Two trees, two weeks

My favourite trees, photographed just two weeks apart - the top pic was taken on 12 April and the bottom pic was on 25 April. What a difference! The sunshine has really caused everything to go spring mad. It neatly illustrates the impossibility, at this time of year, of keeping my blog really current. I go out, take photos, process them and write up blog posts but then I end up with a backlog of posts lined up. Spring is rather later arriving up here than in the south of England, but maybe it is sometimes further on than my blog would suggest! Eventually the rate of change in nature slows down and it ceases to be an issue again.
It looks like we're losing the blue skies for a period now, though we could really use some rain so I won't complain.

Mizzle

It looked like a beautiful day unfolding through my window, so I put my coat on and went for a walk. I soon found that looks are deceptive. Despite the blue sky, sunshine and apparent lack of rain clouds there was in fact a constant slight drizzle, so light you'd perhaps call it a mizzle. It was as if the weather was acting like an overtired child; as though it had simply got into the habit of being whining and tearful and couldn't stop grizzling/drizzling. I still enjoyed my walk (the usual route) but by the time I got home the light damp had turned into steadier rain. I gather we've had getting on for four times the average amount of rainfall in the past month in this area, on top of a rather wet winter overall. I'm not really complaining, as the alternative of drought is just as bad, but I'm looking forward to some reliably dry weather now.

Summer Sunday stroll 2

Hirst Lock to Dowley Gap Lock

[Continuing my walk from Saltaire to Bingley along the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal] 

Beyond Hirst Lock, the path passes through Hirst Wood itself, a shady and rather mysterious stretch of the canal with trees lining both sides. Views open out when you reach the aqueduct (above) that carries the canal over the River Aire. It is such a broad bridge that you don't really feel as though you're on a bridge (unlike, say, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in the Welsh Borders, which is rather hair-raising to cross). 

My brisk walking pace was almost keeping up with the cabin cruisers that had set off just before me when I passed Hirst Lock. 

There is an old mill on the left here, now converted into dwellings. It would be such a nice place to live... were it not for the sewage works just over the fence, with its distinctive aroma! The foliage along the canalside now more or less obscures the view of the changeline bridge, where the towpath passes from one side of the canal to the other. It's a pity as it's quite an attractive bridge. I suppose, sooner or later, someone will come along and trim the bushes back as part of the waterway maintenance. 

It's from this spot that you can see my two favourite trees, up the hillside. Some trees were beginning to look a little autumnal at this stage of the summer, but not these two. 

Here, I did catch up with the two cabin cruisers, as they had to stop to get clearance to negotiate the locks at Dowley Gap. The scene from the bridge looks much more interesting when there are boats moored.

There were a lot of other people about, enjoying the beautiful late summer weather. I have to be careful as I never hear cyclists coming up behind me, and some of them ride rather too fast.

As I reached the top of the locks, a narrowboat had just finished its journey up the 20 foot (6 m) rise. The cabin cruisers lower down faced a bit of a wait, until the water levels in the two lock chambers were regulated to allow them to enter the bottom lock. It's a fascinatingly complicated enterprise. You have to know what you're doing, so you don't waste a lot of water. Some of the locks have lock-keepers to operate them and there is a lock house at Dowley Gap, but I'm not sure if these locks are manned or not. This particular boat looked to be doing a good job of negotiating the locks. Narrowboats can often fit through if just one gate is opened, but the advice is to open both gates to avoid damage to the gates. (Not everyone heeds the advice!)

Zen and the art of walking

Despite fairly constant light drizzle, I decided I'd have a walk on Christmas Eve. I chose one of my usual routes along the canal, from Saltaire to the Five Rise Locks in Bingley. Everywhere is so muddy at the moment and at least the towpath is a little firmer most of the way. There is, anyway, a simple pleasure in taking the paths much travelled and really noticing the sights, at once familiar and at the same time always new and fresh. I didn't take my 'big camera'. There is a freedom in walking untrammelled and I had my phone with me. 

The first thing I stopped to photograph in my zen mode was a slender twig (below), still hanging on to green leaves. Lovely in its simplicity, I thought. I liked the delicate leaves against the rough bark of the big tree trunk beside it. 

