerie Wren away, sporting a big headache, across in the boat to

Old Woman Island.  The people on the island were so

friendly and welcoming, we were very pleased.  It

appeared our taking part in the local festivities

pleased them, so Faerie Wren was vindicated. 

We asked to see the old woman of the

island, and a guide told us she was sleeping in one of

the huts, and we were not to disturb her.  Yet, said the

guide, “the whole island is an old woman”, that the old Nature

Goddess of old covered the whole length and breadth

of it, and would keep us safe in the treacherous waters,

in place of the Old Woman.   We gave a gold coin

to the guide and were shown the way to the diving

point.  We had to wear our glasses underneath our

suits, so we could see what we were looking for,

the Triton of the Deep…

The conventional diving suit was perfect for use here in

the deep, but Faerie Wren had to morph into his fish

suit, as there were none for birds. 

He can be seen swimming above me, in orange, and

took to it like a duck to water.  So many beautiful colours

and sights to see.  We carefully avoided the deepest parts and

treacherous ledges we had been warned about…

The Triton was not easy to find.  We had to change our minds

about what we expected.  Entering a part of the deep that was

different, we suddenly noticed that everything was huge.  The

seaweed was large and waved around with the underground

currents.  There at the centre of it was a giant golden orange

casket or cave, and we could hear a whispery voice emit from

it.  We instinctively knew it was the home of the Triton.

We offered it a prayer for the good of the ocean life and the

mysteries of the undersea world, and pledged never to

harm the realms there.  This pleased the Triton, and

it sang us a song, in tune with some whale noises we

had heard before.  Faerie Wren was so enchanted he

curled a precious necklace of sea beads around the giant seaweed

that grew around the home of the Triton, and then

we returned to the island, with a blessing from the

enchanted deep…

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

Post Script:  These images are part of some senior school art assignments I did at the age of twelve or thirteen, using a watery theme technique on paper to create an undersea effect.  Little did I know that many years later, I would use these again, to be rewarded by a pleasing sense of nostalgia online.  These ideas are still relevant in the intensely technological years, which followed these early works at school, on paper.

Faerie Wren and I were overwhelmed at the sights, sounds and

riots of colour at Rainbow Beach, and the activity there…

and we joined in for the pageant.

There was so much water everywhere, we

wanted to show the beauty of rainbow

ice crystals with some

divine music,

from people living in other places…

relax and enjoy!

(Thanks to You Tube for the inspiring visuals for the journey!)

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

On Faerie Wren’s back I sighted Rainbow Beach,

but the name was deceiving, it was dawn, my eyes

were sleepy, and all I could see was the fertile

vegetation of the sea, but no colours.

I put my glasses on as we gradually came down

from the clouds, and saw something

wonderful and red, as the sun rose

and peeked through the clouds…

Getting out my tiny anchor, as we prepared to land

near this wonderful red flower, Faerie Wren was

telling me how auspicious Red Coral was, which was

also the name of this tree, with it’s luscious flowers,

just like coral of the sea. 

“Legend says Red Coral of the mineral kingdom provides

great healing and protection!  It’s cousin in the plant

kingdom is just the same, and welcomes us

on the journey…”

Faerie Wren added that myth told that the red coral of

the sea was once the land coral’s ancestor, explaining

with a tweet and a twitter that it had evolved,

using its own innate intelligence, to thrive onland.

I was rather sleepy, and a little dubious, intending

to think on it a bit more.  I didn’t know in this

land of magic, what was true and what was

Faerie Tale…

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

 After gathering with the other travellers in the Woods,

and paying homage to the Muses,

a strange portal appeared.  It was a postbox slot in

green, shimmering in the sun, covered

with ivy fig.  No sooner had I passed through

the small, narrow opening…

 …did a handsome faerie wren appear,

chirping and talking in a human voice.  “Come away,

fair maiden, come away…” it said, with a

whistle and a chirp, and bade me hop on

its back.  “You did want to fly, didn’t you?”

 So it was with travelling robes

and Enchanteur’s bag flying, 

I soared above the Woods, aloft in

the clear sky on the wren’s back.  The regulation glasses

made me see everything vividly, so I kept them on.

Even the familiar paths through the

Murmuring Woods looked different from high above.

Trust Enchanteur to make the journey interesting!

She never fails!   I had my anchor safely tucked

away for any necessary landing, however sudden.

It was not long before we would see Rainbow

Beach, said the wren, but that it would not

appear as I imagined…

On these journeys, nothing ever does!

– Imogen Crest, Travelling Nature Hermit.

(copyright Imogen Crest 2008.)

(Click for larger image.)

Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo…

It’s snowing in the Woods,
just snowing in the Woods,
What a glorious sight,
despite the frost bite.
I’m laughing out loud,
and dancing around,
The sun’s coming out
No shadows on the ground.

Let the blustery wind chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the snow!
There’s a smile on my face
As I skip down the lane
with a happy refrain
It’s snowing,
Snowing in the Woods!

Yeah,
Snowing in the Woods!
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I’m happy again!
I’m singing and dancing in the snow!
I’m dancing and singing in the snow…

Lyrics by DQ Jones
(Tune of “Singing In The Rain”)

Photos by Cheshire D Smith.

It’s snowing in the woods…

They’re always watching,

The Little People,

And you never know from where.

They laugh at us,

And with us.

They learn from us,

But teach us more

Than we can ever learn.

They’re there to comfort

When things go bad.

They’re always with us,

You can count on that. 

Vi Jones

©December 20, 2007