North Shields Harbour, this morning.
I love the mix of snow and sea. They seem uneasy bedfellows, yet they manage to make each other beautiful. I often park here on a Sunday morning, after church, before I drive up into the hills to go home. I usually see this ferry leave on its way to goodness knows where.
It reminds me that we live on an island and that other countries are not far away. It's also a chance to see something of the life of a river. Many people use the water, from the little yachtsmen in their little yachts, through to the massive ferries which serve Germany and Scandanavia. It's fascinating to watch. Further down the river I sometimes spend a few moments watching the pedestrian ferry move at a pedestrian pace back and forth across the Tyne. It has a mesmeric quality, although for that effect to be noticed, you need to spend over an hour staring at the little blue boat chugging along and back....along and back. Each time manoeuvring with the pin-point accuracy that demonstrates a captain who has done this job for a very long time indeed.
Try it, sometime. Watch a busy river, and enjoy observing all the little pieces which go together to make it live. It's not a sad thing to do. No, really - it isn't.
All I can say is that you are perfectly entitled to your opinion, but I like it.
Maybe you should just look at the nice picture.
It is indeed a very nice picture.
Posted by: karrie | February 20, 2005 at 06:53 PM