Water, water, see the water flow,
Glancing, dancing, see the the water flow
Wizard of changes, water, water, water
--Incredible String Band.
Water and Rock, 1974
(click on image for a larger, clearer view)I've always been drawn to water, both as a subject of photography and as nourishment for the spirit. Marion likewise. Oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, fountains all work their magic and and provide me with endless photo-ops.
When I lived in water-parched Arizona, I welcomed drives to the large reservoirs on the Salt River and the cuddly little mountain lakes like Lynx Lake near Prescott. I even photographed the somewhat stark irrigation canals that criss-crossed the desert landscape.
Some of the most photogenic water in Arizona (and the subject of this photograph) is in Oak Creek Canyon, just outside Sedona. A small stream, Oak Creek is lined by trees and rock and if you get there at the right time of year you can get reflections of fall colours mixed with the copper tones of the rock reflected on the water's surface.
I now live near the Credit River and Lake Ontario in the village of Port Credit, Ontario -- an oasis at the base of the sprawling suburb of Mississauga. The nearby harbour where the Credit pours into the lake is one of my favourite haunts. Gulls, ducks, geese, terns, herons, kingfishers and the cattail-dwelling redwings are my primary avian neighbours.
God made a song when the world was new,
Water's laughter sings it true,
Wizard of changes, teach me the lesson of flowing
--Incredible String Band.(18-Sep-2003, Revised 16-Jun-2004)
www.NorthernJourney.com -- gene@wilburn.ca