Wednesday, February 18, 2004

And Now For Something Completely Different…

A Winter’s Day

Study in blue and white

This is the Merrimack River, about a mile and a half from my apartment.  In the city’s glory days as a textile giant, the river was a source of power and was controlled by means of canals, gates and dams.  Unfortunately, the river was also the repository of sewage, garbage and great quantities of industrial waste.  At the time I was growing up, walking on this water would have been no miracle.

Things have changed.  The river is clean again and there are even salmon runs in place.  It can be quite beautiful - even in the cool grey light of a winter day.

Walkway

Lantern Waste?

There are walking paths through the parkland along the banks.  A few hardy souls make use of them in the winter, but pedestrian traffic is, understandably sparse.  In the warmer weather, whether it’s because of a city sponsored regatta or just an ordinary sunny day, the parks are jammed with people and the roads on either bank are covered with parked cars.

Gulls at open water

Duck on ice

The surface of the river freezes over when the winter is as cold as this one has been (though winter isn’t always this cold and I have seen winters where the surface never froze at all) but underneath the ice, the water continues to flow.  The gulls in the above photo have found a spot near a bridge where the water has come through the ice, providing fresh drink.  The duck was decidedly out of place and didn’t get anywhere near the gulls.  Standing much closer to the bank, he seemed to be looking for something to eat and was muttering to himself the whole time.

I take great pleasure in the proximity of the river.  There is something profound to me about flowing water.  So while lakes and ponds are pretty, the ocean, a river, even a creek seems more interesting to me.  The water you see today is not the water you saw yesterday or the water you will see tomorrow.  Yet, it is still the ocean or the river or the creek.  The nature of the thing hasn’t changed - even while it’s fundamental component moves, continuously, on.

A bright spot

For all the monochromatic palette, there is some color to be found.  These berries draw the eye like a magnet because they are so bright against the muted blues and greys of the landscape.  Would that color scheme make an interesting sweater or coat?  Muted blues, greys and white with very occasional splashes of an intense red-orange?

A cheerful note

For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting later in the day - more like mid-to-late afternoon, rather than late morning.  My schedule has been temporarily changed, but I’ll be posting every day never the less - just later :)

Happy Wednesday!

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1. You posted! My day just got better! (Especially since it’s “And Now For Something Completely Different” day.) Lovely photos, lovely sentiments, especially the one about a river being always different but always the same. Something to mull over.

   Posted by Ryan  on  02/18  at  04:33 PM
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2. Thanks Ryan - always nice to brighten someone’s day.  I’m glad you like the photos - it was bloody cold out there - but worth it :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  02/18  at  04:58 PM
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