Saturday, 27 November 2010

Running with pheasant

One of the highlights for me this week was a beautiful run through the Oxfordshire countryside early one morning. I had been in a hotel for 2 days (Newfrontiers Wider Leaders) and needed to get out. The air was cold and crisp, the ground firm and frosty, thesun just coming up, the joints taking a while to move freely! As I ran close to a small copse 15 pheasant took flight. I don't know who was more scared - me or the pheasant. I have never seen so many pheasant at once and so close together. It was a wonderful moment.
Pheasant like being together and are sometimes fed by the land owner to keep them together in one place for a shoot.
I was reminded too of an occasion when William Blake, the poet, was observing a glorious sunrise with a friend. "What do you see?", Blake asked his friend - a merchant. "Gold, I see gold and lots of it." What about you, Blake?" asked his friend in reply."Glory. I see glory. The glory of God," was Blake's reply.
What do you see?

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