Nighttime on Still Waters
@noswpod.bsky.social
Hello, I am Richard. I live on the narrowboat Erica, seeking to create something beautiful in a conflicted & fragmented world.
Advocate of hedge-wisdom.
#naturewriting #canals #wonder #podcast #rain #night #rooks #myth #stormydays
https://www.noswpod.com/
Advocate of hedge-wisdom.
#naturewriting #canals #wonder #podcast #rain #night #rooks #myth #stormydays
https://www.noswpod.com/
Pinned
Nighttime on Still Waters
This is the Narrowboat 'Erica' narrowcasting into the night from somewhere on Britain's canals and waterways.
A podcast that gently explores life afloat (and on la…
www.noswpod.com
Welcome! I am Richard and I live aboard the narrowboat 'Erica' where I host a canal-based podcast that celebrates nature, life in a complicated world, the elements, and the night-time.
Trying to create a small place of beauty and peace in a complicated world.
www.noswpod.com
Without sign or sound
The world slips passed
The arbitrary lines
We invest so deeply in;
The cradling of
The fragility of our tears
The sparks of hope,
And all our brittle fears.
Unnoticed, save for
The quickening in the bud
The push new stem
The incremental return of light.
#DailyNature #newyear
The world slips passed
The arbitrary lines
We invest so deeply in;
The cradling of
The fragility of our tears
The sparks of hope,
And all our brittle fears.
Unnoticed, save for
The quickening in the bud
The push new stem
The incremental return of light.
#DailyNature #newyear
January 1, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Without sign or sound
The world slips passed
The arbitrary lines
We invest so deeply in;
The cradling of
The fragility of our tears
The sparks of hope,
And all our brittle fears.
Unnoticed, save for
The quickening in the bud
The push new stem
The incremental return of light.
#DailyNature #newyear
The world slips passed
The arbitrary lines
We invest so deeply in;
The cradling of
The fragility of our tears
The sparks of hope,
And all our brittle fears.
Unnoticed, save for
The quickening in the bud
The push new stem
The incremental return of light.
#DailyNature #newyear
#Day31
The year ends
With frost-ferns
On the window panes
And the gold
Of fallen leaves
Picked out in silver.
Ice stretches
Along the canal,
Unfrozen patches
Are busy with ducks.
The mud is hard
And holds my weight.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter #naturewriting
The year ends
With frost-ferns
On the window panes
And the gold
Of fallen leaves
Picked out in silver.
Ice stretches
Along the canal,
Unfrozen patches
Are busy with ducks.
The mud is hard
And holds my weight.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter #naturewriting
December 31, 2025 at 9:27 AM
#Day31
The year ends
With frost-ferns
On the window panes
And the gold
Of fallen leaves
Picked out in silver.
Ice stretches
Along the canal,
Unfrozen patches
Are busy with ducks.
The mud is hard
And holds my weight.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter #naturewriting
The year ends
With frost-ferns
On the window panes
And the gold
Of fallen leaves
Picked out in silver.
Ice stretches
Along the canal,
Unfrozen patches
Are busy with ducks.
The mud is hard
And holds my weight.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter #naturewriting
#Day30
The windy winding path
Of December is drawing
To an end.
A new path beckons
That promises colder winds
And keener days.
My travelling companions
Seem well able to cope.
They preen and chatter.
I am glad that they are there
We face our futures together.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter
The windy winding path
Of December is drawing
To an end.
A new path beckons
That promises colder winds
And keener days.
My travelling companions
Seem well able to cope.
They preen and chatter.
I am glad that they are there
We face our futures together.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter
December 30, 2025 at 9:38 AM
#Day30
The windy winding path
Of December is drawing
To an end.
A new path beckons
That promises colder winds
And keener days.
My travelling companions
Seem well able to cope.
They preen and chatter.
I am glad that they are there
We face our futures together.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter
The windy winding path
Of December is drawing
To an end.
A new path beckons
That promises colder winds
And keener days.
My travelling companions
Seem well able to cope.
They preen and chatter.
I am glad that they are there
We face our futures together.
#DailyNature #ukcanals #poetry #winter
#Day29
Maggie decided she didn't want her morning walk. So, I have a fresh brewed tea. We sit together on the sofa. I watch the oak's topmost branches sway, constantly moving. I feel the mug's warmth in my hand. Two cormorants fly past. The blank white sky is indescribably beautiful.
#DailyNature
Maggie decided she didn't want her morning walk. So, I have a fresh brewed tea. We sit together on the sofa. I watch the oak's topmost branches sway, constantly moving. I feel the mug's warmth in my hand. Two cormorants fly past. The blank white sky is indescribably beautiful.
