Beautiful things

 

Some people think beautiful things may only come in packages. But really, all you have to do is open your eyes and have a look around.

I am finally walking like a normal human being again. Well, at least my version of normal. So I started my daily walk yesterday . . . hopefully I will keep the tradition, again, today. It rained yesterday, off and on, through a better part of the day. Nothing torrential, but enough misting and chill to make a walk lose its usual appeal. But at 5:30, there seemed to be a brief lightening of the sky, and I took it as a sign, "Get your butt out there!" So I grabbed the camera and off I went.

Twin Brooks Park was today's destination, as it is just a 5 minute drive from home and I figured if I'm going to get rained on, I at least, won't have a long drive home in sopping clothes. I wasn't on the path more than a few minutes when the clouds started spitting. Not enough to stop me, I rolled my eyes, screwed my determination tighter and kept walking, keeping my eyes peeled for something beautiful or interesting to shoot. Although I rather had my doubts about the availability of such a shot on such a gray, chilly, cloud-spitting day.

I was wrong.

I quickly found out how beautiful a gray day can be. A misty rain can often wrap a lovely misty veil around your subject, producing a haunting quality to the photo, that instead of repelling, will actually suck you into the picture. I was amazed at the colors, too. What I thought would be washed out and grey, actually looked rich and condensed. And I alternated walking and shooting for two hours, taking over 70 shots.

I watched the die-hard exercisers, walking, running and cycling. A father brought his kids to fish. There were numerous dogs with their owners. I saw a raccoon dart across a path, a bunny on a trail and a mother duck with her ducklings. I saw swallows flying over the wildflowers, and I watched the geese nestle in the grasses beside a pond to nap.

The woods held an unusual appeal because of their darkness. That big, bad wolf kind of appeal. But the sound of the waterfall I knew was in there was too enticing to pass up and I was intrigued to see if I could take a shot of running water in low light without using a tripod. OK, so I ended up using a rock, because it was so dark I just couldn't hold the camera still enough to get a clear shot. But I got the shot. What I think is a beautiful shot.

And if no one else thinks it is beautiful . . . so what! The important thing is I saw what I thought was beautiful, as I turned off the path, dodged the saplings, half-slid, half-fell down the slope to the stream, and draped myself over wormy compost and a lichen-covered rock and held my breath, to capture. And that is a beautiful thing!