Tag Archives: rust

Fen grasses

Back at the Bramble Beginning – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on by

Looking back from the bramble beginning by the road on my walk this week along the Tennant Canal near Swansea, South Wales, I can see and hear again some of the varied natural and industrial features of this environment that I enjoy so much.

return to the road

I first discovered the beauty of this place on a guided walk with a bird specialist who worked his magic at identifying and translating all the birds and, seemingly, their conversations. The ability the human brain has for focusing our senses in different ways is remarkable but there is no questionContinue reading→

Dark Mirror

Dark Still Mirror and Expanding Ripples

Posted on by

My walk this week took me under and over a number of structures spanning the Tennant Canal – railway track, vehicle track, road, motorway, footbridge and gantry. Underneath these the sound changed and the dark mirror that was the still water of the canal was broken by expanding ripples as drips dripped from the structures above.

expanding ripples

Walking over the gantry and footbridge gave me a slightly elevated view of the of the woodland reflections in the dark water. That does not mean the water was dark, in fact it was beautifully clear.Continue reading→

rusty fence

My Walk this Week – Reflecting On The Canal

Posted on by

My walk this week is along a section of the Tennant Canal on the eastern edge of Swansea. I have walked along this footpath on a few occasions, the last time being a couple of years ago and  the conditions now are similar to what they were then.

reflection

Similar conditions does not mean I have taken the same photographs as last time, although the swans are still there and one posed perfectly for me while the other slept. Continue reading→

Hidden head

Intentional Garden Design – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on by

The details of this Dorset garden, where my walk this week took place, show just the kind of garden I like – informal but with elements of intentional design.

hanging basket

It is a mistake, in my opinion, to try to control nature – nature will always come out on top in the end – but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy arranging different aspects of it in our gardens. That is how we end up with  interesting collections of patterns and textures connecting the man-made with the moss, the rust with the rose hips. Continue reading→

rust wave

Growth and Abandon

Posted on by

Exploring some details on my walk this week, I found growth and abandon simultaneously in this Dorset garden. Nature will always take over if given the chance and in the broken leg of an old swing, it found an ideal opportunity.

broken swing

RGB or red, green and blue I found in the plastics which never disintegrate however long they are left while the patterns of rusty metal could tell or prompt any number of stories. You could weigh inContinue reading→

Pwll Du beach

Our Gower Project Walk 2 – Pwll Du Bay, Wet and Dry

Posted on by

The second stage of the second of the Our Gower project walks brought us out from the muddy woodland of Bishopston Valley to the unique beach of Pwll Du. It is unique because of its deposit of stones build up over decades of limestone quarrying in the 19th century. Below the stones is a normal sandy beach and wet or dry, it is a very attractive South Gower cove.

Walking on stones

The first day I walked this route with a school, it was wet. Like the mysteriousness of the valley woods, there was atmosphere in the bay as well. The sea fret contributed to this along with the huge piles of stonesContinue reading→

Watching the river

Watching the River

Posted on by

The third of my local walks this week is along the banks of our main local river – the River Loughor. I fought my way across the marsh and through dense brambles and knotweed on one side to reach a point on the eastern bank I hadn’t stood at before.

Oak leaves and river

On finding I wasn’t able to get far along the river due to the brambles, I retraced my steps and crossed the bridge to explore along the western bank at another part of the river I had only seen before, but not walked along.Continue reading→

rusty fence

Local Viewpoint and Not Being Lost

Posted on by

I was asked twice on this walk if I was lost! I know the viewpoint well and the various routes to it but this was clearly not evident to those asking the question and I can only wonder what expression I had on my face to prompt it.

Local viewpoint

This viewpoint looks over my local landscape to the Loughor Estuary and the Gower Peninsula. As with the other local hills, it is a great place to climb to if you feel the need to rise above things rather than explore the more enclosed environment of the forest. Continue reading→