Badges of Clan Mackenzie

        Above are the two Mackenzie Clan Badges. The one on the right is the most common, and the oldest one, depicting rocks on fire and the phrase "Luceo Non Uro" which means "I shine not burn". The left badge depicts a stags head and the phrase "Ciudic'N Righ" meaning "Help the King".
        The second badge motto and stag's head come from the heroic rescue of King Alexander III by Colin MacCoinneach in 1263 who saved the king from a charging stag by shooting it dead with an arrow. For this deed and for his victory at the battle of Largs against the Danes in 1263, he was awarded the lands of Kintail, the free Barony of Kintail, the arms of a golden stag's head with a trickle of blood from between its eyes on a blue background and the right to be the hereditary Royal body guard (a tradition that was upheld until the battle of Pinkie in 1547).

Clan Mackenzie

      Above is Eilean Donan Castle, former seat of the Clan Mackenzie/ McKinney in Scotland. Having spent much of my free time in the past year working on my families genealogy I was able to find that my great great grandmother on my fathers mothers side was of the McKinney Clan.
       Her name was Angeline McKinney, born in the state of Virginia in 1855. She was the third generation born in the U.S. and I have been able to trace their coming over from Ulster Ireland. Upon further research of the clan history I was able to see that it originated in the Highlands of Scotland.
        The reason I have found this all interesting and wanted to share it on my blog is because I will be traveling on a trip to Ireland, Scotland and England with my wife and two of my best friends. We will be visiting this castle and many more like them. We had decided to go visit it before I had managed to track my family history back to it. I am all the more excited to see it and the surrounding lands, and get a real feel for where some of my family came from.
        I will be adding more about my family history and genealogy, as well as some pictures of the sites related to them. Don't be surprised if you see a lot about Clan Mackenzie being posted over the next few months.

"The Fallen Angel"

This is a picture of my favorite sculpture. It is called "The Fallen Angel". The actual sculpture sits upon a tall pillar in a park in Spain. It is positioned in such a way that as long as the sun is in the sky, it always appears that the light is shining down directly on the sculpture, giving the illusion of a heavenly light above.
I often find myself looking at pictures of this sculpture and admiring its beauty, loosing myself in its various pieces of symbolism. Because of this I wanted to share it on my blog.

"Do you see that Little Girl?"

Do you see that little girl?


Do you see that little girl there on the street?

She is walking around in her bare feet.

Do you see how she smiles and how she frolics around?

The sadness in the world she has not yet found.



Do you see this little girl without a care in the land?

How she sits there and plays content in the sand.

Do you watch her with love and hope in your eyes?

Or is it that you watch with tears and sighs?



Do you see that little girl sitting all alone?

Crying to her self next to her mothers stone.

Why should this girl have gone through so much pain?

Even most adults would have been driven insane.



Do you see that little girl standing by the grave?

"Why did mommy die, why wasn't she saved?"

What do you say when you see innocents die?

How do you prove that faith isn't a lie?



Do you see that little girl looking for strength?

Who will explain to her, life in great length?

She cry's and she weakens, her foundation starts to crumble.

Our explanations we give her we always seem to fumble.



Do you see that little girl who has become a young lady?

Standing by the grave of the mysterious lady.



"Mother you left me when I was so young...

....and I have forgotten that song that you sung...

Why oh why mother did you leave me this way?

I am lost and confused, and I can't find my way.

Please oh please mother come home, come to me.

Your little girl needs you. Mommy oh please!"



As the tears fall down her cheeks as she turns to walk away,

She hears a voice that prompts her to stay.



"Daughter oh daughter I've never left your side.

I have been with you throughout your emotional ride.

I left when I did because it was my time,

there were others who's need for me was greater than thine.

Do not be sad, and have nothing to fear.

I will continue to walk with you until your last year."



The girl stood there choked up from tears.

She felt like she'd keep crying for years.

"Thank you mother" she managed to say.

It wasn't until she later that she thought of more to say.



Do you see that little girl, there on the street?



-By Matthew Johnson

Heart of Ice

     I thought that I would share a few of my older poems that I had received the most feedback from when last I posted them on an older website years ago. They were from a time when I was going through some emotionally turbulent issues with my family. I do feel that many of these poems capture the emotions of that time of my life. I hope you all like them, and here is the first of them:


Heart of Ice

It takes years to earn trust, but moments to break it.

But what if the trust was never there?

What if all that ever existed was the lies and deception taught me?

What if through those lies and deception a voice cried out "Don't listen, I'm hear!"

What do you think now that I broke free of those chains you placed me in while I was young?

Now that my heart beats in the way that I choose it to.

Now that my eyes are on a place you denied me.

My destiny, my fate.

Not the one you thought would be better, but one that I wove for myself.

You judge me for choosing a path with my heart and soul, but how will you be judged for keeping me a prisoner on the close minded path?

Many see me as an associate of you, on your path.

So I am guilty by association.

You say that the path I am on is one to "evil and emptiness."

Those cowards who fear what they don't understand call the things beyond them evil, or dark.

As for the emptiness, my heart only grows more and more empty towards you.

How dare you judge me! How dare you tell lies to my brothers!

It is true, the past few months my heart has been growing cold, till now it is ice!

Can you see me through the blizzard that you helped me wonder into?

When you look in my eyes, you will see that emptiness, and you will feel a coldness that could freeze the very ocean it self!

Your disappointment is clear on your face, but how is the disappointment that I wear for you?

Does it show?

Do you even know?

Do you even see the fact that you have let me down?

Of course not, you are blind, I give you too much credit by asking you these things!

Do you see your son? Do you see how cold his heart has become?

Maybe one day you will see.

But if or when that day comes will my heart have dethawed?

We'll see... we'll see.


By Matt Johnson

Welcome!

     This will be the first of many posts to come. I will be using this blog to discuss a variety of topics that interest me. They will be far ranging from outdoors activities, such as boat building, boating, scuba diving, backpacking, and shooting, to movies, T.V. shows, poetry, and creative writing.

I chose a rat theme for most of my online life because I respect a rat's ability to endure and survive, as well as their environmental adaptability. These are all traits that I admire and try to emulate in my own life.