#DailyNature
December 29, 2025 at 9:14 AM
#Day29
Maggie decided she didn't want her morning walk. So, I have a fresh brewed tea. We sit together on the sofa. I watch the oak's topmost branches sway, constantly moving. I feel the mug's warmth in my hand. Two cormorants fly past. The blank white sky is indescribably beautiful.
#DailyNature
Maggie decided she didn't want her morning walk. So, I have a fresh brewed tea. We sit together on the sofa. I watch the oak's topmost branches sway, constantly moving. I feel the mug's warmth in my hand. Two cormorants fly past. The blank white sky is indescribably beautiful.
#DailyNature
#Day28
There is a peace here
That some say is boring nothingness
It can take 30 mins for a wren to emerge
There is a silence here
That some say is too noisy
The wind in the trees, the magpie rattle
There is a home here
That some say is too uncomfortable
Too alien
There is a peace here
#DailyNature
There is a peace here
That some say is boring nothingness
It can take 30 mins for a wren to emerge
There is a silence here
That some say is too noisy
The wind in the trees, the magpie rattle
There is a home here
That some say is too uncomfortable
Too alien
There is a peace here
#DailyNature
December 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
#Day28
There is a peace here
That some say is boring nothingness
It can take 30 mins for a wren to emerge
There is a silence here
That some say is too noisy
The wind in the trees, the magpie rattle
There is a home here
That some say is too uncomfortable
Too alien
There is a peace here
#DailyNature
There is a peace here
That some say is boring nothingness
It can take 30 mins for a wren to emerge
There is a silence here
That some say is too noisy
The wind in the trees, the magpie rattle
There is a home here
That some say is too uncomfortable
Too alien
There is a peace here
#DailyNature
#Day27
The watcher
In west can lay
Down her head,
For light once more
Comes on racing clouds
From the east.
#DailyNature #dawn #ukcanals
The watcher
In west can lay
Down her head,
For light once more
Comes on racing clouds
From the east.
#DailyNature #dawn #ukcanals
December 27, 2025 at 8:10 AM
#Day27
The watcher
In west can lay
Down her head,
For light once more
Comes on racing clouds
From the east.
#DailyNature #dawn #ukcanals
The watcher
In west can lay
Down her head,
For light once more
Comes on racing clouds
From the east.
#DailyNature #dawn #ukcanals
#Day26
After a couple of days of wind
The day dawns calm(er)
The oak is almost still
Only the alder catkins
And willowherb whisps
Shiver and dance.
Two mallards swim by
The drake eyes me
They keep close to each other.
I hear their soft chuckles
And chuntering.
I too, am reassured.
#DailyNature
After a couple of days of wind
The day dawns calm(er)
The oak is almost still
Only the alder catkins
And willowherb whisps
Shiver and dance.
Two mallards swim by
The drake eyes me
They keep close to each other.
I hear their soft chuckles
And chuntering.
I too, am reassured.
#DailyNature
December 26, 2025 at 9:26 AM
#Day26
After a couple of days of wind
The day dawns calm(er)
The oak is almost still
Only the alder catkins
And willowherb whisps
Shiver and dance.
Two mallards swim by
The drake eyes me
They keep close to each other.
I hear their soft chuckles
And chuntering.
I too, am reassured.
#DailyNature
After a couple of days of wind
The day dawns calm(er)
The oak is almost still
Only the alder catkins
And willowherb whisps
Shiver and dance.
Two mallards swim by
The drake eyes me
They keep close to each other.
I hear their soft chuckles
And chuntering.
I too, am reassured.
#DailyNature
#Day25
The wind blows cold
On this Christmas morning
Creating furrows in the water.
An unfortunate pheasant
Flushed from hedgerow sanctuary
Rooks hooligan gloriously
As the sun returns
A robin perched
Among the rosehips
Surfs the wild and wicked wind.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #poetry
The wind blows cold
On this Christmas morning
Creating furrows in the water.
An unfortunate pheasant
Flushed from hedgerow sanctuary
Rooks hooligan gloriously
As the sun returns
A robin perched
Among the rosehips
Surfs the wild and wicked wind.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #poetry
December 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM
#Day25
The wind blows cold
On this Christmas morning
Creating furrows in the water.
An unfortunate pheasant
Flushed from hedgerow sanctuary
Rooks hooligan gloriously
As the sun returns
A robin perched
Among the rosehips
Surfs the wild and wicked wind.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #poetry
The wind blows cold
On this Christmas morning
Creating furrows in the water.
