Rivers 4

Winter on the River 8

This grassy detritus neatly caught by the low hanging twigs of this overhanging tree, will fall or be caught by the water and see the lower branches here tugged down into the water to stay lazily dragging nice designs in the water as it streams past. The bigger branches of this tree outcrop have over many seasons gravitated to élan across the water, soaking up the moisture rich air and giving their leaves as much available light away from the crowding on the bank, as possible. Great architecture and the murky winter water flows ever onward.

The White Bridge on a Spring Evening 1

There are many looks this beautiful old white bridge has through the year and this is one of the quieter, calm, Spring evening ones. The many lovely reflections you get around it seem to change all the time and when you get ducks swimming calmly into or out of the grasses that overhang some of the riverbank, and the pigeons cooing from their roost underneath the bridge structure, it becomes a noticeably blessed place to be. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

The White Bridge on a Spring Evening 2

There are many looks this beautiful old white bridge has through the year and this is one of the quieter, calm, Spring evening ones. The many lovely reflections you get around it seem to change all the time and when you get ducks swimming calmly into or out of the grasses that overhang some of the riverbank, and the pigeons cooing from their roost underneath the bridge structure, it becomes a noticeably blessed place to be. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

River Reflections at Evening 21

The lovely juxtaposition of the crystal clear still waters just upstream pf the rocks, contrasting with the ruffed disturbed waters coming off the barrier, just brings smiles to my heart. The warm quality of the very last of the available afternoon sunlight enhances all the various elements of this shot and it is truly a wonderful memory of how it really was. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

River Reflections at Evening 22

The lovely juxtaposition of the crystal clear still waters just upstream pf the rocks, contrasting with the ruffed disturbed waters coming off the barrier, just brings smiles to my heart. The lovely wooshingnness of the white waters - like so many white horse manes in slow motion - joy the whole thing. The warm quality of the very last of the available afternoon sunlight enhances all the various elements of this shot and it is truly a wonderful memory of how it really was. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

River Reflections at Evening 23

The lovely juxtaposition of the crystal clear still waters just upstream pf the rocks, contrasting with the ruffed disturbed waters coming off the barrier, just brings smiles to my heart. The warm quality of the very last of the available afternoon sunlight enhances all the various elements of this shot and it is truly a wonderful memory of how it really was. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

Log at low tide

Amazing the power of the water to transport big branches - even whole lower tree trunks - and to keep shunting them on, ever downstream, as water levels get higher again. All land needs clearing and looking after and, eventually, all the bits of this small river get looked at to see what needs clearing out, and branches like this will be lifted away so as not to block up the life-giving flow of these waters to the many living things and creatures depending on it but, in the meantime, we get a nice memory of what it looked like while it was here.

River Reflections at Evening 24

These clear still calm peaceful waters just catching the last of the available sunlight give us warm hues and enough of a clarity in the reflections to remind us of the beauty of all of this - just laid out before us, anytime we make the effort to get here. Wonderful !

River Reflections at Evening 25

This very warm last last sunlight enhancing the brown and ochre hues here and the sill waters giving us a clears enough look at them again to build the whole shot into something worth looking at. It’s really what it looked like, and the usable light is just on the cups of not being there, so this was the very last shot of the day, on this calm peaceful day. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

River Reflections at Evening 26

The lovely juxtaposition of the crystal clear still waters just upstream pf the rocks, contrasting with the ruffed disturbed waters coming off the barrier, just brings smiles to my heart. The warm quality of the very last of the available afternoon sunlight enhances all the various elements of this shot and it is truly a wonderful memory of how it really was. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

The Salmon Run at very low water levels 1

The river water flow almost completely disappeared on this day. Never seen it this low. Still enough in there to give us these nice reflections off the far bank and the blue sky up there gives the whole shot more of a lift than the overcast skies that were here earlier Not sure there’s enough in the shute to give any fish wanting to give it a try any realistic hope of making it up to the higher level. Maybe they all instinctively know that and just hole up in pools further down. One thing’s for sure - this won’t stay like this for long and after even a small rainfall, or a release of more water from the lake way up at the source, this will once again be flowing freely, with all that great white water and multi-engined sound which tells you what’s happening long before you get close enough to see it.

The Herons’ Walkway 5

The mid afternoon bright reflections, and the blue sky up there, giving this late winter shot a clarity and freshness that was exactly how it was on this day. The Heron likes to stand or walk along that long log sticking out over the water and must be successful because it has been here for two decades that I know about, but almost always flies away as soon as it sees you anywhere nearer than about fifty yards or so. (for three of the exceptions to that see Ani 81/2 and 3 in the Animals Gallery = that’s as close as I’ve eve been able to get !)

Mid morning low water levels on the River

Much of the riverbed revealed here now, as this quiet water day warms up a bit on this early Springtime day. This stretch is fed by the Salmon Run, just behind us, and at low water levels there, the whole river seems to slow right down. Some nice reflections at the far and of the shot though. You can see that the quality of light at this mid morning time is not as warm and beautiful as that towards the very end of a sunny afternoon, or early into the evening (or, from sunup to about 9:00am) - so explore that better light at those times and see the difference for yourself.

