ducks enjoying the rain

And The Rain Began to Fall

Near the end of my walk this week we approached the double walled kitchen garden of the National Botanic Garden of Wales and as we walked through it towards the hothouse and the butterflies, the rain began to fall. Not too heavy at first so I was able to get a couple more photos before going inside, but while we enjoyed looking at the few large butterflies fluttering around at this time of year, the rain really started coming down and the noise of stair rods hitting the glass roof was noticeable to say the least.

the rain came down

So we took more time in the hothouse than perhaps we might have done but our wait for the rain to subside was futile and we eventually put up our hoods and ventured out towards the entrance and car park. The ducks seemed happy enough!

The sound clip below does not relate to this and I realise in writing this that my habit of posting a soundscape at the end of the week has a flaw. If I only have a sound clip rather than an edited soundscape, then the sound will only be from one particular part of my walk and give no sense of progression or change of environment or conditions. So the clip below should have been posted at the beginning of the week when we were inside the Great Glass House (so I have posted it there now as well as below). It was busy with people and birds all enjoying Mothers Day – mothers perhaps because it was Mothers day and a visit to the NBGW on what was a nice day at the time included a craft fair and the birds because their were plenty of crumbs to be had around the cafe area.

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Ouse riverside walk

My Walk this Week – Wet One by the Ouse

My walk this week is a wet one by the River Ouse in York where I have been travelling on a few occasions lately. It is strange being in York after Wales because there are no hills in York at all – I suspect that is why there are so many cyclists there.

York Millennium Bridge

No hills may be what cyclists prefer but for me, I like a good hill or mountain to climb and I found the only way to work a head of steam was to put on a marching pace. I think if I lived there I might take up running (or cycling I suppose!). Continue reading

Filtered Out – Rain on Water

More images that didn’t quite make it into a recently produced StillWalks Autumn video fro Lower Lliw Reservoir near Swansea, Wales. More to follow through this week.

rain on water

leaves on water

Soggy Seeds

The woodland at Ynystawe through which I was walking last weekend really was wet! The day was nice but the rain from previous days had had its effect on the plants at the end of Summer.

The colours of flowers are on their way out and we have not yet reached that stage of Autumn that brings so much colour again in the leaves. But there is still pattern and texture and light (perhaps less of the light) – you just have to look around you 🙂

Ynystawe-9 Ynystawe-10 Ynystawe-12 Ynystawe-14

Ynystawe-15 Ynystawe-17

Rain on the Water

Swansea may be the wettest city in the UK, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting.

It may be that you can find scenes similar to this in many different places around the world but as with any image (or sound), each one is, in fact, unique to the time and place according to the conditions at the time the photograph is taken or the sound recorded.

Understanding that what we experience of our surroundings is interdependent on these unique conditions from moment to moment is a major part of what StillWalks is about.

More important than that, however, is simply the enjoyment of what we see and hear around us – rain it may be, but I hope you enjoy these images.

River Abertawe River Abertawe

A Walk in the Rain

We’ve had everything at Lliw Reservoir now except the sun – hopefully I will be able to get there if it ever appears again. In the meantime, following the snow and the mist, this week’s photos are from a walk up there in the rain. More pics to come through the week.

Lower Lliw Reservoir

Rain on the Water

Raindrops

Raindrops

ducks

At least the duck seem to like it