A little further on, I stopped to appreciate my two favourite trees and - oh joy! - suddenly there was a rainbow. How perfect! I felt very blessed, I have to say. 

Even sweeter, as I crossed over the canal bridge at Dowley Gap, a lady approached me and thanked me for stopping to photograph the trees. 'It was because of you', she said, 'that I noticed the rainbow.'  I must say I can't think of a nicer ambition, in this New Year, than to be the means by which other people notice the rainbow.

With eyes to see

From the beauty of my two favourite trees, stubbornly clinging on to a tracery of bronzed foliage, to the frost-etched leaves that had fallen onto a bench alongside the canal...

to an escaped garden daisy, eager to catch the weak rays of an autumn morning sun. Our world - troubled and threatened though it may be - is still full of riches, for those that have eyes to see,

Two from one, plus a bonus

Photo blogs are a bit like the London Underground, I always think... You can travel on the Underground and 'pop up' at various points in London, without having any real idea of how those points all mesh together. Some places I always thought were miles apart turn out to be next-door neighbours, quicker to walk than to take the Tube between them!

In a similar way, I'm sure regular readers of my blog, even those who have never set foot in Saltaire, have a pretty good idea by now of the local scenery and my habitual walks but perhaps haven't formed an idea of where all the places are in relation to each other. So I suddenly had the idea to take two (or more) photos from one spot, just shifting my viewpoint, and that way you can see a little more of how things fit together.

The picture above is taken looking back in the direction of Saltaire, at the point where the Leeds-Liverpool Canal (seen on the right) passes on an aqueduct over the River Aire (glimpsed centre left). This is the furthest point of my favourite circular walk, along the canal and then back along the river. There are steps down to the riverbank just where the girl is standing. It's a walk I do at least every couple of weeks, but there is always something new to discover. This time I noticed that a new hedge has been planted behind the bench. The sign said it had been done by the Hirst Wood Regeneration Group. Good idea - but it might mean that one day you won't be able to see my two favourite trees so well...

My two favourite trees, in the photo below, are on the hill up above the canal. I was standing on the same spot to take both photos, just moving a quarter turn between the two views. The girl had seen me taking the trees and must have decided to take a similar picture herself. They did look quite dramatic, lit by the sun against the dark storm clouds.

And a postscript, a photo taken on a different day: I noticed that, now the leaves are off the trees, it is possible to see a good bit of the aqueduct from the river bank. I don't think I've ever really shown the arches before as they are usually so obscured. The Dowley Gap Aqueduct is 30 feet long and actually has seven arches. Designed by the famous engineer, James Brindley, it was built in the 1770s. Nowadays the river mainly flows under the first two arches, turning back on itself in a huge curve. The others are silted up and only really fill when the river is in flood.

Whiling away a winter evening

On these dark, winter evenings, if I'm at home, I occasionally watch TV but mostly, to stretch my brain, I read or do puzzles (crosswords or sudoku - and I'm having fun with some logic puzzles at the moment). I used to be an avid reader when I was younger and then, as a busy mother, I let it slide a bit. Now I have more time, I'm back to reading in a big way, though I find I can only read a few chapters before I need a short break. Whether it's age, eyesight or the sapping effect of technology on my brain, I'm not sure.

The very best relaxation though, as far as I'm concerned, is sorting through my photos and experimenting with processing. So it's a nuisance when I can't get out for walks and I run short on stock. Then I resort to trawling my photo archives, maybe finding an image I missed first time around, or one that I can see could benefit from a new treatment. I sit at my desktop for serious work but sometimes it's fun just to play on my iPad. I have some photo apps on that, more frivolous. I've also been scanning some very old family photos. I might show a few of those one day.

You'll recognise the photo above: my favourite trees, along by Dowley Gap Locks. In an idle half hour one evening, I added some textures and a few 'birds', just for fun.

Two trees, two days

I had a quick and restorative walk on Boxing Day, taking my favourite route out along the canal towpath and back along the river bank. It's only about three miles but it's enough to wake me up! The furthest point takes me as far as my favourite trees and I like to check on them every now and again. It was a beautiful day, with sunshine and blue skies.

