It’s strange how little you know of your own area sometimes, isn’t it? Countless times I’ve ridden the bus along Seal Sands Road, with my nose in a book, blotting out the ugliness. It’s a highly industrialised area and holds little appeal, apart from the seals that inhabit Greatham Creek.
I was unaware of the Brine Fields, where saturated salt was once extracted and processed by the local Cerebos company. Nowadays the resulting salt caverns are used for storage of liquid gas for the process industry. A forbidding sight, complete with warning notices.
If you look very closely you might spot a grey head bobbing along in the water. The seal is apparently oblivious to the stormy skies and forbidding landscape. For humans those skies mean it’s time to get a move on home. Always assuming they have a home to go to, of course.
Paula is asking for interpretations of Forbidding on Thursday’s Special this week. This is mine. If you come along on my walk next Monday I’ll tell you a little more about the area, and we’ll go and find those seals. Bit of a change from butterflies, isn’t it?
restlessjo 
Forbidding indeed! But that little seal is like a light at the end of the tunnel 🙂
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Isn’t he? 🙂 🙂 Swimming for freedom!
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Awesome clouds, I love the drama and the contrast between nature and industry Jo. It isn’t a place that I would expect to see seals, but I guess they go where they can.
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They were here before the industry, Sam, but that’s part of Monday’s story. 🙂
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I look forward to reading about it Jo 🙂
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Enjoyed Monday’s story, much happier outcome 🙂
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Thanks,, darlin’ 🙂
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Paula has brought out the dark side in your surroundings Jo. We do tend to just show the beauty around us but there is no denying the there is another side to life and you have captured and composed this scene in all its grim reality. Now back to the sunshine…
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The worst days for me, Pauline, are those with the heavy white or grey skies, where there isn’t any cloud movement. Although this is a bit of a grim area I really enjoyed these moody skies. 🙂
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You did capture the grim mood very well. I have a theme in mind for Paula’s challenge but tracking the photos down is proving difficult (and finding the time to troll through thousands!!!)
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Fascinating. Industrial images can be the same or even more interesting than monuments ☺
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One of my first sights in Poland, driving to my cousin’s home in the south of Krakow, was a large industrial pipe, alongside and overhead of the road. It seemed so strange to me then, because I expected it to be out of sight, beneath the ground, but now I have come to take it for granted. 🙂
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Haha, I believe I know exactly what You are talking about! Never thought about writing about these, might be interesting!
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It just seemed so very incongruous, but financially I expect it’s a cheaper option than having them below ground? Yes- I would be interested.
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