Busy but peaceful

Returning to the theme that has been running through this summers exploration, here we can see the canalside being quite busy with one boat mooring, another going southbound towards Kidsgrove while the one on the right is heading toward Sandbach and Middlewich one September morning.

Outside of the boat activity it was pretty quiet that morning with just walkers exploring the nearby countryside or just sat enjoying the sun.

There had been concern since reopening numbers of users would be low I have to say it's been fairly busy given the restrictions still in place.

"It was like this..."

This week as I slowly recover aided by a sunny weekend ideal for being out  something did come a little into mind.

Whenever there is a group of you, it doesn't matter if it's men or boys for that matter there's always one or two who rise to the surface with the capacity to "hold court" with the pack with a air of quiet confidence.

Soon you find they are on their feet, telling interesting stories from the past about their lives and experiences it might be about school or work or about past camps usually with practical import such as a lesson learned to a audience in rapt attention.

One of things I loved from camp was this easy camaraderie between everyone from daytime activities shared to games, fireside singing before bed. 

It's the most magical thing I can think of. 

The train visit

While technically this photo leaves much to be desired with burnt out highlights and the like nonetheless this is a favourite of mine from the British Rail days where these Cubs are at  a station and seeing close up a electric locomotive in the then Blue and Yellow livery of BR.

For good or ill I saw many trains like this being taken to stations and railway works open days and this may well of been taken with some knowledge of railway staff given how close they are to the track.

Trains as the initiated know are a mixed experience with me as they apply to my own boyhood so you might well ask what would of I of thought of Akela had proposed such as visit.

I almost certainly of gone because things you'd see could help toward completing badges the thing was as we saw earlier this year I do find trains very interesting to the point if done right I can really enjoy it.

A concluding note: This week my cub shorts came in charcoal grey with a similar leg length allowing for a good foot and bit height difference from what I was around nine or ten to today and yes I feel a lot different. A whole lot younger!

Aye up duck!

As I'm recovering here, there's a picture I took last week of one of our friends along the canal on one of the better days in good light as summer lighting can be too contrasting to record well whither or not it's film you used as I did in the early days of blogging or CCD sensors in your digital camera.

You can see his reflection and at the same time where his webbed feet are

A scout is...

As we enter the Autumn I think it is opportune to remind ourselves of the values we aspire to not just while scouting although that is extremely important  but also in our day to day lives working with others but representing all that is good in it at all times.  

Still

The calmness of the water echoes that of the overall view as many vessels are out on the river Conway in North Wales showing the vast area and the fixed geological features on an excursion in June 2007.

There are many places connected to fishing and boat repairs around Conway apart from the Smallest Little House in Wales which I visited catching the local bus network from my base that week

This was taken on a ultra wide angle lens.

Exploring the Great Orme

Exploring can mean using a variety of means of getting to and about an area and this was a place I often visit that missed the early stages of this blog but does tie in with it totally which is going up the Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales which I did using the steam hauled railway.

That's the Summit complex with tea rooms, gift shop, exhibits and conveniences next to a radio installation on the left with the train making it's way down in view.

You can spot the heather growing near the areas fenced off that goats chew the grass  on.

There is a road network and here's a sign showing the way to St Tudno's church which is a good hike to get to having done it and lived!

Them goats can be observed most of the summer months up here looking out to the coast.

An interesting view showing an area I walked all the way to the shoreline with the drystone wall visable on the far right.

There's a tradition of people leaving their names spelt in stone on the Great Orme

Some indication of just how high and step this area is can be seen in this picture that may not present much of a challenge to the Welsh Mountain Goats but do to my wobbly feet and wonky co-ordination

These pictures were originated on film and carefully restored to digital correcting a few exposure challenges in the original negatives