Late Afternoon – High Water – St. Mary’s River Swamp – North East Florida

. Late Afternoon – High Water – St. Mary’s River Swamp – North East Florida

The St. Mary’s River, proper, is beyond the background trees. None of that water is stagnant.  I took some photos at the water’s edge where even here, a quarter mile from the river, there is visible current  with floating woods debris. Thursday, the 22nd was sunny, but Friday there was torrential rain most of the day and night, Followed by strong wind from the North, before dawn Saturday, and gusty most of the day.  The temperature is dropping quickly, now that the wind has stopped.

Late Afternoon - High Water - St. Mary's River Swamp - North East Florida ⓒBearspawprint2015 2015-01-24

Late Afternoon – High Water – St. Mary’s River Swamp – North East Florida ⓒBearspawprint2015 2015-01-24

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December Afternoon Misty Swamp

Bear … 12.29.2014
ⓒBearspawprint2014
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December mist in the River Swamp
Colors and distance softened
Gentle mist will perhaps
Condense in the cooling dark
To become
Moon kissed
Quenching rain

misty afternoon river swamp ⓒBearspawprint2014

misty afternoon river swamp ⓒBearspawprint2014

North Florida Woods, Early November

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Much of the river swamp is woodlands.

I don’t have that central Hickory oriented straight up.  There is more slope, towards the St. Mary’s, than is readily apparent. The Water Oaks, that gracefully curve, tend to disconcertingly lean towards the river.

From the top of the driveway, looking back down, away from the house.  Early November ⓒBearspawprint

From the top of the driveway, looking back down, away from the house. Early November ⓒBearspawprint

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October Sunlight St. Mary’s River Swamp

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October sun is shining over the St. Mary’s River.  This is as close as I can get.

October Sun Over The St. Mary's River .. if I could just get to it ⓒBearspawprint2014

October Sun Over The St. Mary’s River .. if I could just get to it ⓒBearspawprint2014

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Old Cypress Tree

The base of that old Cypress is  8 to 10 feet diameter ⓒBearspawprint2014

The base of that old Cypress is 8 to 10 feet diameter ⓒBearspawprint2014

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Looking down over the River Swamp.

October  St. Mary's River swamp ⓒBearspawprint2014

October St. Mary’s River swamp ⓒBearspawprint2014

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April Morning

Every Day Is Earth Day

The Wait

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Slipping away,
Abandoning my kitchen,
Abandoning the household
Before morning
I return to my spot on the
Eastern shore and watch
Towards the west,
Dawn not yet behind me.
I wish for a canoe or boat,
The terrain beyond my strength
To carry weight, no wheels, no dock
No man-made permanence here.
The river is too high
For sandy beaches. 
I cannot get close to
The willows, submerged.
I wait.
Will I see her again?
Perhaps a shadow of grace?
Will I see the small
Sky Swimmer low in the
River Swamp mist?
There in the soft light,
Soon, will I see her?
Too far to see clearly,
Eyes unfocused to catch
Movement, I wait.
The scent of beauty,
Of freshness, of cleanliness
Drifts around me.
Is it her or an unseen
Night blooming flower?
I wait, the predawn fragrance
Creating a halo of safety,
Soothing in the dark.
The air changes and I wish
For comfort and sleep,
Pushing those thoughts
Away, I wait, while
The darkness softens.
Blackness and faint
Silvery outlines drift
Into focus, then away.
The owls, the bats are
Resting now.
This being alone is
An illusion, should
I startle the quiet,
With a camera flash
I will catch eyes watching
Me, even as I watch.
There will be small specks
Of color and orbs,
Mostly beyond my
Poor vision, but felt.
I wait, watching peripherally,
As the charcoal mist turns
To silver, the light
Tells me the morning is overcast,
And I am truly alone now,
In this moment of between.
The beauty fragrance dissipates
Replaced by mud, the wet leaves,
My own sad grandmother exhaustion.
Small four-leggeds stir,
The biting wingeds find me,
Their sharp whining and
Stings distracting my attention.
I return my fatigue to the house,
To my art, my work, my life.
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Bear … 04.06.2014
ⓒ Bearspawprint
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Rainy Day Walk

 A nice day for a walk
With much to see all around
I was quite happy for the rain
To keep the skeets down
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Bear … 03.29.2014

ⓒ Bearspawprint

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Water mist in air
Nice walking day for a Bear
Alert and aware
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Bear … 03.29.2014

ⓒ Bearspawprint

 

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skeets = mosquitoes.

Rainy Day Walk … Surreal Swamp

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The bizarre
Is never far
Away
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Bear … 30.2014
ⓒ Bearspawprint
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RAINY DAY WALK … SURREAL SWAMP

Bear … 03.29.2014 … Rainy Day Walk … Surreal Swamp

 

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