30/01/2012 by admin.

Bird watchers in America are reporting a mass exodus of snowy owls from Arctic into the lower 48 states. The beautiful birds have been seen from coast to coast in a southern migration described as unbelievable by the owl research institute. The migration has baffled the experts with no logical explanation coming to the fore.

Snowy owls have been in the limelight for a number of years due to Harry Potter’s pet Hedwig, but we think this is real magic. The opening scene of our novel includes a white owl flying over the head of Ben Whittenbury as a prelude to all that follows, empowering him with the support of a hidden force - the Earth spirit or a divine creator - to serve as Nature’s Champion. This is deep magic and humanity neglects this sign at its peril.  Time for Bob Marley..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWw_gP0vDfE 

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

13/10/2010 by admin.

‘Mision cumplida Chile’ was the sign held up by the rescue workers after they returned 33 trapped miners to the surface. ‘ means in English ‘Mission accomplished Chile!’

The world watched in joyful awe and wonder amid suspense and jubiliance the miners returned to life to be greeted by loved ones. Each had their own stories to tell and reacted in their own personal way to being rescued.  The miners survived underground for a record 68 to 69 days.  As one story put it the miners claimed, “A deep religious faith powered this rescue; miners, rescuers and families alike believe their prayers were answered.”  The Chilean president declared the rescue a miracle.

Our previous item on the event captured the links with The Haymakers Survey - essentially about living in a cave and the biblical conclusion ‘ out of the depths I cried unto the’.  There are some other coincidences…

The second miner to be rescued brought rocks to the surface as momentoes: our novel refers to the magical stones and the biblical reference ‘I tell you with these stones I can raise children’.

Whilst another miner asked when he got to the surface, ”how the’s dog?’” we wonder if this was in reality a testament to Malachi -our messenger.  

It leads us to conclude that the whole episode is a message to humanity - that we can achieve great things together against all odds and that there’s a task to be done - to take proper care of this fragile Earth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGecqHnN2gQ

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q69 Do you put off to tomorrow what you could do today?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q50 Do you miss someone you love?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

04/08/2010 by admin.

On 1 August we launched online the second novel in The Haymakers Survey trilogy. It’s called ‘Uncle John’s Notebook - Earth Story’. http://watchthehaymakerssurvey.co.uk/ 

We’re tickled by a curious coincidence. On the same day a rare solar storm occured.

The event was witnessed by astronomers worldwide. A huge flare burst out above a sunspot the size of the Earth.  The explosion caused a coronal mass ejection aimed directly at this planet. Experts said the CME would hit the Earth around 3 and 4 August sparking spectacular displays of the aurora.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4HVKrzsbs

Dr Lucie Green of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory has been following the flare-ups. She said, “What wonderful fireworks the Sun has been producing”.  Maybe Mother Nature is celebrating the launch of the online serialisation of our second novel?

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

07/02/2010 by admin.

We have another remarkable coincidence to report where life is imitating events in our novel.  On 7 February 1823, Charles Lamb’s journal records ‘a magnificant deep white snow’ to fall that helps demonstrate the true majesty of Yggdrasil (pages 374-378) and the diversity of life - represented by the difference between each and every snowflake, the 12 snow angels and the 3 hearts to appear in the snow at the points of an equilateral triangle.

On the same date, we look across the Atlantic and find the East coast of America has experienced ‘Smowmaggedon’ through the heaviest snowfall in some 100 years! Unsurprisingly the East coast was home to a couple of the Blakesware Set - Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau. Most poignant! We’d better take better care of our planet.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YitaEluvmaM

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q53 Do you prefer to keep warm?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

13/01/2010 by admin.

Our intention was to conclude the Watch at end 2009. However, events in Haiti have made us think again. On 8 November 2009, we covered a story about Lucy Jones a seismologist at the US Geological Survey and our anxiety about her working for an organisation looking at Earthquake prediction evaluation.  http://watch.thehaymakerssurvey.com/2009/11/08/x-factor-lucies-cruel-farewell/ 

Just 2 months after our story, we now have a state of emergency in Haiti. On January 12,  Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the country’s most severe earthquake in over 200 years. Widespread damage resulted from the quake, with a majority of buildings collapsing due to poor structural design and construction. The capital city was devastated and up to some 100,000 people are feared dead.

Normally we would put the earthquake down as an entirely natural occurance, but the timining is odd given the phonetics of the country’s name: Haiti sounds like it begins with the word HAY probably the only country in the world with such phonetics. Did we somehow anticipate the disaster?

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It has been struck by multiple hurricanes, causing flooding and widespread damage, most recently in 2008 from Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav. This prompted Miami herald journalist Leonard Pitts, Jr., to ask “if the planet itself is not conspiring against this humble little nation”.

Haiti was once lush; less than 100 years ago 60% of its original forest covered the lands and mountainous regions. Since then, an estimated 98% of its original forest cover had been cut down, and in the process has destroyed fertile farmland soils, contributing to desertification. It is now extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. In addition to soild erosion, deforestation has caused periodic flooding, as seen on 17 September 2004. tropical storm Jeanne skimmed the north coast of Haiti, leaving 3,006 people dead in flooding and mudslides. Earlier that year in May, floods killed over 3,000 people on Haiti’s southern border with the Dominican Republic.