An unfortunate pheasant
Flushed from hedgerow sanctuary
Rooks hooligan gloriously
As the sun returns
A robin perched
Among the rosehips
Surfs the wild and wicked wind.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #poetry
Let's gather round the fire as Christmas settles over the canal for a remarkable tale of winters past and the magic hidden along the towpath. Settle into your cosiest chair, and join us for a journey to the heart of a canal-side #Christmas.
#pocast #UKcanals #cosy
www.noswpod.com/bertrum-crane/
#pocast #UKcanals #cosy
www.noswpod.com/bertrum-crane/
The Remarkable Tale of Bertrum Crane (A story for Christmas)
The Remarkable Tale of Bertrum Crane (A story for Christmas) page for Nighttime on Still Waters
www.noswpod.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Let's gather round the fire as Christmas settles over the canal for a remarkable tale of winters past and the magic hidden along the towpath. Settle into your cosiest chair, and join us for a journey to the heart of a canal-side #Christmas.
#pocast #UKcanals #cosy
www.noswpod.com/bertrum-crane/
#pocast #UKcanals #cosy
www.noswpod.com/bertrum-crane/
#Day24
Two mallards drift
Where the water
Is troubled by the wind.
A vicious easterly
Blows across Horse Hill,
Even the hawthorns dance.
Peach and orange sunlight
Pours through cracked clouds
Gulls wheel low
Over waterlogged fields.
It's Christmas Eve
And Maggie's birthday
#DailyNature #winter
Two mallards drift
Where the water
Is troubled by the wind.
A vicious easterly
Blows across Horse Hill,
Even the hawthorns dance.
Peach and orange sunlight
Pours through cracked clouds
Gulls wheel low
Over waterlogged fields.
It's Christmas Eve
And Maggie's birthday
#DailyNature #winter
December 24, 2025 at 9:12 AM
#Day24
Two mallards drift
Where the water
Is troubled by the wind.
A vicious easterly
Blows across Horse Hill,
Even the hawthorns dance.
Peach and orange sunlight
Pours through cracked clouds
Gulls wheel low
Over waterlogged fields.
It's Christmas Eve
And Maggie's birthday
#DailyNature #winter
Two mallards drift
Where the water
Is troubled by the wind.
A vicious easterly
Blows across Horse Hill,
Even the hawthorns dance.
Peach and orange sunlight
Pours through cracked clouds
Gulls wheel low
Over waterlogged fields.
It's Christmas Eve
And Maggie's birthday
#DailyNature #winter
#Day23
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
December 23, 2025 at 9:07 AM
#Day23
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
December 23, 2025 at 9:06 AM
#Day23
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
The Polestar Oak
Marks the spot
Of the sun's most
Southerwards journey
Along the skyline.
Together, we count
Our lives in winters passed
When the sun pauses
Before the sap
Begins to rise.
Have you heard the story of the #Christmas #Heron? No? There's probably a very good reason for that, but I'll tell it to you anyway!
If Christmas preparations are getting too much, here's a little something to ease your day.
#ukcanals #podcast
The Christmas Heron
www.noswpod.com/christmas-he...
If Christmas preparations are getting too much, here's a little something to ease your day.
#ukcanals #podcast
The Christmas Heron
www.noswpod.com/christmas-he...
The Christmas Heron
The Christmas Heron page for Nighttime on Still Waters
www.noswpod.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Have you heard the story of the #Christmas #Heron? No? There's probably a very good reason for that, but I'll tell it to you anyway!
If Christmas preparations are getting too much, here's a little something to ease your day.
#ukcanals #podcast
The Christmas Heron
www.noswpod.com/christmas-he...
If Christmas preparations are getting too much, here's a little something to ease your day.
#ukcanals #podcast
The Christmas Heron
www.noswpod.com/christmas-he...
A beautifully eloquent, perceptive, and well informed response by Prof Tim Wilson to the horrifying news of the Llangollen breach today and why our canals still matter.
#ukcanals
youtu.be/p8604sOQdS0?...
#ukcanals
youtu.be/p8604sOQdS0?...
The sinkhole in Shropshire and the danger to a local canal community
YouTube video by Professor Tim Wilson
youtu.be
December 22, 2025 at 9:04 PM
A beautifully eloquent, perceptive, and well informed response by Prof Tim Wilson to the horrifying news of the Llangollen breach today and why our canals still matter.
#ukcanals
youtu.be/p8604sOQdS0?...
#ukcanals
youtu.be/p8604sOQdS0?...
#Day22
The scatterings
Of Winter's winds.
Glowing embers
Of the hawthorn's
Summer bounty.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #nature #poetry
The scatterings
Of Winter's winds.
