Hello!
Welcome back, it’s nice to see you again.
Here’s the full Animal Allies: Occasional Dispatch newsletter. Spring 2025. I’d love to know what you think of this first issue, what you like, what you don’t. There’s a comment box below the post. I welcome your ideas as we build our animal allies community.
Diolch / Thank you for being here.
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The Photo
The simplest, most profound love.
Spring 2023, and my Labrador Kali and I were wandering down a tree-lined lane just outside the village of Brynsiencyn, on the east side of the island of Ynys Mon (Anglesey) in north Wales. We were exploring the area, and I’d heard of a small church down a laneway, and a track down to the shores of the Menai Strait.
We found the church and the garlic-strewn track… and yes, the ewe and her lamb. They are part of a flock of rare sheep, bred and protected.
It was a beautiful Spring afternoon, full of life and animal love.
The Quote
I love the way the stairs lead up into an unknown future. Imagine stepping up them, guided by the fairy lights and your imagination. I wonder what lies ahead, through the green trees?
The quote is from Colin Henry Wilson (1931-2013). You can explore his writings through this link to GoodReads. He was an existentialist philosopher-novelist, who wrote more than 100 books.
The Story
I’ve based my short story on what this image evokes in me. Before reading my idea, take a moment to look at the image, and find out what it suggests to you. Did we find the same story?
Here’s an excerpt from the story:
As the old taxi sputters away, Rosie totters across the road to the wooden bench under the beech tree. She sits gingerly on the edge of the wet bench, using her glossy magazine as a thin, makeshift cushion. Gazing around the sodden village, she watches wind-chased leaves tumble down the empty street. Cold raindrops are white slashes in the dusky gloom. The black road curves out of sight beyond the elms by the old churchyard.
Could it be this simple? To finally find the truth. The years of searching, the hopes, the letdowns, and even the smelly old taxi from the station would all be worth it. But what if it wasn’t what she expected? That might be worse.
Rosie looks again at the address on her mobile phone. That’s the pub, alright. It looks dark, but I guess it’ll be opening time soon. What an old-fashioned place this is with pubs closing during the day. She waits, the drizzle matting her hair against her face.
