October 9: Creek

[neverspent]

On my way to the farm today, I stopped for a few minutes at a little state highway rest area. It's just a bit of space cleared between the road and the edge of the woods, with a picnic table and a poorly maintained outhouse. The charm is that it's along a lovely little creek and it's not "groomed" in any way. If a tree falls across the creek, as happened last year in a tornado, it stays there as a natural footbridge until the fungus and rot eventually eat it away. The ground is covered with moss in the spring, and when the weather is damp, there are a few trees with lush beards of resurrection fern.



Today when I approached the water, finger-sized gray-green fish flicked away into the shadows on the other side of the creek. One of the little moving creatures flapped backwards over toward a big stone, so that was a crawdad. A larger version of the photo is here. Can you see him?

Comments

[donutsweeper]

oh wow, that is utterly beautiful

[neverspent]

I think it may be my favorite rest stop, in terms of natural beauty. :)