brown and gray on a foggy day
nearby highways strangely still
morning soundscape numbly nil
Hawk on Pedestrian Bridge
One of the first and last things you might see at Lake Conestee Nature Preserve is the big metal pedestrian bridge that crosses high over the Reedy River. It offers access to the main body of the park. The structure of the bridge is a heavy metal, with wooden slats to walk on. But on either end are wooden structures that connect the metal portion to the ground.
On this day, as I headed back toward my car at the end of my hike, on the far end of the bridge, on that wooden part that leads down to the paved trail, there perched a magnificent hawk. Something on the ground had its full attention. Perhaps a squirrel or a mouse, but certainly some tasty prey was down there.
Read MoreGlass Hawk
Sometimes you see an image that appears to tell a story, something photographers strive for; in this case, the story of a glass hawk flying past the sun in a dark sky. Every image you see, in real life or digital form, may tell a story but not necessarily tell the truth.
Read MoreRed Tree With Boulders
The morning sun was already high in the sky. Rays of light blanketed the freshly mown grass, still twinkling with morning dew. Flanked by boulders placed there as a natural barrier for the parking area, a lone tree stood on the hilltop, it's red and orange leaves a compliment to the surrounding bushes and a wonderful contrast to the soft blur of the background trees.
Read MorePedestrian Bridge Over Reedy River
This metal pedestrian bridge, built around ten years ago, with its wooden slats for hiking feet, its orange patina of rusting steel, it's commanding view above the Reedy River ... this bridge has seen a lot of nature's transformations.
The weeds and bushes along the banks come and go with the seasons. The trees on either side go stark and bare in winter, bright and green in spring and summer, and spectacularly colorful in early fall. The river is sometimes calm, sometimes clear, sometimes muddy, sometimes high, sometimes low, and sometimes raging, flooding, destructive.
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