Sunday 6 November 2011

In search of water (the quest for peace)

The Quest for Peace

In search of Water

It was with deliberate intent that I woke up this morning…
a head full of plans, hopes and ambitions.
With a challenge to endeavour to look into what inspired me from the word…WATER…I formulated an adventure.

To be honest I was already looking for an excuse to visit a place a friend had shown me. As they do not walk well I left my first visit already scheming to be back to explore more.

However
Already a seed of some doubt grew in my mind
Never a fan of forcing a plan there was a nagging feeling that I was too blatantly heading for water

BUT head I did
Once I arrived at the location I should have trusted the signs…mainly
Car Park Full
Clearly each of those car park filling cars was of course also full of people wanting to share my experiences
With blind faith and enthusiasm and dogged determination I continued and parked amid the throngs…and off I set with my camera firmly gripped but hidden in my pocket for fear people would intrude into my private world
I sneaked the odd picture
My eyes searched for subjects
Again something felt wrong

Then of course I relaxed and remembered
It is the journey

I was in search of water…seemingly my destination
BUT the journey I was having in that search was where the beauty lay

As they say
Life is not a destination but a journey
So I strove on with renewed vigour
…this is my journey…
There are some pictures which do fulfil my brief
And maybe two or three of those I like
The other pictures have there place
The journey...
...not too surprisingly it started in a forest and so we have a dessert of trees...


Autumnal path...




With some pretty tree walls with lovely wall lights!
















Beautiful old roots...the trees boots!




Maybe this is how they came up with the idea of melting trees to make paper!?


More majestic walls and fabulous light...




Love the colours here





Crazy panoramic trick giving you some idea of something...but not sure what!

Love the next three shots - These are my WATER shots...
We have...
Tree in a puddle...




My total favourite...
The Clouds being the original home of the puddle....
Water at home


Love the colours in this reflection....
Reflections of what might have been...and was


A straight view of the reservoir I walked around...
Definitely Reservoir Dogs...I have never seen so many...

Interestingly in is called NewmillerDam
...and as I set off home listening to Classic FM...they played the Dambusters theme...


Love the viscosity of the water in this shot


It was a lovely Sunny Autumn day






Think this tree was leaning over for a drink




Another favourite shot...this guy had the best profile and a wonderful beard!






The overflow system in effect for the reservoir




Looks like the house is sinking,...great location apart from the thousands of people photographing your living room!




The first picture I took...looking hard...for I don't know what...
Some lovely little sculptures around the walk and aptly similar to my pic


Add caption


There were some very sweet benches around the walk with very lovely and slightly sad message plaques 






This is a great example...




Just to illustrate the ironic lack of peace and frustrating unwanted company...although there was some odd nice  signs of love and life hand in hand...








So now the day is done I packed away the forest back into it's kits form and headed for my next adventure in my Quest for Peace....

Wednesday 2 November 2011

There's a plaice for us





The great Yorkshire fish hunt

In my life (as a Fab man once sang) I have always had a love of the sea and therefore a respect of all things fishy. 
Mysteriously I have also unusual secret...I have no clue as to why but I love watching fishing programs...recently I feel cured (fish joke!) but clearly there is some salt water in my veins.


This is a shop near my office...always pass and wonder about Eric


Playing with my iPhone I 'caught this huge rock bass (I used to be a bass player in a rock band so that works) and superimposed my pretend fishy with my real cats Tabitha and Maci...who had taken up squatters rights as I mistakenly left my chair and went to make a cup of tea...


As I chugged my way home from work these little islands of light warmly reminded me that I wasn't alone and  that life continues regardless of nights attempts to send us all to bed

The Leeds United fans gather outside the Fish & Chip shop over the road from their teams ground...all other days of the week this shop is empty and gives no hint of the mayhem to come

One of my local Fish & Chip shops called Chu... ran by a lovely Chinese family with a great grasp of Yorkshire tradition


I include this shop because it is closed unusually...and I know the story...
The owner told me as often they do tell you stories...
His daughter is heading to University and today she had an open day at York University so he closed the shop...She also had an interview at Leeds University last Saturday but he told me he would loose to much money if he closed on a Saturday!
Yorkshire Love


Near my work today I stopped to take pictures of this bright and popular example...while taking pictures a guy in a big posh 4 by 4 stopped his car, wound down his window and asked me why I was taking pictures of his shop....I told him the truth and I think he thought given my choice of fun he would smile and drive away!


This 'Chippy' is so close to my office that I have considered moving my desk phone and PC in...

So there you have it...some people keep Coy Carp and some people Cod & Chips