Escape to the Seaside

This collection of images is aptly titled,

 'Sun - Sky - Sea - Sand'

Enjoy...

Scenes from The River Kennet and canal

I now live in a village called Mortimer in the Berkshire countryside, (South of England) hence the images of fields, cattle, horses and chickens lately.... Not far down the road is the village of Ufton Nervet  which is set in the hills above and to the south of the River Kennet. Now the River Kennet is beautiful! I had such a good time capturing it from the canal near Ufton Nervet. The canal had an array of boats and gushing water which looked almost poetic as it moved along I love the country and love being near water and the woods so this was a real treat for me! All in all it was a breathtaking sight, lovely morning and here are a few of the images that resulted...enjoy!

Splash!

The  images in this posting were taken last week when my sister decided that I should get out for some recreational fresh air. She insisted that we walk to the swimming pool approximately a mile from my house one way. On arrival she set before me a challenge that destroyed all my thoughts of leisurely lounging in the bubble pool and the sauna and steam room. She challenged me to swim fifty full lengths of the pool and I said, quite rashly without any thought at all, "If you can do it I will do it!" The history behind it is that I have not swam in months and not regularly exercised in years so with no gauge of my fitness level it was a really stupid challenge to fall for...(foolish I know!). So there I was, pride engaged, fiery eyed and determined and I went for it! Three lengths in I looked over to her with exasperation and she laughed and cheered me on, "just get to ten" she said so i went on. When I reached 21 she was on forty or something which depressed me greatly as I could not quit then! I soldiered on to the dreaded fifty and announced I did it! She turned and looked at me and said, "Well done! see, I told you, you could do it!" These words warmed my heart until I asked the question one should never ask of a more worthy opponent, "How many did you do?" I asked her. She broke into this big grin, not an uncharitable grin but it still was unpleasant as the words charged out like a military battalion on a mission to destroy my bride; "70" she said and just like that, the death blow was landed and I was annihilated! In the same amount of time it took me to do fifty lengths, my sister (who is older than me I might add!) did seventy! A sure sign that I am in desperate need of some kind of regular exercise immediately! Maybe I'll improve my swimming...

My earliest memory of  swimming and indeed one of my favourite memories of my childhood is when I was about five or six years old, in our back garden swimming pool where my dad taught my brother and I how to swim. Ever since I have loved the water and have swam in primary and secondary school swimming competitions and it is most definitely my favourite sport. Swimming is essentially movement through water, usually without artificial assistance. Swimming is an activity that can be both useful for health purposes and recreationally for relaxation purposes. 

History behind swimming - Swimming has been known since prehistoric times; the earliest record of swimming dates back to Stone Age paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest references to swimming include the Gilgamesh, the Iliad and the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_swimming].

Recreational swimming is a good way to relax, while enjoying, or rather gaining the benefit of a full-body workout. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise because the density of the human body is very similar to that of water, the water supports the body and less stress is therefore placed on joints and bones. Swimming is frequently used as an exercise  for the elderly, during pregnancy for some women and in rehabilitation after injuries or for those with disabilities at the advice of their physician. Swimming is primarily an aerobic exercise and  can improve posture and develop a strong lean physique, often called a "swimmer's build." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_swimming].