Just another day
Normally I don't indulge in the tradition of the Boxing Day 'calorie killer' walk, I prefer to fester indoors just a tad longer, my being slim as I am has its benefits ie, the indulgences of food, irresistible sweeties, etc have little impact on my waistline in the short term. My very good friend Carole, tho, suggested we take a walk up on the Bickerton Hills, her stir-crazy dog Rueben was bouncing off the walls. The weather was mild but with gale force winds whipping across the landscape whilst tearing holes in the cloud cover above us, allowing impressive God rays to sweep like searchlights across the land below, sadly, tho, I had neither tripod or time to stop and catch them, and even if I had I would've ended up getting the usual, "Hurry up, Tone!", "Getting bored now!", from my friend, confirmation yet again that it's best to be solo when out with the camera.
As we walked the paths with the blustery wind buffeting us along, and seemingly eager to have us off the hills, we passed many other people walking in one's or two's and larger groups, their previously house-bound dogs now chasing each other frantically through the undergrowth. I caught snatches of conversation as the rosy-cheeked people passed by, mention of presents both good, bad and already on ebay, intimidating quantities of food and drink consumed, TV progs and DVD's watched and critiqued, how much money spent and wasted, and the stress, the stress!.....and as I listened to their animated conversations I watched the wild Welsh ponies, dotted around us amongst the heather and stands of birch. They were oblivious to the meaning of the words carried in gusts past their ears, preoccupied instead with filling their bellies from the meagre resources around them. Wanting to get away from the materialistic chit-chat I wandered off the path and towards the ponies. As ever, they wouldn't allow me to get closer than 10ft as they quietly and nonchalantly cropped their meandering way through the heather and bilberry bushes, sometimes checking my location by lifting their heads and giving me that bored Buddha look they do so well. I managed a good few shots before my sense of guilt crept up to a level that I couldn't handle and I made my reluctant way back to Carole.
Considering the impact, both good and bad, that our man-made festivals like Christmas have on we humans, for all the other life we share this planet with it's just another day...ahhh, but what a day, for animals live in the moment with no regrets from yesterday or fears for tomorrow, totally aware of the here and now, alive to the subtle changing nuances of nature, the scents and sounds of the world around them, connected to the cycle of life, the 'wholeness' of existence in a way that we no longer are...and that intimate experience is a constant for them throughout their lives...we may have our special moments but to them, it's just another day.
On a technical note, can any of my contacts who see this image on their Home page please leave a comment letting me know they can, just a smiley will do. I'm still tweaking my CS5 settings and want to make sure that my posts are visible again. Ta. I've gone for quite a stark, contrasty look for this image, it seemed apt for the conditions and my thoughts on that day.
I hope everyone's had, and survived, a marvellous weekend! :-)
BTW, this image definitely looks better in L, some of the details and tones get lost at this smaller size.
Just another day
Normally I don't indulge in the tradition of the Boxing Day 'calorie killer' walk, I prefer to fester indoors just a tad longer, my being slim as I am has its benefits ie, the indulgences of food, irresistible sweeties, etc have little impact on my waistline in the short term. My very good friend Carole, tho, suggested we take a walk up on the Bickerton Hills, her stir-crazy dog Rueben was bouncing off the walls. The weather was mild but with gale force winds whipping across the landscape whilst tearing holes in the cloud cover above us, allowing impressive God rays to sweep like searchlights across the land below, sadly, tho, I had neither tripod or time to stop and catch them, and even if I had I would've ended up getting the usual, "Hurry up, Tone!", "Getting bored now!", from my friend, confirmation yet again that it's best to be solo when out with the camera.
As we walked the paths with the blustery wind buffeting us along, and seemingly eager to have us off the hills, we passed many other people walking in one's or two's and larger groups, their previously house-bound dogs now chasing each other frantically through the undergrowth. I caught snatches of conversation as the rosy-cheeked people passed by, mention of presents both good, bad and already on ebay, intimidating quantities of food and drink consumed, TV progs and DVD's watched and critiqued, how much money spent and wasted, and the stress, the stress!.....and as I listened to their animated conversations I watched the wild Welsh ponies, dotted around us amongst the heather and stands of birch. They were oblivious to the meaning of the words carried in gusts past their ears, preoccupied instead with filling their bellies from the meagre resources around them. Wanting to get away from the materialistic chit-chat I wandered off the path and towards the ponies. As ever, they wouldn't allow me to get closer than 10ft as they quietly and nonchalantly cropped their meandering way through the heather and bilberry bushes, sometimes checking my location by lifting their heads and giving me that bored Buddha look they do so well. I managed a good few shots before my sense of guilt crept up to a level that I couldn't handle and I made my reluctant way back to Carole.
Considering the impact, both good and bad, that our man-made festivals like Christmas have on we humans, for all the other life we share this planet with it's just another day...ahhh, but what a day, for animals live in the moment with no regrets from yesterday or fears for tomorrow, totally aware of the here and now, alive to the subtle changing nuances of nature, the scents and sounds of the world around them, connected to the cycle of life, the 'wholeness' of existence in a way that we no longer are...and that intimate experience is a constant for them throughout their lives...we may have our special moments but to them, it's just another day.
On a technical note, can any of my contacts who see this image on their Home page please leave a comment letting me know they can, just a smiley will do. I'm still tweaking my CS5 settings and want to make sure that my posts are visible again. Ta. I've gone for quite a stark, contrasty look for this image, it seemed apt for the conditions and my thoughts on that day.
I hope everyone's had, and survived, a marvellous weekend! :-)
BTW, this image definitely looks better in L, some of the details and tones get lost at this smaller size.