Geese

Posted on March 16, 2021March 16, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #100daywalkingchallenge, Birds, Geese, lakes, Longport, Staffordshire, Staffordshire wildlife Trust, Stoke-on trent, Walking, Westport lakeLeave a comment

On Westport lake yesterday. The water was as still as a millpond one minute, then blustery gusts of wind rippled the surface and blurred the reflections.

Seeing a row of geese standing on one leg was an amusing picture. The water was very shallow at the edge, but these are old pit workings I think and there are deep sections. People have drowned in them two lakes, caught up in the weeds that spread inwards from the sides. This is more of a nature reserve than a leasure area and now it is being run by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust you can see how much it has improved. The one fly in the ointment is that the local council is thinking of introducing parking charges. There is a petition against this. A lot of people using the site don’t have the means to pay high prices, and it would probably impact on the cafe when it reopens.. I signed the petition against it…

Reflections

Posted on March 15, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #100daywalkingchallenge, Art, Cold, Instagram, Lake, Layout app, Mirrored, Photos, Walk, Water, Weather, Westport lake, WetLeave a comment

I love using mirroring to change how a photo looks. You can do it vertically (top), horizontally (middle) or both (bottom).

I called them ‘Westport mirrored’, ‘I see frogs’ and ‘stained glass westport’.

I used the layout app which can be used to post images to both Facebook and Instagram. I’m on Instagram @mallabandbrown or #mallabandbrown (I never know which it is!) if you want to see more of my art.

Walk round lakes

Posted on March 15, 2021March 20, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #100daywalkingchallenge, Cold, Hubby, mile and a quarter, not far enough, Short walk, Time, Walking, Westport lake, WindyLeave a comment

Two small lakes, Westport Lake, we visited and walked around them today. Even with deviations along other pathways we only walked about one and a quarter miles. We could have gone round again but the wind picked up and we were getting cold.

Despite the cold weather I still need to get a few more steps in. I walked down to our garage we take the car in for its repairs. But I forgot to take my phone so I have not recorded that.

My college work this week is to make a map of a place, I might use some of these photos to illustrate it. But I’m going to take a break first. Even short walks can tire you out….

Ice and water

Posted on January 12, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, ice and snow, Landscape, metallic watercolours, Sketchbook, View, Walking, Watercolour, Westport lakeLeave a comment

I wanted to paint a view of Westport lake with snow and ice so when the prompt water came up for #bandofsketchers I decided to go for it.

Metallic and normal watercolours in my little A5 sketchpad.

Swan and Cygnet

Posted on January 3, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Environment, Humour, Life, Nature, Poem, Poetry, Westport lake, white feathers, wild fowl2 Comments

I remember

When you were an egg

I sat on you for weeks.

Then a fluffy brown chick emerged.

You were a handful,

with your siblings.

Sampling duck weed,

Chasing stickleback,

Bobbing up and down

While pike examined

your feet.

You could have been snapped up

By a fox or a stray dog.

But you grew

And grew

Fed by people

as well as your parents.

Your down is disappearing,

Soon you will be serene

White feathers sailing

Over the lake…..

Great light at Westport lake today

Posted on January 3, 2021January 3, 2021 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ducks, Geese, Landscape, Life, Photos, Sunset, Swans, View, Westport lake, Wildfowl4 Comments

There was ice on Westport lakes and ducks were standing round on it while the geese and swans swam in the open water. The light was glancing across the surface as it headed down towards sunset. There was scattered cloud that gave the scene light and shade. All in all very picturesque for a short cold walk round the lakes.

We took grain and fed a lot of the birds, we were mobbed by them all clamouring for something to eat. A lot of other people had the same idea. Hubby and I were wearing masks, but we saw very few others wearing them, and there were groups of up to about ten people!

I enjoyed the walk, not really very far, but slippy underfoot. Pleased with my camera phone photos too.

Might go round the lake…

Posted on December 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Gales, Planning to walk, Soughing wind, Trees, Weather, Westport lake, Wet, WindLeave a comment

There are gales forecast for tomorrow but we might go out for a wet and windy walk round Westport lake in The birth of our city. I live the sound of wind rushing through the trees. You can hear the waves of air coming as first one tree bends and then the next. Air ‘soughing’ through the tree tops. Twigs or sometimes branches snapping off. Bits of tree strewn across the paths. Sometimes we hire bikes to cycle round it, but they won’t be open tomorrow.

In the photo the weather was fair and I think it was early summer. There should be lots of birds there so we will take some brown bread to feed them. That’s if the weather isn’t too foul. I once went for a walk and my phone drowned in the pocket of my waterproof coat. If its like that I might just admire the view from my car.

Swan, Westport Lake

Posted on October 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Cold, Exercise, Geese, Longport, Need to relax, Swan, Walking, Want to walk, Westport lakeLeave a comment

Longing for a walk round the cold lake, away from people, stretching my legs, getting exercise again after a month if tonsillitis. I’ve got to escape, get out, get away from crowded stores.

Fresh air, beautiful sky’s and landscapes. Snow White swans, warm down covering them, to survive the winter. Out to feed them, and the geese. That’s what I want to do. Soon…

February walk

Posted on July 8, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, February, Lake, Longport, Missing going out, Sad, Scenery, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Unfit, Walking, Westport lakeLeave a comment

The year is passing, the last time I went for a proper walk was back in February. We’d started doing weekly walks, just a mile or so. But it made me feel fitter. Then March came and the sudden lockdown. Oh I’ve been shopping, and done a few visits in the car. But I’m bothered about going to where we used to walk as it’s very popular. My health isn’t good and I really, really can’t afford to get ill. I know this will have a detrimental effect on my strength, but what else can I do? Luckily I have the garden, I can cut things back and tidy things up. I can do housework…… But I miss my walks..

Canada Geese

Posted on March 25, 2020March 25, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Beauty, Blue, Calm, Geese, Goose, Lake, Random, Reminiscing, Small lake, Water, Westport lake2 Comments

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On the water, small lake at Westport.

I’m glad I went for this walk a couple of weeks ago. Blue sky reflected in the water, one goose partly hidden behind a post. The water was gently rippled by a cold breeze. The geese were preening themselves.

It’s a random image, but it feels calm.

I will try and find some more images of the world, just to remind me……

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Westport lake