Quiet Moments

When all this is over, I’ll remember the quiet moments …

… the early evenings in the garden, as the birds chattered tunefully among themselves …

… the woodland walks, where I was soothed by the changing patterns as, day by day, green leaves unfolded above me, and the flowers of spring, then summer, came and went alongside my path.

And I’ll remember this walk too, from Monday this week, when I exchanged my bosky local landscape for the wider vistas near the North York Moors National Park, where a long slog up a long hill rewards with far-ranging views. And maybe the chance to take a photo requiring depth of field, for Jude’s current photo challenge.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #102: A Quiet Moment

 

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

69 thoughts on “Quiet Moments”

  3. Well done for challenging yourself the views were worth the effort. The sounds of birds being louder than traffic was a real treat in April/May.

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  5. For those of us lucky enough to have those spaces to escape to, I think that they will always hold a special memory when traffic was almost non existant, the skies were only filled with birdsong and the buzzing of insects, and you could almost forget that anything tragic was happening all around. I actually feel that I resent the ‘new’ intrusion as life tries to return to a kind of normal, but of course, that is being rather selfish!

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  6. Jude has inspired you to share a wonderful view. And the word ‘bosky’ is new to me, so thanks for that. I do not know if I’ll hear it enough to internalise it. Does the word have a flavour – ie does it imply anything other than a covering of foliage?

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    2. It suggests abundant tree cover, Somehow, it’s a word I grew up with and love. Just as I love boskiness (is that a word?) itself.

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    1. I am too. What I’m not enjoying is the new half-and-half, where life is abnormal, but without that blessed monastic calm of the early days.

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  8. Ah, the quietness will be coming to an end soon as life returns to normal. Though I for one hope that it doesn’t become too normal and that we remember how peaceful life is without all the cars on the road and planes in the sky. Slipping back into the 1950s for a few weeks has been rather nice in some ways. Thank you for the lovely Yorkshire vistas 🙂

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    1. It has been lovely. But cars are inexorably returning in force. And I saw planes for the first time today too. and wasn’t too happy about it. Thanks for coming to Yorkshire with me!

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  11. Do you miss having people in your photographs, even in the distance or has it been a secret bonus with many places so quiet and empty of their distractions (and noise!)? I am asking because I gave up in the park last week as I couldn’t get a single photo without some random person in it, but in the town or on a street I have no problem with humans. Is this just me being weird??

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    1. Definitely not. Or perhaps I’m weird too. I know lots of photographers who value humans in their pictures, and use them to great effect too, even in wide open spaces. Like you, I only like them in streetscapes.

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      1. I have been thinking about it and wondered whether it might be as humans are anthropocentric our eye is inevitably/naturally drawn to another one of us as a focal point – which then unbalances or even ruins the shot. Maybe? I suppose we could deliberately use random people as disrupters in a frame. But not sure I can be bothered to think that much!

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      2. I’m finding thinking is getting increasingly hard! But my instinct is always to exclude, not include people in my shots. Perhaps I’m a miserable old curmugeon.

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  14. Interesting. I haven’t thought about what I will remember from this time. I know it will be written about and that we are living history right now (though aren’t we always?) but I don’t know what I will specifically remember. Maybe the nights of camping in the backyard, or the masked dashes to the grocery store. Nothing quite as beautiful as your walk up that hill. The second picture from the hill top is my favorite.

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  18. I love these lush summer greens. Beautiful shots, Margaret. The vistas are marvelous. I think you’re right. We’ll remember the quiet moments during the pandemic. Maybe we’ll even wish we had more quiet moments when life gets hectic again.

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  20. Wonderful vistas, Margaret – and a lovely hike. So well captured and thoughtful. I agree with some of your commenters – I will miss the quietness .

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    1. Yes, it’s a funny time just now isn’t it? Neither one thing nor the other. I preferred full lock down to his No-Man’s Land.

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    1. I know. A few weeks ago, I was jay-walking with impunity, as were all kinds of local creatures. No longer. We’re back to dead hedgehog and dead badger syndrome.

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  22. Lovely photos celebrating the quietness and tranquility although poignant when reflecting on what brought it about. Not sure that enough of us valued tranquility enough for it to be retained going forward. …

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    1. I see that surveys show people would like to see some of the changes that have happened upheld, but I’m not sure how many people will commit to being part of those changes if it’s slightly inconvenient … and as for appropriate government action, at least here in the UK … don’t hold your breath.

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      3. Actually, I am an avid reader of the Guardian (online obviously) and sporadically the BBC news. But I think some of the photos might have been covered in our local media too. A horror story indeed. The literally tons of rubbish left behind by the visitors was incredible too.

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      4. I’ve just been reading about that too. It looks as though much of the wok so many of us have been involved in to discourage the use of single-use plastic has been quite thoroughly undone. In recent weeks, whenever I’ve had to use a road as part of my walk, I’ve been horrified at the amount of rubbish I’ve seen flung from car windows in this rural environment. Much of my optimism at what good things might come from this pandemic is rapidly dissipating.

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      5. Oh I agree – not much room for optimism sadly. The increasing popularity of home deliveries, from groceries to everything else, is greatly increasing the use of single-use plastic here too, and our recycling place is closed – at least for now, not that recycling ever was a panacea, at least it was something.
        It is horrifying how people can litter from car windows, and especially in the countryside. The other unavoidable waste that is a worry is all the medical waste generated by caring for people during the pandemic. These times are drawing on our courage and resilience in many ways.

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      7. It seems irrational not to be depressed, but I am learning that one can live with parallel strands so that the depression is one of many ways of responding simultaneously – if that makes any sense? Also am trying to learn how to better protect myself and not read the news quite so much. I have not felt well this week and that was another challenge, but today I am feeling a lot better and that changes things too. We all have to find ways of balancing things and it is a constant process of learning I suppose. Courage and kindness are the two words that I keep coming back to. I hope you find courage and kindness too xxx

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      8. Oh, do get better soon! Yes, I’m limiting my news consumption to the newspapers (actual on digital) as I can feel more in control than when I listen to or watch the news. Looking after oneself while playing some part, however microscopic, in being part of necessary change is a challenge I have found no answer to at present. I lost a lot of heart after our long hard battles against Brexit were so comprehensively lost, and I haven’t really found my my spirit again yet. Yup. Courage! Kindness! Essential requirements! xxx

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      9. Thanks Margaret. I know what you mean about avoiding watching and listening to the news. There is a saying along the lines of that its better to fight and lose the battle than not fight at all, not that that is of much comfort. And there are times when we need to try to regroup ourselves even when, or perhaps especially when, it is hard to find answers. These are the toughest of times. Take care xxx

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      10. You too. There will always be battles, so best to re-group and look after ourselves for a bit. Continue to find solace in that wonderful garden of yours! xxx

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  23. You know what is soothing my soul best in these troubled times? First of all to be back in my dear home country. Then: Living right next to fields with (presently) sheep, having large trees giving shade in the summer heat, all around our flat there are kids playing on the multiple playgrounds belonging to this ‘village in the town’, AND the many birds singing their heart out from early morning to night.
    I thought we lived quietly before in France, but THIS is so much calmer, at night not a sound unless you count the fighting cats or occasionally threatened bird crying in despair. Your impressions here make one sigh and take a deeeeep breath!

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