Nurture your Nature

To the ice castle and back

As recorded in my Journal, page 1,945-6:

I went for a walk along the river, went a ways down the Kim William's trail, still frozen and in shadow. I went as far as the small spring now frozen into ice castles. The pictures won't do it justice. How do I capture the moon 3/4 waxing in a beautiful blue sky framed by the canyon. How to capture the flow of water breaking out of the ice by the rapids. The fire department rescue was out there clad in red and yellow. Mt. Jumbo is mostly beige but the far mountains were glistening. It was easier to walk where the ground was still frozen than in the puddles of mud and gravel. I noticed the tracks: the ichthys of the trax, horseshoe shape of a heel, big-dog paws, the long snakelike indentations of bicycle tires. What is smelled? not much in winter. What is touched? shoes padding through puddles. Plenty is seen - the moss and lichen, a couple birds in the distance. And heard? the trickle of water, voices in greeting. There is nothing to taste while walking.

2009, February 4th along the south side of the Clark Fork River, from the Higgins bridge to the Kim William's path, Missoula, Montana.

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