Behind the waterfall.

A waterfall walk through a woodland valley filled with the sound of rushing water. Every vista was impossibly picturesque.

The best waterfall is one you can walk behind. There were a lot of people who had come to do this, picking their way across the very slippery rocks to stand behind the curtain of water.

The energy and moisture in the air makes it difficult to breathe deeply. The waterfall's voice fills the ears. 

I leaned against the mossy rocks, looked at the water before me, and burst into tears.

And then back onto the path, as more people came to spend some moments behind the waterfall.

Pen y Garreg dam. Huge waterfall. Mythical figure!

A very wet day in the Elan Valley. I didn't need a filter on my camera to get this image, the rain provided it.

And a sighting of a magnificent mythical being, arms outstretched, with a white cloak of furious water swirling down. Warrior? Magician? I couldn't tell.

As soon as I saw the face, I no longer believed in Pen y Garreg dam as a construction, but as living being. The energy in the air created by the water no doubt helped.
And the trees so fragile before the rushing cloak of white.

What a magical place.

Caban Coch dam. Massive waterfall. Unbelievable noise!

 Approaching the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, the sight of a wall of water behind the buildings.

The Caban Coch dam overflowing in a magnificent waterfall. The air was full of rain and spray, and my clothes were soaked as I walked closer. I could feel the power of the water reverberating through me. The sound took my breath away.

It was an overwhelming sight.

On the ledge of one of the buttresses, in the middle of the waterfall, I saw a tree. You might be able to see it on the far left, a faint outline. How is it surviving the force of the flood?

And, facing away from the roaring torrent, in the distance a beautiful rainbow.

It was a place of wonder.

October woodland - riding through the woods

Thomas and I went up through the woods today. He was rather lively, so I took a quick photo without really looking at it, not wanting to stop and fiddle about with the camera, or he might have unseated me! I quite like the resulting image though.

His hoofbeats on the path of leaves and acorns sounded wonderful.

Here's my poem, started in my head as I rode, and finished just now.

 october woodland

brittle sunlight, shade -

golden path of acorns, leaves,

heartbeat of autumn

Writing outdoors. Porthkerry Park.

I have been spending time with groups of children, walking in Porthkerry Park in Barry, and finding inspiration for writing stories. There's a magical woodland.

And a big pebble beach as well. The work the children produced was thoughtful and interesting, and they loved exploring the woods and the shore.

Often on a school outing, the journey on the bus turns out to be the most exciting and memorable thing for the youngsters. Well, for me a ride on the Ranger's quad vehicle was perhaps the best part of the experience!

http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/enjoying/visit_the_vale/barry_and_barry_island/porthkerry_country_park/porthkerry_country_park.aspx

found ampersand number 1

Opening the car door in the car park this morning I saw a rather lovely ampersand on the ground.

I have decided to make it number one number one in a new series of found ampersands. I fear it may be a while before I find another.

haiku. ice. writer's block.

I'll have to find another way into the field until the thaw

beneath an ice coat -
immobile, imagining
warmth and open fields











                                                                                       www.francescakay.co.uk

Haiku. below zero

below zero
quiet caring night
carefully lays a blanket
over sleeping grass


                              When is this cold weather going to go away?

www.francescakay.co.uk

Poem. Heralds of change. Daffodils

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Heralds of change

A splash of cold as

sharp spring rain is falling,

Nature wakes.

Stout stems and long leaves

moving in harsh spring wind,

New season comes.

Look at these flowers

glowing in pale sunshine,

Winter creeps away.

Bright trumpets pointing

through spring to summer glory,

The world is turning.

Wild daffodils are my favourites, so dainty and yet so hardy in the cold days of February and March. 

This poem has rather more capital letters and punctuation than I usually use, but it's spring, so why not!
 www.francescakay.co.uk

Haiku. frosty morning. March 1st

March 1st and the garden is shivering, waiting for the thin warmth of the spring sun.

daylight

early spring morning -
sunshine slowly unbuttons
a cold coat of frost

www.francescakay.co.uk

Crop Circle in the Snow

Here is the dressage arena in last week's snow. The sandy surface was not frozen under the snow, so two circles were cleared for exercising the horses. You can see the smaller of the two, and just part of the larger one curving in front. They were linked, and the smaller one became a turning circle!

I am assuming that human hands cleared the rather beautiful geometric shapes, completed by that little circle right in the middle. Or perhaps aliens who hadn't quite grasped the concept of Earth's seasons took the opportunity to practice their circles.

www.francescakay.co.uk

Merry Christmas - Dancing Trees

Merry Christmas from Francesca and the Dancing Trees

Love on a muddy path

Here is a heart shape puddle on the bridlepath.

I took the photo from the saddle. The shadow across the bottom of the photo is Thomas standing while I made the image. I pointed out the heart to him, but he wasn't impressed.

A Very Wise Horse

Here is Thomas, looking very wise.

He is enjoying living in a barn, kept warm by two thick rugs.

He's looking across to the snow covered Black Mountains.

The Forest King Appears

 

 

 

 

 The Forest King, silhouetted against the trees in his domain.

The rusted iron of an old ornate fence post.

The handle of a giant's sword.

Written in the Sand

Here's my haiku, written at Ferryside.


tide turns -
each day swept clean,
the sand remembers

 I love writing in the sand for lots of reasons, not least because when the tide comes in, the writing is swept away and the poem is gone.

I also like photographing writing in the sand, as it's not possible to stand tall enough to make a clear image.

My words flowed out into the sea.

Found Alphabet. Number Two. The letter T

Here is a very beautiful letter T, the second letter I have discovered for my Found Alphabet.
The first letter, A, I posted on 20.3.12.
This Found Alphabet project is going to take some time!

This letter discovered on the beach at Ferryside, West Wales.

Hi Tech in the Golden Valley

What a fantastic phonebox. Its battered and delapidated exterior with rust, flaking paint and glass pane missing make it an unlikely place to be able to e-mail, text, or phone.

It has a certain grandeur.

All is Safely Gathered In - Harvest Time

Now the wheat has been harvested, I can ride in the stubble fields.

The sun is shining and Thomas and I are alone in a gold and green field.

My favourite pictures are those with Thomas's head in the foreground, as I capture the view we can both see.

The view from a horse's back is the best in the world.

Late Summer Flowers

 There is something wonderful about late summer flowers,
especially those with variegated foliage.

Here are two different phlox, both a delight.

I can't help feeling that they are a mid life crisis last gasp of excess plant.

 "Look at us - the summer's nearly over, but we're still vibrant and colourful!"

 It's not autumn yet.