I've been watching a river.
I was staying in the Yorkshire Dales in Wharfedale and these shots are of the lovely moody River Wharfe which held my gaze when I wasn't climbing hills or exploring caves and other features of limestone landscapes that this region is famous for.
Wharfe is a celtic name meaning winding river, and I love the wide sweeping curves between the oaks and chestnuts, but there are weirs and waterfalls, gorges and quieter places where trout snatch at flies.
As you can see, the weather was pretty moody as well. My camera frowned a lot, so lots of my shots are disappointing. Will post some more soon if I can rescue them.
It's a region that knows all about the colour green, so no surprise that I found and bought a new raincoat while I was staying there, having been looking for one for months. It's obviously what brought on our current heatwave. The beach here back at home is packed with people soaking up the sunny glory as they cloud it with bbq smoke, and I'm making the most of strolling out at dawn or dusk.
It was great to have a week off writing and odd to walk for miles and not write, as the two things are so obviously connected for me. (Yes, I rarely have time off my creative work, but it was exactly what I needed before I get on with polishing a huge project I'm working on and hoping to bring to a show. Normal service has resumed since I've been back with the words rattling away and a couple of new poems emerging.)
I'm remembering so many vistas with hardly anyone there and no traffic, a place where the weather on the uplands changes the valley within hours.
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If you're in Brighton tomorrow, I'm playing in the Wildcard Quartet. Should be an interesting one - violin with guitar, percussion and dance. Here's the link to all the info.
16 comments:
so many beautiful pictures. i wouldn't mind watching the river and walking for hours there. look forward to seeing your new poems and other projects. have a great night~
Hi Naquillity. Thanks. Pleased you enjoyed the photos. It's a gorgeous place, particularly in that region, but there are 95km of river to walk if you follow the whole course to the coast. Hoping all is going well for you.
Good luck with the Wildcard Quartet!
Your river is so beautiful...I too like the wide winding ways of rivers and hope this moody weather is all good!
Watching a river- one of my favorite pastimes. And such lovely country to enjoy it in; I hope you've found the tranquility you were seeking.
Hi Mary Ann. Thanks. The quartet was quite something as we had someone adding some slides that they projected onto a wall and the dancer. Something we're going to explore again, I hope. Yes, the beautiful river.... it made for a very different week away from the town.
Hi Sharmon. Me too!! Or the sea. It really did make for a relaxing break. Good timing after a very busy few months. Now I'm back to busy again with lots of creative work in flow.
So many lovely curves Annie - the eye just wanders off with them doesn't it? Funny how cameras can collapse just when you think you need/want them most; but then I try to think its an offering/gift - just to observe and be, and not record. Sounds like a great break, pleased to know the words are flowing too now!
Hi Fiona. Yes, lovely to let eyes follow the flow downstream.....Totally agree with you about the camera thing - reminds us just how amazing our own eyes are. Anyway, so good to just potter along and enjoy looking instead. Was a lovely break. Great way to start some time off.
Following the curving path of the river is like my recent post on pathways.. walking along.. in the moment.. thinking of poetry to match the images.
Hi Donna. Yes. One of the things I love about rivers, and particularly new ones, is how easy it is to follow the curves just round the next bend with no thought in mind, to see where it leads you with no worries about getting lost, knowing that all you need to do when you've had enough is turn round and walk back to where you started.
love this post. the meandering. You got some wonderful images! its hard to photo a moving river, i always want to be up higher like a bird to get the color.
Hi mansuetude. Thanks so much. Pleased you enjoyed it. I know what you mean about wanting to look down on the world like a bird. This would be a great river to follow like that.
So beautiful! And it's true ... writing often accompanies the walking, but how wonderful to just walk and take in the river's magic. The writing will follow at its own pace, of course.
Hi Annie, you were the winner of my National Flash Fiction Day giveaway - but you haven't been in touch to give me your postal address! I don't have an email for you, please drop me a line at taniah@gmail.com. Congrats!
Hi Christine. Thanks for dropping by. Nice to herar from you. Yes, so restful to walk with the river and see where it leads......the best kind of days.
Hi Tania. Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry if I've seemed elusive!! My computer died on me, so have been in an odd kind of limbo. Will email you with my details. Thanks again. What a great surprise.
Water watching... sea or river ... is one of the most relaxing things for me too. The River Wharfe looks so beautiful. I love the thought of meandering there.
Hi Robyn. As if I don't get enough water watching here beside the sea!! It was a great place to meander in all those greens.
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