05/03/2010 by admin.

Today is World Book Day and as if by magic a few people have asked me when the sequel might be ready - which is nice and reassuring. If I’m honest it’s a little way off just yet but in the meantime I’ve been prompted by several subscribers to honour the day in some way as the book’s all about helping to preserve our fragile world.

Well I put my thinking cap on and realised that in Charles Lamb’s journal Lucy Ebbs (Mother Nature personified) refers to the Earth moving (page number to follow) which is odd as the recent Earthquake’s we’ve seen all seem linked to The Haymakers Survey.  Elsewhere on our Watch we’ve already mentioned the devastating Haiti quake (sounds like Hayti).  Whilst the quake in Chile on 27 February was so powerful at 8.8 on the Richter scale that a NASA scientist has reported that the quake has literally knocked the Earth’s axis and shortened the length of each Earth day by 1.26 microseconds - uncanny that it should happen in Chile given the references to the Arctic in the novel, but more significantly we have two references in the book to the Axis Mundi - on which all things turn! (page refs to follow).

If that’s not sufficient to feed our curiousity - we have the Eureka moment. On January 9 2010 there was a quake of 6.5m in the Pacific ocean with an epicentre 33 miles west of the nearest major city of Eureka. No significant damage was reported but the amusing thing is that when the Blakesware Set gathered and thought up the Haymakers Survey questions when Malthus cried ‘Eureka’ in celebration (page 345 and on the Journal sample on the main site).

We speculate -is planet Earth protecsting against our behaviour? Our live to work, work to earn, earn to consume life style that is so stressful to many, futile and belittling to our species and threatens to destory the delicate eco-system of life on Earth. Behaviour which some argue undermines what humanity is really about. Mmm it make me wonder… let’s show our true colours… they are beautiful like the rainbow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbZDjnWtK1A

Posted in Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

18/02/2010 by admin.

We have another example of a lamb with extraordinary markings that can readily be linked to our project. Our readers will know how in Charles Lamb’s journal the boxer Bill Richmond teaches Charles Lamb to defend himself and toughen up for the challenges ahead on the understanding that someone tasked with helping to care for Mother Nature needs to be ready for the fight (pages 255-256). Well take a look at this little fella born 5 days ago on a farm in Durham…

He’s been named Miyagi after fictional martial arts expert Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid films, he was born five days ago with a thick belt of black wool around his middle. A Lamb with a fighting flare - the little Haymaker!  Farmer William Herbert said:

‘I’ve been farming for over 50 years but I’ve never seen anything like this before. Some lambs have a spot of discoloured wool, but it’s very unusual to see a  full thick stripe. It goes all the way around. It looks like I’ve gone out to him with a paint brush.

‘He’s one of a set of triplets but he won’t be treated any differently to his  brother and sister. They don’t have any markings on them – he’s the odd one out.’

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

14/02/2010 by admin.

Here’s the second half of the novel - which includes the magical gathering of the Blakesware Set! It is nearly 10 Mb so may take 2-3 minutes to download. I wanted to make this available to as many people as possible given the magical coincidences in the book and events in the natural world. Enjoy!

http://www.thehaymakerssurvey.com/2.PDF

The pdf also includes the opening Watch examples and the first book’s conclusion.  Please feel free to share with friends and others.

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

14/02/2010 by admin.

As our project is all about art, love and nature we wanted to give a suitable gift to the world. All copies of our novel have now been sold, but rather than do a reprint we favour sharing the book online. It’s hear for you in two parts - this is part one. Now whoever wishes can see first-hand the coincidences we have recorded on this Watch! We are lucky to be alive - a storm is coming!

the-haymakers-survey-2008-24-feb-final-proof-part-1.pdf

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, 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 »

04/02/2010 by admin.

A strange object has been seen whizzing through space. Nasa have called it P/2010 A2. It was spotted between Mars and Jupiter in the Asteroidial Main belt by the Hubble telescope just last week. The object - presumably a comet or meteor or asteriod collision - has a bizarre X- shaped tail, unlike anything ever seen in space before. Fortunately, the object is over 90 million miles away, so no cause for alarm.

Scientists are calling the debate about the object ‘The Curious Case of Comet Linear’ It’s another example linked to our poser in the early part of our novel (see sample) ‘Does humanity have the X factor?’ Perhaps this is a poignant reminder to act to preserve our natural world?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q14 Do you believe your stars? | No Comments »

02/02/2010 by admin.

Our regulars will know of the significance in Charles Lamb’s journal of white/albino animals and the role of hearts in illustrating the value of Love, Art and Nature.  Well, surprise surprise there’s a white whale in Polar land China that has been trained to blow heart shaped bubbles.  Interesting…

Here’s a video of the whales blowing bubbles and doing other tricks…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCAUleX5h8A

But there’s a dark side to this. Should such majestic creatures be confined to a tank for human entertainment? You decide!

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

Posted in Q77 Do you get bored easily?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | 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 »

20/12/2009 by admin.

The icy spell across Europe has brought travel misery to thousands of passengers using the Eurostar between London and Paris. A number of trains have broken down due to the difference in temperature outside the tunnel and within. Many have endured extremely long and uncomfortable journeys and we feel for their plight.

So, what does this have to do with our Watch we hear you ask? Simple really - maybe its Mother Nature’s way of drawing everyone’s attention to the role of the star in revealing the hidden message in ‘The Haymakers Survey’.  In our story, the star is at the centre of the unveiling of the key message - see page 198. What’s to follow we wonder?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

17/12/2009 by admin.

A first edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic book “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There”,  dedicated to the real life Alice who inspired the story has sold at a U.S. auction for $115,000.

Southern California-based Profiles in History said the book, the sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“, was the highlight of its children’s literature sale. “Through the Looking Glass“, published in 1871, includes the nonsense poem “Jabberwocky.” Both works were inspired by 10 year-old Alice Liddell, the daughter of an academic friend of Carroll’s. The edition is inscribed in ink “Alice Pleasance Liddell”, and was described as having been presented to her by Carroll.

Okay - we need to offer another explanation on how this links to our novel. Our very own Eath Detective - Sarah Whittenbury - examines a magic circle drawn in the soil before the ’Web of Life’ through her looking glass (pages 162 - 164).  She discovers a frozen tear! Is this a reminder to humanity - a message to let us know what’s really going on. That a state of emergency is being declared for the web of life is in peril!  

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »