I prepared my camera with a zoom lens and went for a walk with the intent of doing some nature photography. There were hardly any wildlife creatures about, and only brown birds that were easily disguised on the naked tree branches, swans, and some squirrels. On my 10 km walk, I only encountered two joggers as it seems as if no one else had a cold wintry walk on their agenda except me.
One of the joggers was a man about 20 years my senior. I stepped aside to give way as the path was muddy, and I thought it was the courteous thing to do.
Breathlessly he said, "thank you, and I'll be turning right back around."
"No worries" I replied.
He stopped to catch his breath and we both smiled at each other and he said, "and now I have to go all the way back."
I replied, "I know it's not easy, but I admire what you do." He resumed running, and I carried on walking.
Looking at the glistening sun rays on the water was quite deceiving, and it made the day feel more promising.
Still, as the sun disappeared it was cold as f*ck.
The squirrels looked mischievous as usual, but they were too fast for my freezing fingers, and I was treading carefully along the muddy paths in my wellies to maintain my balance through the treacherous muck.
I watched this lone swan gliding peacefully and gracefully down the canals. He came right towards me along the path.
I didn't have any food, only my camera in my hand, so I just admired it as petting a swan is not a good option.
I used my judgment to see how friendly and approachable he was, but all I could feel was nervy aggression and he seemed unimpressed by my presence.
In the blink of an eye, the elegant-looking creature made a big powerful jump onto the towpath and I heard a loud stomp and a hiss when it landed, just a few inches from my boots.
My eyes were fixed on the swan's massive feet.
I froze for a second.
From my vantage point, it looked like a dinosaur.
Feeling uncomfortable, I calmly stepped away.
The swan's demeanour was territorial, and I watched him nibble on the grassy towpath. I left the swan to it, and I carried on walking.
I do find waterbirds in particular very fascinating. I love watching them paddle and also their takeoff and landing; something that can be sudden, and quite intimidating if in very close proximity.
Still, for the next few minutes, I kept pondering what if dinosaurs still existed? How different would my walk have been?
Evolution, as believed ... Thank goodness for feathers I thought!
The weather was taking a turn and I could feel the rain coming.
I spotted a small familiar boat in the middle of the canal. I could see the owner who I've spoken to a few times, having challenges while doing a spin of his boat to change direction.
Laughing, he remarked;
"You were just a minute late, to catch a nice picture of me stuck in the shallow side of the canal."
Boats getting stuck in stilt-grass and shrubbery is something that happens often, as the manmade design of the UK canals are relatively shallow.
Shorter narrowboats have a certain charm, and one of the advantages of living on one this size, is that they're easy to maneuver.
Traffic is basically non-existent, and it's just the regular boaters who go up and down the canal to empty waste, refill water tanks, and to top up on supplies.
He was making his way closer to the city, as he had an early morning appointment. However, we took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty of our surroundings and lifestyle despite all challenges that boating life brings.
The joys of winter on a narrowboat and life on the English canals is an indescribable pleasure that I wish everyone could experience.
Thank you for reading my blog, please feel free to share your knowledge of birds, dinosaurs, nature, or whatever ticks your fancy :)
All photos were taken with my Olympus camera
