sun rays

My Walk this Week 140 – First Walk of the New Year

My walk this week is my first of 2019 and I realised, while walking, that my first walk of every year for the last 18 years or so has been this same walk. Normally it would be with my wife and we would be walking, rather than driving, because I would not have been driving on New Year’s Eve.

trees and blue sky

My wife didn’t have her walking shoes with her and although I was sorry not to walk with her at the start of the year, this did give me  a better opportunity to stop and take photographs and do a little field recording, albeit on my phone.

It was a beautiful day with a blue sky and warm sun (for the time of year) but despite this I decided that some of the images should be monochrome.

The unseasonal conditions were a very good way to start the new year as 2018 had provided me with a number of challenges(!), the greatest of which was both my parents dying within a week of each other. I like to think that they are still seeing my blog posts and would enjoy this one as much as any of the others.

1st January Soundscape

Click the play button above and then the first image to listen and look through the features of my walk this week.

The recording below is less a soundscape as a sound clip and although it is shorter than usual, it is typical of the suburban aural landscape with a mixture of background traffic overlaid with birdsong. You can hear both simultaneously (obviously), or you can listen to either – not because I have separated them, but just by focusing your ears to the individual, and distinct pitches.

Posted in iPhonography, My Walk this Week, Photography, Urban, Walks and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

7 Comments

  1. Once again, a true pleasure to walk along with you, Alastair. Appreciated the sound byte, I think it’s a lovely accompaniment to the photos. I heard the bird song, my ears are trained to hear every bird sound, so it’s fun to listen to your recordings. Also really enjoyed the photos. The geometric shadows were a prevalent theme and I really enjoyed them, and so much variation. My favorite, as I forced myself to pick a favorite, was the one of the fence/railing shadows underneath SLOW. I’m really sorry to hear about the loss of your parents. If we are close to a parent, the loss is so hard; but to have both go in the same week is brutal. I hope 2019 brings you peace, my friend.

    • Thank you very much, Jet, for your kind thoughts. My parents were both ill for the final year so it was expected, but still a cruel loss. Glad you liked the post – my own favourite shot I think is the one of the shadow pattern on the pavement. I saw it and was immediately excited but didn’t look to see how it was being caused, which amazes me!

      • That was a favorite of mine too. I like knowing you were so excited about it that you didn’t look at its source. I am a shadow watcher too.

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