Death

 “A river is the only living thing that never dies; there is no force in nature so impressive... it is a symbol of the mystery and beauty of the world.”

~ Charles Whitman

I am in no way convinced that rivers never die.  Humans are exceptionally skilled at killing rivers.  We suck the life blood out of them to grow our crops and feed our ever growing population.   A dead river is an incredibly sad sight and they are becoming far to common.  The once science fiction tails of water wars become closer to reality.

I am running a black and white workshop this week.  Today’s morning shoot blesses us with a wee drop of moisture and hopefully some more tomorrow.  Mist forms over Korowal and teases us with its presence.  The warm moist air rises and condenses when it hits the colder air above. A few minutes later it’s gone and hopefully we created something beautiful in its short lived presence.

Today I feel lucky feeling the cool drops of water on my skin. Discussion of drought reminds me of the reality of climate change.   I walked past drought relief collection points wondering why we aren’t funding the planting of trees along our barren waterways and raped lands.  Where has the big picture planning gone   Can no one see where we are dangerously heading.  Of course many can, but not enough to make it an economic and political priority.   Sigh   

The cool rain drops are beautifully refreshing and my thoughts are washed away in yet another search for beauty. 

The Lake District, United Kindgom.  Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2018