Glowing embers
Of the hawthorn's
Summer bounty.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #nature #poetry
December 22, 2025 at 8:33 AM
#Day22
The scatterings
Of Winter's winds.
Glowing embers
Of the hawthorn's
Summer bounty.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #nature #poetry
The scatterings
Of Winter's winds.
Glowing embers
Of the hawthorn's
Summer bounty.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #nature #poetry
#Day20
No sunrise,
Just a wash of tarnished silver
And scrubbed pewter
Across the east.
A moorhen ploughs
Her solitary furrow
Across still waters
That mirrors solstice light.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #ukcanals #solstice
No sunrise,
Just a wash of tarnished silver
And scrubbed pewter
Across the east.
A moorhen ploughs
Her solitary furrow
Across still waters
That mirrors solstice light.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #ukcanals #solstice
December 21, 2025 at 9:32 AM
#Day20
No sunrise,
Just a wash of tarnished silver
And scrubbed pewter
Across the east.
A moorhen ploughs
Her solitary furrow
Across still waters
That mirrors solstice light.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #ukcanals #solstice
No sunrise,
Just a wash of tarnished silver
And scrubbed pewter
Across the east.
A moorhen ploughs
Her solitary furrow
Across still waters
That mirrors solstice light.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #ukcanals #solstice
Jen does a beautiful job with these.
Belated #DailyNature roundup, in time for solstice 🌝
About kestrel swoops, small talk praise and wise words from
@julianhoffman.bsky.social as well as featuring all the amazing observational contributions from you all!
Listen along and relax 🔉
tinyurl.com/WeeklyNature2
#NatureWriting #Solstice
About kestrel swoops, small talk praise and wise words from
@julianhoffman.bsky.social as well as featuring all the amazing observational contributions from you all!
Listen along and relax 🔉
tinyurl.com/WeeklyNature2
#NatureWriting #Solstice
Weekly Nature Review: Inspiring Outdoor Moments & Stories: #DailyNature (Dec 7–14, 2025)
Week 2 of the December #DailyNature community challenge, as well as some wider environmental news and reflections on the passing week
tinyurl.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Jen does a beautiful job with these.
#Day20
Dense mist
Strands of fleece
Hang damply
From bramble thickets.
A cat sitting upright
Resolves into the stump
Of a post.
Soft burr of wood pigeon mantra
Haws and sloe drip
The ducks have moved on
Cold fingers
The bywash foams
Below the lock.
#DailyNature ##ukcanals #naturewriting #winter
Dense mist
Strands of fleece
Hang damply
From bramble thickets.
A cat sitting upright
Resolves into the stump
Of a post.
Soft burr of wood pigeon mantra
Haws and sloe drip
The ducks have moved on
Cold fingers
The bywash foams
Below the lock.
#DailyNature ##ukcanals #naturewriting #winter
December 20, 2025 at 9:08 AM
#Day20
Dense mist
Strands of fleece
Hang damply
From bramble thickets.
A cat sitting upright
Resolves into the stump
Of a post.
Soft burr of wood pigeon mantra
Haws and sloe drip
The ducks have moved on
Cold fingers
The bywash foams
Below the lock.
#DailyNature ##ukcanals #naturewriting #winter
Dense mist
Strands of fleece
Hang damply
From bramble thickets.
A cat sitting upright
Resolves into the stump
Of a post.
Soft burr of wood pigeon mantra
Haws and sloe drip
The ducks have moved on
Cold fingers
The bywash foams
Below the lock.
#DailyNature ##ukcanals #naturewriting #winter
#Day19
Venus
Caught in the branches
Of the willow withy
Does she, like me,
Long for the birdsong?
#DailyNature #naturewriting #longing #winter #poem
Venus
Caught in the branches
Of the willow withy
Does she, like me,
Long for the birdsong?
#DailyNature #naturewriting #longing #winter #poem
December 19, 2025 at 8:06 AM
#Day19
Venus
Caught in the branches
Of the willow withy
Does she, like me,
Long for the birdsong?
#DailyNature #naturewriting #longing #winter #poem
Venus
Caught in the branches
Of the willow withy
Does she, like me,
Long for the birdsong?
#DailyNature #naturewriting #longing #winter #poem
#Day18
It rained last night, weeping the stars from the sky.
I silently sit in my office waiting for dawn. It's chilly and damp. Papers crinkle from the wet carpet. I wait for dawn. The silver birch is out there, in the darkness. Soon I will see it again, and my compass will settle.
#DailyNature
It rained last night, weeping the stars from the sky.
I silently sit in my office waiting for dawn. It's chilly and damp. Papers crinkle from the wet carpet. I wait for dawn. The silver birch is out there, in the darkness. Soon I will see it again, and my compass will settle.
