"The answers my friend are blowing in the wind..."

Have I just quoted Bob Dylan there? Dunno. Don't really care.

Part Two of my summer/autumn holiday in Wales reflects on two aspects of Creation. That's Creation as in The Created Universe, not the verb, as I had neither the time, equipment or the inclination to attempt to rival what God's already done. I couldn't fit it in the car.

A couple of nights were clear enough for me to be able to go outside and marvel at the stars and planets. Although we were only three miles from the nearest town we were shielded from the glow of artificial light by the surrounding landscape, so you only needed to be outdoors for a couple of minutes before you could see the Milky Way. Look, there it is.

Click on the picture so it enlarges and the white haze that you can see is the Milky Way. I took that picture myself. No the stars aren't out of focus - in the 2 minute exposure the earth rotated enough that the stars leave a trail on the picture...

The second mountain was definitely climbed on purpose. This time we had proper shoes, fleeces, waterproofs, and most importantly a flask! We climbed Lord Hereford's Knob (I kid you not!) at a more leisurely pace than Isaac's usual, and it was so worth it. Truly panoramic views, and a ferocious wind that reminds you of its power. It's not uncommon to refer to the Holy Spirit as being like wind - I think people would be truly astounded and in no doubt what it was if experiencing it was anything like this.

Theologians often speak of people having 'mountaintop experiences'. My particular experience on this occasion included laughter at not being able to stand up in the wind, amusement at a teenage strop, and amazement at the view laid out all around me. God created all of it - even the teenage strop....