A few days later, I did a different walking route which took me past the trees again. They looked a bit different under a lowering sky. Within a few minutes of me taking the photo, the rain started. Luckily I was already heading for home.

Two trees in high summer

Those two trees near Dowley Gap again... I notice that it is getting harder to find a viewpoint that gives a separation between the leaves. They're getting fatter! A few years ago, their spread was rather less, as you can see if you click the 'two trees' label below. The grass is longer too. Perhaps the cows and horses have been grazing elsewhere. This was taken a week or two ago. Now some of our trees are already looking a bit autumnal; I think they will lose their leaves early this year.

Cloud mirrors

Such a beautiful day...  I walked past my favourite trees again and enjoyed the way the clouds were echoing their shapes.

We're having a lovely spell of dry weather, though before long they'll be saying it's a drought! This coming Bank Holiday weekend (27-29) is the annual Saltaire Arts Trail, so let's hope the good weather continues.

Milnerfield trees - and controversy

Two trees in the winter sunshine. I've photographed these two in all seasons (click the 'two trees' label below) and I like how winter reveals their structure and shape so well.

The trees are in fields above the Leeds-Liverpool Canal near Dowley Gap, just past the aquaduct. Behind and to the left, the newly bare branches reveal a few buildings, which belong to Milnerfield Farm. The farm dates back to the 1860s, originally built by the Salt family on their Milnerfield estate. It has been run continuously as a tenanted dairy farm since then. The landlords have recently submitted a contentious planning application to demolish many of the existing farm buildings and build a business park for innovative technology start-up companies, backed by Bradford University and the College. According to press reports, the farmer was not even notified of this prior to the application's submission, which seems very mean. There is, inevitably, a lot of local opposition to the plans, preferring to retain the existing farm, which is in the green belt, and fearful that any change would open the way to housing developments in the area. I am not sure when the final decision will be made.

Separated

On one of my regular walks, I pass a couple of my favourite trees and I have photographed them in all seasons. They look especially good in winter when you can see their 'bone structure'. Walking in the opposite direction from my usual route one day, I thought this one looked good from this side too, though I don't know how it will feel about being separated from its twin. To see the pair, click the 'two trees' label below.

Two trees, two horses

Or maybe three horses.... it was hard to tell from that distance. My two favourite trees were providing shelter for the horses, though whether it was shade they were after or protection from the oncoming rain shower, I couldn't say.

Two trees again

Those trees again, in their spring plumage.

See the 'two trees' label for other pictures.

Two trees in summer

Those two trees again, showing another seasonal face.

For other photos of these trees, please click the 'two trees' label below.

Two trees...in snow?

Someone suggested it would be interesting to see these two trees in all seasons.  I've shown them in spring and autumn.  Here they are in winter.

I'll bet they looked much like this this morning - yes, folks, it's snowy again in the frozen north of England.  But, as I'm still feeling too ropey even to trot out to the shop for some milk, I wasn't about to brave the blizzard.

I've cheated here ... I took the photo on a day when the grass was green and the sky white with cloud, converted the photo to mono (infra red) and added some noise - hey presto, it's snowing.  I created the image a few weeks ago; I haven't the energy for such tricks this week. But it proves the value of having a few random pics available for 'emergencies'!

Two trees in autumn

We saw them in the spring, and here they are again in autumn, just beginning to turn brown. There is something comforting, I find, in the regular turning of the seasons, even though I am loathe to trade the light and warmth of the summer for the cold, grey darkness of wintertime. There is a rhythm to Life, although not a uniformity.  I doubt these trees look exactly the same two autumns in succession.

I was glad to see the geese grazing on the field just beyond the gateway. I think they must be the flock that is often found lazing around on Saltaire URC's lawns.  There is something inspiring about geese and especially at this time of year, as Anita's blog reminded me recently.

Two trees in spring

'Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.'

Kahlil Gibran

I seem to take a lot of photos of trees and these two on the hill near Dowley Gap are among my favourites.  Another lovely sight on my walk...