#DailyNature
December 18, 2025 at 7:23 AM
#Day18
It rained last night, weeping the stars from the sky.
I silently sit in my office waiting for dawn. It's chilly and damp. Papers crinkle from the wet carpet. I wait for dawn. The silver birch is out there, in the darkness. Soon I will see it again, and my compass will settle.
#DailyNature
It rained last night, weeping the stars from the sky.
I silently sit in my office waiting for dawn. It's chilly and damp. Papers crinkle from the wet carpet. I wait for dawn. The silver birch is out there, in the darkness. Soon I will see it again, and my compass will settle.
#DailyNature
#Day17
A solitary drake
Rises upright
On the water
And flaps his wings.
He settles back
Into the water
With a tail wag.
Perhaps he too
Has seen the silver
Starshine
Among the grey
And also feels glad
To be alive.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #UKcanals #winter #ducks
A solitary drake
Rises upright
On the water
And flaps his wings.
He settles back
Into the water
With a tail wag.
Perhaps he too
Has seen the silver
Starshine
Among the grey
And also feels glad
To be alive.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #UKcanals #winter #ducks
December 17, 2025 at 8:04 AM
#Day17
A solitary drake
Rises upright
On the water
And flaps his wings.
He settles back
Into the water
With a tail wag.
Perhaps he too
Has seen the silver
Starshine
Among the grey
And also feels glad
To be alive.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #UKcanals #winter #ducks
A solitary drake
Rises upright
On the water
And flaps his wings.
He settles back
Into the water
With a tail wag.
Perhaps he too
Has seen the silver
Starshine
Among the grey
And also feels glad
To be alive.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #UKcanals #winter #ducks
#Day16
Crone wise
And hag wild,
The old oak
Is now clothed only
In ivy, her winter dress.
Raven clawed
Arthritic fingered,
She caresses
The lost winds
Of a dying year.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #trees #oak
Crone wise
And hag wild,
The old oak
Is now clothed only
In ivy, her winter dress.
Raven clawed
Arthritic fingered,
She caresses
The lost winds
Of a dying year.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #trees #oak
December 16, 2025 at 9:46 AM
#Day16
Crone wise
And hag wild,
The old oak
Is now clothed only
In ivy, her winter dress.
Raven clawed
Arthritic fingered,
She caresses
The lost winds
Of a dying year.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #trees #oak
Crone wise
And hag wild,
The old oak
Is now clothed only
In ivy, her winter dress.
Raven clawed
Arthritic fingered,
She caresses
The lost winds
Of a dying year.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #winter #trees #oak
Just received this really lovely review for Nighttime on Still Waters!
I have no idea who the 'man' is that is described here, but certainly agree about the 'great wife' and 'Maggie'.😂🤣
Thank you so much Mark!
www.noswpod.com
I have no idea who the 'man' is that is described here, but certainly agree about the 'great wife' and 'Maggie'.😂🤣
Thank you so much Mark!
www.noswpod.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Just received this really lovely review for Nighttime on Still Waters!
I have no idea who the 'man' is that is described here, but certainly agree about the 'great wife' and 'Maggie'.😂🤣
Thank you so much Mark!
www.noswpod.com
I have no idea who the 'man' is that is described here, but certainly agree about the 'great wife' and 'Maggie'.😂🤣
Thank you so much Mark!
www.noswpod.com
#Day15
A pigeon shoots past
On the blustery gusts
Of a tailwind.
There are days
When even pigeons
Can fly like hawks.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #nature #birds #poetry
A pigeon shoots past
On the blustery gusts
Of a tailwind.
There are days
When even pigeons
Can fly like hawks.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #nature #birds #poetry
December 15, 2025 at 9:16 AM
#Day15
A pigeon shoots past
On the blustery gusts
Of a tailwind.
There are days
When even pigeons
Can fly like hawks.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #nature #birds #poetry
A pigeon shoots past
On the blustery gusts
Of a tailwind.
There are days
When even pigeons
Can fly like hawks.
#DailyNature #naturewriting #nature #birds #poetry
Christmas is coming and everything seems to becoming increasingly frantic. So, why not steal away for a short while to join us on the NB Erica to enjoy the feeling of waiting for Christmas to arrive in its special way to the cut?
#podcast #ukcanals #advent #nature #wellness
www.noswpod.com/advent/
#podcast #ukcanals #advent #nature #wellness
www.noswpod.com/advent/
An Advent on the Canal
As advent candles burn into their second half, and berries blaze along the towpath, why not join us tonight aboard the Erica to hear about what it feels like to exp…
www.noswpod.com
December 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM