What makes you stop and watch?

[Nicos]

I don't particularly enjoy, but, have you noticed how flies ( we get quite a few indoors from time to time if the cows are in the back field) will fly in 'circles' in the middle of the room?
Except they're not circles cos they suddenly change direction at a tangent over and over again.

[Nicos]

I love a good soak in a hot bath after a hard day I. The garden.
As we reuse the water for the garden in summer I try to add as little soap as poss. But in winter , I quite like a few bubbles...watching them slowly burst and pop can be addictive when you're half falling asleep in the tub! ;p

[Hazel at the Hill]

I live as far from the sea as is possible in this country - so waves fascinate me.

And steam trains. HUFF huff HUFF huff. Lovely.

[Guest]

Most of what has already been said but also storms and lightening. Although planes and helicopters are only when the girls about as I am another one who would never get anything done. There are a couple of air bases near by.

[SusieG]

I live as far from the sea as is possible in this country - so waves fascinate me.

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Me too Hazel ~ landlocked Midlands ....... the ebb and flow of the tide, waves crashing onto the shore in a white foamy spume .....
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Love clouds ~ make up stories about what's going on up there, faces and dogs and cars and anything else my eye can conjure up .....
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Washing in the machine as it is sloshed around, first one way then the other .....
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Washing on the line, idly flapping in a Summer's breeze ...
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The courage of a tiny insect, perilously winding its way from a to b ...
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Watching the blush of the sun change from Crimson to pale salmon pink to darkness, as the sun ever-so-slowly sets behind the backdrop of the hedges and trees in my back garden ...

[Small pumpkin]

I had a stop and watch moment on Thursday. I stopped watching our roaring fire & olympics on the telly box. Started watching 4 men cycling down our road in the lashing rain wareing only shorts. Very odd.

[Bren In Pots]

Just about everything makes me stop and look too many things to list, the sea, trees in the wind, clouds, anything in the sky, insects just walking about, little kids being themselves, only thing that doesn't really hold my interest is the TV I can watch it for a hour or two but thats about the most I can manage in a day.

Heavy engineering especially Victorian stuff. Close by we have Papplewick pumping station a fully restored steam water pumping station. I can stand for hours when its in steam and have great admiration for the guys who designed and built it all those years with basically hand tools.

It's fascinating watching those Beam Engines working I could watch them all day.

[Snadger]

Facinated by the only honey bee I have seen this year, learning to fly i think? It took off flew a few feet then landed upside down on its back. It kept doing this, each time landing upside down on its back,getting further and higher each time for about ten minutes,until it finally flew away.
It reminded me of the Robert the Bruce story.

[noviceveggrower]

I love walking by canals and watching the boats chug slowly past. Love looking at the colours and the name of the boats. Just so therapeutic sitting there watching the world go by.

Love watching birds of prey hovering in a certain spot then watching them swoop down.

Love watching an open fire. The way it crackles and glows especially when you watch it in the dark.

Watching bees buzzing around next doors lavender plant. Amazing how they don't bump into each other.

Don't like snow but like watching the big fluffy flakes float down.

[Containergardener]

Curlews arriving, I have to stop and look for them ...same with swallows.

Waves , the sound, smell and movement.

Bees..busy working

Dragonflies ..how they follow you as you walk along, stopping ,watching you, flying ahead and returning almost wishing to speak

[scarey55]

I love watching lots of things but mostly it is birds. I love to see the gliding birds of prey; buzzards, kites, harriers but I also love to see the swallows as they duck and weave around the garden. I always run outside when the calling gets louder and more frantic because it probably means that there is a Hobby around looking for dinner

[rary]

When in Glasgow I just have to look up at all the figures on the buildings, do you know there is a statue of liberty on the city chambers, also like to look at buildings in other towns and cities, sadly there are more buildings requiring their gutters etc. cleaned, I suppose this comes from health and safety, you cant just shove a ladder up and go and clean the trees and weeds out now, scaffols required, higher cost, so our buildings will deteriorate
I was visiting friends the other day and their window looks out to the sea,I was watching folk wind surffing with watching them and the movement of sea I drifted of to sleep

[WPG]

I often watch my dog when he's fast asleep and dreaming, he twitches his legs and sounds like he's laughing. I'd love to know what he's dreaming about, I'm guessing it involves chasing cats or ducks

[JanieB]

Nearly all of the above.

Reminds me of:

W. H. Davies

Leisure

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I like to leave my bedroom curtains open so that I can lie in bed and watch the sky, the wind in the trees and the seasons changing.

[Nicos]

We rented a cottage in the Lakes earlier in the year , and it was next to an infant/ junior school.
It was lovely watching the 'little people' nattering away / giggling and crying out, and running rings around the adults .
It somehow felt like I was snooping but it was delightful seeing such innocent energy...put a grin on my face every morning!
Still does just thinking about it!