Blue sky day on the River 1

When the sun is higher in the sky it shines more or less straight down into the waters so, on a day when the sky is blue, we get not only this depth of reflections but the nice blue backdrop which picks out all the available detail. The quality of light is not as soft nor as wrap-around as you get before 10am or after 3pm but there is an alive energy here on the River this day that seems to grace the rugged textures of all these older trees, from which, the Herons’ perch - sticking out across the water further up – must have fallen..

The Salmon Run at very low water levels 2

The river water flow almost completely disappeared on this day. Never seen it this low. Not sure there’s enough in the shute to give any fish wanting to give it a try any realistic hope of making it up to the higher level. Maybe they all instinctively know that and just hole up in pools further down. One thing’s for sure - this won’t stay like this for long and after even a small rainfall, or a release of more water from the lake way up at the source, this will once again be flowing freely, with all that great white water and multi-engined sound which tells you what’s happening long before you get close enough to see it.

The Front of the Salmon Run

The water levels starting to swell now. More flow beginning to be seen and heard, as the streams of living water start streaming over the lip at the top of the thing and we see the movement the waters make as they navigate all these different things put in their way. Bright light from this late morning sunlight gives us glare which just about is not too much. It’s a bright alive morning this day, and I’m sure the fish, further downstream, are somehow already realising they can get up here now today !

The Top End of the Salmon Run

The water levels starting to swell now. More flow beginning to be seen and heard, as the streams of living water start streaming over the lip at the top of the thing and we see the movement the waters make as they navigate all these different things put in their way. Bright light from this late morning sunlight gives us glare which just about is not too much. It’s a bright alive morning this day, and I’m sure the fish, further downstream, are somehow already realising they can get up here now today !

Blue sky day on the River 2

When the sun is higher in the sky it shines more or less straight down into the waters so, on a day when the sky is blue, we get not only this depth of reflections but the nice blue backdrop which picks out all the available detail. The quality of light is not as soft nor as wrap-around as you get before 10am or after 3pm but there is an alive energy here on the River this day that seems to grace the rugged textures of all these older trees, from which, the Herons’ perch - sticking out across the water further up – must have fallen..

Blue sky day on the River 3

When the sun is higher in the sky it shines more or less straight down into the waters so, on a day when the sky is blue, we get not only this depth of reflections but the nice blue backdrop which picks out all the available detail. The quality of light is not as soft nor as wrap-around as you get before 10am or after 3pm but there is an alive energy here on the River this day that seems to grace the rugged textures of all these older trees, from which, the Herons’ perch - sticking out across the water further up – must have fallen..

Dry stones on the River 1

The late afternoon sunlight washing everything with a soft warmth now. The water movement developing a gentle patina of all the available colours as the slow shutter speeds allow all its’ movement to coalesce into a merged version each single one of them - a softness and peacefulness about everything here this day. A privilege to be a part of it. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

Dry stones on the River 2

The late afternoon sunlight washing everything with a soft warmth now. The water movement developing a gentle patina of all the available colours as the slow shutter speeds allow all its’ movement to coalesce into a merged version each single one of them - a softness and peacefulness about everything here this day. A privilege to be a part of it. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

River Reflections at Evening 27

The lovely juxtaposition of the crystal clear still waters just upstream pf the rocks, contrasting with the ruffed disturbed waters coming off the barrier, just brings smiles to my heart. The warm quality of the very last of the available afternoon sunlight enhances all the various elements of this shot and it is truly a wonderful memory of how it really was. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.

The Salmon Run at very low water levels 3

The river water flow almost completely disappeared on this day. Never seen it this low. Not sure there’s enough in the shute to give any fish wanti8gn to give it a try any realistic hope of making it up to the higher level. Maybe they all instinctively know that and just hole up in pools further down. One thing’s for sure - this won’t stay like this for long and after even a small rainfall, or a release of more water from the lake way up at the source, this will once again be flowing freely, with all that great white water and multi-engined sound which tells you what’s happening long before you get close enough to see it.

Early Summer on The River 1

Everything on the riverbanks starting to be seen to come to the party now. A sense of life-being lived ! All that beautiful colour, shape, hue, architecture juxtapositioning itself against each other and the sheer exuberance of all of it determined to get the most of the available light - no matter what it has to do to do that !. the beautifulness of each separate part of it, making up the majestic beauty of all of it. A breathing in of Hope, being one of the most vital gifts this all has to give the Human Heart and Spirit, as we shake off winter heavinesses and blink with eyes that are once again happy for being able to do so. Nothing is impossible now ! And we get that, by being out in it. Wherever you are or have been in our world, that is not peaceful nor calm - please know that there are places like this that have not yet had that destroyed and keep on, living it out, for us all, all of the time.