I’m in editing mode, but since I see him when I look across my screen, I’ll spare a thought on my faithful friend.
He’s been around a while. In Somerset, he made friends with young Suzuki …
In Surrey, he has been on the same prominent spot for over two decades, watched many seasons go round … 
during which he surrendered many of his finer features to the environment, shrunk his belly, and experienced some indignities …
not just from Jetty, but from Robins, Warblers, Starlings, Blackbirds and even the occasional Wood pigeon, who all use his head as a way station on their rounds through the garden.
During the last two years he grew a coat and a beard of lichen to make up for his decreasing substance, and the question arises, should he be shaved? 
Your advice is welcome.
Course of Mirrors 
I would say as a general rule don’t shave your Buddha. I have one who was rescued from oblivion when clearing out my later father in law’s house. His coat has faded and his necklace of beads is practically invisible and when I told my daughter I was considering a repaint she said it just didn’t feel right to inferfere with his passage through this dimension and so there we are Don’t Shave Your Buddha. 🙂 Do however tickle/rub his tummy on a regular basis – I’m told they like it!
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Ha, ha, I like you daughter’s philosophy
… it just didn’t feel right to inferfere with his passage through this dimension …
The idea of a tummy-tickle-rub on a regular basis has merit 🙂 though it would wear his coat, equal to shaving.
It reminds me of a few stories regarding the wear of dense material. My ex-gran-in law, bless her, told us as children they were not allowed to step on any door-sills. Stonehenge was cordoned off for the same reason, apart from special days when the druids have access for their ceremonies. I have a pic of my son standing on one of the stones when the site was still open to everyone. Must dig it out.
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Yes – Stonehenge was a great disappointment to me, I wanted to touch the stones. I love that, touching stones that have been touched throughout history. The dense materials though that made me laugh – The wearing of dense materials – a really, thick wool coat!!
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Felt is denser, even keeps the rain out.
Re: stone – one of the most touched stone ever must be the one in the wall of the Kaaba in Mecca.
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Indeed I understand that the stone in Meccah has actually been worn away by the number of times that it has been kissed. Also that during Haj there are so many pilgrims there that they can’t touch it and so they simply raise their hands as they pass and that must suffice for the majority. Seems a shame when some have sold their belongings to travel there. The of course there is the Blarney Stone possibly a good one for writers
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A lot of Blarney, the queen said … what a story, and the acrobatics people attempt in order to kiss it. I was actually in Cork – looong -ago. Didn’t know about the stone then, and the gift of the gab it is said to bestow 🙂 or I might have sought out the castle.
The black stone of the Kaaba has a more ancient and fascinating mythology, leading back to Adam. Muslims believe it was once white. Some hold it to be a meteorite.
My novel, CoM, has a black stone in it – a pebble really, but with magical powers. Projection is the most amazing phenomena.
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Just have to say that the photographs are amazing. You have a way with a camera. And talking of the Buddha, do you know rubbing the tummy every morning brings good luck? So a couple of Tibetan monks told me
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Hi Subhakar, thanks 🙂 How did you find my site?
Maybe there’s something to that tummy-rubbing, it’s like giving tlc to the navel of continuous creation. We absorb a lot through our navel area. That’s why the American Indians sent their young out into the wilderness to make a shield, of any material, adorning it with a personally meaningful symbol to ward off bad spirits. In modern terms, if you were to walk down Oxford Street in London, you can, in your mind’s eye, draw down a shield like that to your solar plexus area and offset being overwhelmed by too many impressions.
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that’s really interesting. I did know that there is a chakra in the navel area but didn’t realise that you could use it to protect against the turmoil. Must try it.
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