365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Down In The Swamp
Day 146: In need of something to occupy my thoughts and energies, I went out searching for subject matter to honour the First Day of Skunk Cabbage, and found it behind Swofford Pond. Never mind that the weather was a bit inclement; I had Purpose, and that is not to be denied. There I was, in my knee-high muck boots midway across the bog setting up the tripod when the cloudburst arrived. It had been a tricky crossing, swamps being what they are, filled with spots which look like solid ground but aren't, so a hasty retreat to the cover of a large cedar tree a hundred feet away was not an option. Hoping that the squall would pass, I shielded the lens with my hands and continued my work. The rain pounded down, but at last I was satisfied that I'd gotten a good angle on Uncle Skunk and made my way back across mossy logs and islands of bunched sticks, stepping gingerly as I assessed my footing. The potential for mishap was high, but none occurred, and predictably, just as I reached the shelter of the car, the canopy of cloud opened to reveal blue sky. Such is the work of a naturalist, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
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