Shadowed Emotions While Cruising Along The Canals, UK

millycf1976(73)

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Shadow Hunters

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While chugging along the canals there are countless things that occupy my mind; Whether it's a chorus of birds up high communicating in a language of their own, water birds cruising peacefully, boaters passing by with waves and hellos, or the beautiful forming of shadows and reflections.

As you might have noticed I have a penchant for acknowledging and analyzing my emotions, and thought patterns, and whenever I see shadows, it reminds me of how important it is to have moments of introspection for self growth, as without a shadow of doubt, we all have a "shadow self" — things in ourselves that we cannot see, but project as defense mechanisms onto others.

Here's an assortment of some shadows and reflections of boats, sceneries, and buildings that I was happy to capture.

This line-up of boats and surroundings outside Wotton Waven Aqueduct heading to Stratford-upon-Avon, is a popular spot for day-boat rental, so if moored there, you might find yourself having to wait for day-boats to leave if you need to moor right next to the marina, or you could moor at a distance and take a short walk. I captured this photo from the bow of the boat as we arrived. This photo reminds me that everything has a shadow, and it all depends on finding the light!

Stone House overlooking canal nearing Stratford-upon-Avon: I glanced up and saw that the residents of these houses, had a direct view of the canal from the kitchens of their homes, and it reminded me of my endless view of the sea from my kitchen in the Philippines. A flashback of my former life which seems like a decade ago.

Kingswood Junction , this canal joins the Grand Union and the Stratford Canal. This was an attractive junction which gave us glimpses of the different canals that were ahead of us - narrow ones which had a certain kind of charm, and continued all the way to Stratford-upon-Avon. This image made me think of barriers we unconsciously create around us in one form or another.

Seeing multiple reflections outside Shrewley Tunnel, made me think,
what do we do when we do not know what to do? When everything seems to hit you all at once...
There'll always be moments in life when we lose our way and ask ourselves "why". It's important to focus on the big picture during such times, as you might then see where and what obstacles might be obstructing your vision and motivation.
Our minds can easily become overwhelmed when life's obstacles seem to be blocking every step we take, and we might retreat to our shells. However, taking a moment to pause and reflect on where you are, how far you've come, can help us to put things into better perspectives of where we want to be, and the essential steps to take.

From a distance, the front portholes caught my attention because they're the same as the ones on my narrowboat. I then realized that not many boats have this design. Also I liked the Rastafarian colour scheme mixed with white, of this boat. This colour scheme brought out happy emotions and made me think of some of my favourite reggae music:)

These two shots were taken at different distances, at Wilmcote Top Lock before arriving into Stratford, and I liked both of these images equally. These reflections reminded me of the saying: "Don't be afraid of your shadow. It's really just a constant reminder that there's light all around you."

I've truly enjoyed sharing these images and my thoughts with you.

Please feel free to share with me what other emotions any of these images might have evoked in you.

Thank you so much for reading my blog ;)