Walking through the forest I was drawn downhill by the sound of running water, not a steady trickle but a thunderous roar of the cascades that you can see in the first three pictures. I don't know the name of the river but this spot is marked on the map as "Force" and nearby is "Force Forge Farm" which I believe at one time was a mill powered by the river.
The volume of water passing through was incredible and the noise was so loud, it drowned out the sound of cars passing on the nearby road.
Getting the second and third pictures was a little tricky as I had to lean against a tree slightly overhanging the river and wedge my feet into the tangle of roots to prevent a tumble into the deluge. It was a great experience though, being so close to such a force. I also saw something I had never seen before (except on nature documentaries) and that was a fish, a trout I think, leaping up the falls. I waited a while to see if I would see more but unfortunately I didn't but it was great just to see the one.
Walking further upstream the river moved at a more leisurely pace and the noise was much less and as you can see from the final two images it was a much more peaceful scene. As calming as this was I preferred the drama of the falls.
Here are a few shots taken along the High Bowkerstead Trail in Grizedale Forest. I think the theme that joins all these pictures together would be "holding on".
The first shot of the last remaining section of dry stone wall along part of the trail. It leans precariously and seems like it could fall down the steep bank at any time.
The second and fourth pictures show some of the bright foliage still clinging tenaciously to the branches when so many of the trees around are almost completely bare of leaves. I love the brilliant yellow and in the final shot I love the contrast of the lime green leaves and the dark of the trunk and branches.
The third picture of the raindrop clinging tightly to the bud on the end of its twig was quite a challenge. The wind constantly moving the branches threatened to dislodge the droplet at any moment, it also made it hugely difficult to get the reflected trees in focus so I am quite pleased with the result.
I was disappointed when I was woken up this morning with the sound of heavy rain as I had hoped to get out with my camera. I checked the forecast and although it wasn't all that promising I decided to head up to Grizedale Forest in the Lake District where I was sure that regardless of the weather there would be some good photo opportunities, and of course I was hoping for some good autumn colours.
Although the title of today's blog is "On The Forest Floor" in the first of the pictures the vivid green moss was actually growing atop a low stone wall. I love the structure of the moss, each individual plant with its tender leaves funneling water down to the roots and the rest of the colony of plants, and the fresh green colour particularly as the trees around are changing colour and shedding their leaves.
The second picture shows a small segment of the massive carpet of leaves which was a riot of amber, gold and yellow.
The final picture is my favourite of the three. I saw the tree stump which initially had some fallen leaves laying on top but I could see the rusty colouring of the wood shining through so I cleared the leaves away to reveal the rough cut surface. There is actually so much in this picture that I like but I will let you decide what you like about it.
