Quarry reflections

My Walk this Week 244 – Old Quarry

My walk this week took me to an old quarry which looks quite different now to what it did when I first saw it about 36 years ago. What was once mostly water has filled out with a thick array of different trees and shrubs.

The way up there was muddy and the river was flowing fast with all the recent rain. The quarry water, however, was still and quiet and I enjoyed the peaceful reflections of the plants that now almost completely hide the rock face of the quarry walls.

I was reminded by the blackened stones of a camp fire of my youth and the enjoyable times I had with friends in just such wild places as this in Northern Ireland. However, we never left the mess of cans and plastic bottles that are to be found in this place. I have managed to avoid them in my photographs but I am sorry to say that the thoughtlessness of those enjoying themselves round the camp fire here today, was very clearly in evidence.

Somehow, we need to change the misconception by some that there is no connection between us and our environment (natural or man-made). Our interconnections with it are everywhere all the time – we affect it and it affects us. There now, I have said my piece as concisely as I can. I do not want to be political on this blog in any way but this is partly what StillWalks® is about – perception, appreciation and understanding of the world around us.

Posted in Environment, My Walk this Week, Photography, Video, Walks and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

9 Comments

  1. Hello Alastair,
    Well said and photographed, as always. How does one get this message out there though, if not through talking about it? The drip drip drip to keep it in the minds of more people – trouble is they’re probably not the sort of people who’ll ever visit blogs like this. But no matter. keep up the good work! Best wishes
    Julian

  2. I so very much enjoyed this walk today, Alastair, thanks so much. The video was great for demonstrating the fast water flow as well as the beauty of the surroundings. I find it very interesting that this was once a quarry, and am happy to see the recovery of growth these 36 years later. I also appreciate you shielding us from the trash of the campfire people, and agree with you wholeheartedly on our duty as stewards of the environment and residents of this planet. And thanks for this serene walk that embodies your devotion to the planet. Cheers my friend.

    • Thank you Jet. I may not have been as good as gold as a youth but littering the world was not one of my sins. That would be thanks to my parents example as much as my own consciousness of my surroundings. Next time I go to that old quarry I must remember to take a couple bin liners (trash bags?) with me.

  3. I’m happy that I managed to keep my shoes from getting muddy while enjoying the walk. You caught some beautiful reflections. It angers and saddens me to see all the trash that people leave everywhere. When I walked in Illinois, I used to periodically take a trash bag with me and gloves and pick up as much trash as I could. I should really do that along the canal here as in certain areas near the roads there’s a lot of trash.

    janet

    • Thank you Janet. I have just now replied to Jet and said I must remember to take a trash bag (bin liner) with me next time I go there. Great minds think alike.

      • 🙂 When I walked in Illinois, I drove to the park and always had trash bags and gloves in the back of the van. That made it easy to remember. When I walk by the canal, I just walk from the house, so it’s harder to remember. I should just get bag and gloves out to put by my walking shoes.

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