Greetings - to anyone out there who might still be checking in with this woefully neglected blog.

Things are changing. To be more precise, the migrating stones project is changing. I have just heard that the beloved Arts Council has said and almighty YES to funding the next migrating stone.

Given that I am in post swine-flu recovery, the strength of my response to this news cannot, and is not, going un-noted. I am, quite simply, delighted. Happy. Excited. Already my mind is buzzing with new ideas and thoughts about how to proceed and I'm in that 'i can't wait' to get on with the research and play involved in developing the project further.

So, it's interesting to note what a Yes can achieve: my self esteem seems to have leapt a few inches higher today and the prospect of money has set the synapses firing. Given that I'm a fairly impoverished (financially at least) poet who ventures forth irrespective of pecuniary reward for the most part, I cannot deny the relief involved in knowing that money - lovely money - is going to enable me to eat, pay bills and commission the next stage of the work. Body, mind and soul are more than delighted to receive financial recompense for work about to be performed.

So, watch this re-enlivened space - ask questions if you have any - and let's see how things develop. I've got a funny feeling that stone number four is going to need to help of a lot of people in order for its journey to come to fruition.....

13th October, 2009

Greetings dear friends,

this is just to let you know that if you missed the programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning about my migrating stones project, then you can either listen again on the bbc i-player or tune in on Wednesday 14th October at 9 p.m.

There will soon be movement with regard to the next and fourth migrating stone and as soon as this movement achieves verbalisation then i'll be blogging about it!

At last there is movement.
After a long interval, the journey of the migrating stones continues.
This time, it is in the form of a programme that will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on October 13th at 11 a.m.
The programme, Nature: Migrating Stones, is an audio diary that I made when taking stone number three to Australia last year.
This curious project evolves slowly, unexpectedly, consistently.
I am currently applying for funding for the fourth stone.
I will keep you posted about plans for the future......

Greetings and best Equinox wishes to you all.

The stones are still rather dormant at the moment, but meanwhile there's an exciting new adventure afoot. I'm going to start teaching again - after a year and a half's break - at the wonderful Home Farm in Welcombe.

The short courses are open to anyone interested in writing - we're close to the sea here and the remote landscape is simply stunning.

If you're interested, I invite you to visit the website at www.way2go4.com/writingcourses

Finally a few new ideas are beginning to arise and I am now wondering how to fund the next stage of the project. All Arts Council funding has been spent and, as with most things, the project cannot move forward without some money.

It's interesting to contemplate the need for cash in a time of economic crisis. As a poet and author I have never known anything other than economic crisis and to a certain degree it has become my norm. Financial constraint is something that always has to be factored in to plots and plans and yet curiously I have always managed to find the money to enable me to do the things I have to do.

I live a very rich poor life.

Much like a pebble or a stone I suppose.

And on that note I read an interesting article about the French artist Messager. At one point in her life she decided to name the tasks she undertook in order to define herself. I thought it might be fun to do this too. And so what am I? I am poet, author, stone carrier, dreamer, carer to my unwell mum, walker (walking is as much a daily need as breakfast for me). It's good to name the different occupations as I often think I should narrow my focus and concentrate upon just one thing. But that wouldn't be me - and what's the point of being someone other than myself?

Let me know if you have any ideas about good funding sources for the next stone. I'm wanting to open the project up to a lot more people this time and need a good, strong wad of money behinid me!

So, more than two months have passed since my last blog and what have I been doing? Readjusting to life in the UK after being in Australia and Hong Kong, wondering what comes next and finding no answers.

Really, none at all.

And then this morning I rose at 5 a.m. to meditate. In the deep stillness of early morning I finally realised that this 'not knowing' (also known as floundering) is as much a part of the creative process as anything else. I'm unsure whether to repeat what I've done in the past or whether to sharpen up my receptive faculties and see what arises. I've decided on the latter and will wait for as long as it takes.

The stones project has never been about speed - it moves with the velocity of a snail and now is proving to be no exception. Floundering is only uncomfortable when I'm pressing myself to move forward and expecting something to happen. Waiting for the next instructive dream, or an idea that rockets me into action. But there is no idea for now and no dreaming, apart from one small glimmer of an A-5 book of stones and stories.

Beckett had a lot to say about waiting. Various railway companies also have a lot of announcements to make about waiting. There are waiting rooms and waiting times, people who wait on tables in restuarants, waiters and waitresses. Ladies in waiting. Artists in waiting. I am waiting on something and have no idea when it will arrive.

Meanwhile then, I am returning to play, something that has been almost edited out of my life over the past couple of months. I'm painting again, writing little things of no consequence, staring at blank walls and dreaming. Lying in hot baths until I'm wrinkled like a prune. The only thing of note, at least the most interesting thing of note, was the liberation of a lobster on the 20th December. Since then, lobsters have begun to crop up all over the place. I'm not sure what this signifies - although it's probably something fishy and profound - so if you have any ideas please let me know.

Until the next blog, I wish you all a magical new year.

Tragedy nearly struck on Tuesday when I took the stone to be sited.

It was a dull, misty morning, rather chilled and English in feeling, and we arrived by the shore of the lake around 11.30. We met Terry and Bob there and the work began on drilling holes into the mother stone so that we could affix the migrating stone to it.

Before long the heavens opened. It rained so hard I discovered very quickly that my waterproof jacket was not waterproof as water trickled down my back. The drilled holes filled up with water. The glue wouldn't go off.

Bob looked at us through the grey sheeting downpour and declared that he couldn't carry on.

Sue (from the Council) and I had to leave the stone with him hoping that the weather would clear in time for Bob to be able to complete the work. We drove off to an Op Shop (second hand shop) and bought new clothes. Even my knickers were wet from rain!

I took the train back to Sydney not knowing what was going to happen. The launch was scheduled for the following day. People had taken time off work. My whole journey was suddenly in peril - or so it seemed.

Wednesday brought fair weather. Sun and a gentle breeze. By 7 o'clock Bob had been out to the lake and fixed the stone in place. As with all mythical journeys, the biggest obstacles always arise just before you reach the destination.

We had a fantastic time down by the lake welcoming the stone to its new home. Roger played trumpet and it was magnificent to hear music skimming out across the water. Tamryn read poetry, and then I read a couple of poems too.

The stone looks fantastic. It was warm with sunshine and I felt totally satisfied and fulfilled. This whole project has been quite extraordinary from beginning to end - from dream to the realisation of that dream - from one place to another.

I now have two days off. The sun is shining, my friends are nearby and I'm off to the beach to swim!