Foam patterns

The River Skell flows through the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate, entering at the Abbey end (where it was once important to the monastic community as a source of power and food). It is transformed in the middle section into the formal ponds and lakes of the 18th century water gardens, before being released back as nothing more than a stream, which then flows towards Ripon, joining the River Laver before being subsumed into the River Ure. Despite the ongoing rainfall of the last few months, the stream was little more than a trickle, before drying up more or less completely (perhaps flowing underground?) At the final pool, a large amount of foam had formed (perhaps agricultural run-off?) and swirled into patterns that I found quite photogenic. 

Noticing

I really enjoy just wandering and noticing what shapes and patterns I can see. Here are a few: 

     clouds mirroring trees; 

     the spiky shapes of umbellifers (and isn't that a glorious word?): 

Two sycamore seeds or samaras (another wonderful word) with very different colours but just naturally fallen to mirror each other : 

Reeds and grasses against water

and shadow patterns:

Canal patterns

I love all the patterns made by reflections on the canal. The area just beyond Bingley's Five Rise Locks is a rich hunting ground for these. There are always boats moored there with different colours to add interest, though I did tweak a few of these to suit an overall blueish theme. 

Patina

I must be a bit weird but I get as much pleasure from seeing something like this as I do from a good landscape. Such mini 'urban landscapes' are all around us if we open our eyes to see them. I pass this metal door, in a wall in a little alleyway in Shipley, every week on my church newsletter delivery round. Most weeks I've walked past it without really noticing and then one day - maybe through a trick of the light - I suddenly saw that wonderful patina and colouring. I don't know what the door is for. Why it's so ornate, how old it is and what actually lies within, I have no idea. It is locked and looks like it may be one of those electrical junction boxes or even some kind of a safe, though it is outside. They don't usually use elaborate mouldings on junction boxes. So it's a mystery - but rather a beautiful one. 

Bubbles

As I passed Hirst Lock the other day, the water pouring down the overflow channel was churning up foam. It doesn't usually do that, so maybe some detergent or chemical had got into the water somehow. It didn't look very attractive overall but I noticed that small sections of it had interesting patterns of reflections, bubbles and swirls. I took a few photos to play with later and have put them into a multi-image grid. 

In many ways we had enough of 'bubbles' during 2020. Isn't it surprising how many new terms we've learned? Bubbles, R numbers, self-isolating, superspreaders, lockdown... The Oxford Dictionary has recorded 47 significant new words for 2020 (HERE), when it usually only chooses one. The word 'Brexit' is now a thing of the past so we just have to make it work from here onwards. We can't undo what is done. We must all take a deep breath and seek to make the best of this New Year. Even if things aren't at all how we would really like them, there is lots to be thankful for and still plenty to look forward to. Onwards and upwards....!