“I’ll meet you at 7:30 am in Dunlop Picnic Field parking lot.” I agreed but I couldn’t believe it. Why so early? Surely it will still be dark? When we met the sun still had not risen and indeed it was barely light, but Mike assured me that this was the best light for this spot. “We don’t want sunshine to burn out the water.” And I discovered he was so right on. Every time I go photo shooting with Mike, I learn something, so I’ve learned to trust him. Some of my best photos come from those outings and today’s did please me.
Later when we were at Keogan’s Lodge having a snack he shared with me a Mary Oliver poem that I’d not seen yet and it made me think of how I felt when we were photographing Dunlop’s falls. It was these lines that first caught my attention:
the water pours
it pours
it pours
The full poem, which is just so perfect for this setting is at the bottom following the photos.
Stebbin’s Gulch
by the randomness
of the way
the rocks tumbled
ages ago
the water pours
it pours
it pours
ever along the slant
of downgrade
dashing its silver thumbs
against the rocks
or pausing to carve
a sudden curled space
where flashing fish
splash or drowse
while the kingfisher overhead
rattles and stares
and so it continues for miles
this bolt of light,
its only industry
to descend
and to be beautiful
while it does so;
as for purpose
there is none,
it is simply
one of those gorgeous things
that was made
to do what it does perfectly
and to last,
as almost nothing does,
almost forever.
– Mary Oliver, from her book,
Blue Horses, 2014