We do not in any way wish to be disrespectful to the victims in this horrific event and our deepest sympathies go to all concerned. We wish the people of Haiti well as they struggle to respond to the crisis. A huge interrnational aid effort is underway and we have already made our own donation. As their moto says ‘Strength is Unity’ - a lesson for all humanity perhaps.

Posted in Q62 Have you ever helped the poor?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

24/09/2009 by admin.

Terry Herbert, an amateur metal detector, has found the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered. The harvest of over 1,500 pieces of treasure included weapons, coins, helmet decorations and Christian crosses. The first scraps of gold were found by Terry in July with the last pieces removed by a small army of volunteers a couple of weeks ago.  The hoard is believed to have been in the ground for some 1,300 years and has been declared treasure by coroners with a monetary value of £1m.

Its a magical discovery and we ask, did we foresee it? Page 212 of our novel tells of Bill Darvill’s search for ancient treasure using a metal detector and how he paused now and then to dig the soil of an open field to hunt for gold. It was the prelude to the discovery of Charles Lamb’s journal (page 214). Here’s an extract:

“Legs astride, the metal detector swung too and fro in his [Bill’s] hands like a hypnotic pendulum…. [He] witnessed the heavy clunck as Jonas’ spade struck something buried within the soil. [He] also heard Sarah’s excited shriek, “Yes we’ve found the treasure”.

In response Malachi says, “Open your heart, we’ve got to change. There’s still a chance for us.” He adds in Latin (page 215) “Multorum minibus magnum levator onus” which means “By the hands of many a great load is lightened.”  His words have extra poignancy given a Latin inscription in a strip of gold amongst the Staffordshire hoard which translates in “Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and they that hate the be dispersed.”

Could it be that the discovery is a timely reminder that we need to work together to salvage the real treasure - the diversity and ecology of the majestic and miraculous planet we inhabit?

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »

23/09/2009 by admin.

Yesterday we published a promotional video which included a RED ALERT warning.  It’s why a red top was worn as symbolism!

Well, well, well. This morning residents of Sydney, Australia were greeted by an epic unprecedented red dust storm causing widespread disruption.  Dust storms are common in the country but nothing on this scale has been witnessed by those alive today. The dust cloud was some 400 miles long and travelled over 1,000 miles down Australia’s east coast. It was formed from dust whipped up in the dried out basin of Lake Eyre. 

Health hazards aside residents were in awe of the spectacle. Comments included, “The sky was bathed in a red hue…. it was like waking up to see Armageddon… it was the weirdest thing I’d ever seen, like waking up on Mars.” So has Mother Nature confirmed that we are on Red Alert?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-s0nENyQ4w

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

22/09/2009 by admin.

In celebration of the Autumn Equinox - an event significant in our project - we’ve put together a promotional video, which is featured below.  

Sky TV and You Tube are running competitions for video entries to inspire and engage the world on the issues.  We could use the video as an entry but it may be judged a commercial activity (which it isn’t as we make no money from the project) or the mention of our website could disallow it.   These are fundamental parts of our project - we’re tempted to ‘break the rules’ but will have to tinker! Oh these things are so difficult sometimes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xbcG5bphlk

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

14/09/2009 by admin.

Today we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Peter Scott, proclaimed by some as the ’Patron Saint of Conservation’.  Sir Peter led a remarkable life and, amongst his many achievements and talents he was one of the founder members of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and designed the organisation’s famous Panda logo. 

It’s yet another example of an anniversary linked to our project - perhaps the most wonderful of all! Sir Peter was a born leader and communicator, he inspired the world to treasure its wildlife long before environmental groups were established. We’re so thrilled that the anniversary of his birth should occur during the period of our Watch as Sir Peter has a cameo role in our story - making a spontaneous visit to Keeper’s Cottage to wish us well on our venture, especially Ben in his self-appointed role as Nature’s Champion! 

In Gloucestershire, there’s a celebration of his paintings in a ’Nature in Art’ Exhibition. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4lkKcHiJQ0&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

12/04/2009 by admin.

“Be proud of your faith!” These were the words of Archbishop Vincent Nichols the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church spoken on a day of hope and renewal for Christians the world over.  His Easter message was especially interesting to Julia given Lucy Ebbs’ words to her through dreams recorded in our novel (eg see page 65), ”I need to tell you - you hold the key.  You must never break faith Julia. Can you promise me that?”

How curious then that the new archbishop said, “Be proud of your faith and don’t be afraid to live by it and act on it and be as deeply as rooted as you can in that faith and as open to the world as you can. We all need to take a bit more time to live life a bit more deeply, with a bit more reflection, a bit more spirit. We are so rushed.”

Readers of our novel will be familiar with the importance of the word, “rush” as part of an anagram key to the central message within it.  Perhaps its worth reminding ourselves of what happened in Julia’s dream immediately after she’d heard Lucy speak. Here’s the extract: “Julia looked at her cupped palms. Rotating within it was a tiny Earth - she literally had the whole world in her hands.”  

What does it all mean? Let’s have some music….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmd83LIADnE

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q24 Do you get enough time to yourself?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »