Foggy River Mornings
On this day, I had the river, the fog, and the magic to myself. There was only one pickup truck in the boat ramp parking lot - mine. Before twilight, I was heading north on the river, giddy with expectation for the beauty I knew would arrive in less than an hour.
Sunrise on the North Landing River
The weather had been warmer than usual for a few weeks—at least, warm for the month of March in Virginia. With more minutes of sunlight each day, the black waters of the North Landing River were warming up quickly. On this particular morning, however, there was a hard chill in the air. Because the air was cold and the water warm, I had set my alarm for 04:30; I had to be on the water at least an hour before sunrise.
Of all the seasons and moods of the river, fog is my absolute favorite. There is something about the intense quiet, absolute stillness, and hushed beauty that makes me long for it. When it happens—as it often does when there is a large temperature difference between the air and the water—I rush to it if I can.
On this day, I had the river, the fog, and the magic to myself. There was only one pickup truck in the boat ramp parking lot - mine. Before twilight, I was heading north on the river, giddy with expectation for the beauty I knew would arrive in less than an hour. A thick fog enveloped the river from bank to bank, spilling over and creeping onto the surrounding marsh and pocosins. With each passing minute, the light changed and painted the sky as a new masterpiece and reflected off the dark water as the fog danced and flowed. It was a perfect, foggy morning on a blackwater river in the South.
Schedule your ecotour with Moore To See Photo Expeditions to explore this environmental wonderland.
The Beauty in Swamps
Less than a mile to the north and east, people drive unknowingly past this secluded dark and serene location in the swamp.
Less than a mile to the north and east, people drive unknowingly past this secluded dark and serene location in the swamp. They are preoccupied with their lives, giving little notice to this waterlogged realm, perhaps only glancing over occasionally with disinterest at the tangled world of trees, vines and shrubs along the road. But swamps hide an incredible, complex world where trillions upon trillions of living organisms live their lives in secret on the flooded forest vegetation, in the dark water and in the thick black muck under it all.
We are forever dependent on the wetlands that fringe the North Landing River, and all of the trees, shrubs and vegetation found in the swamps, pocosins, and marshes in our corner of the Americas. These wetlands provide habitat and refuge for uncounted species, store carbon in the peat found throughout the drainage basin, provide protection from stormwaters, filter the pollutants that our standard of living creates, and produces the very oxygen we breathe. This particular swamp provides me with a haven removed from our modern way of life.
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Biophilia..
For several months, I have seen signs of a beaver in a swamp just minutes from my house. I have been searching for the beaver and his lodge, with no success until yesterday.
Beaver on a North Landing River tributary
In the colder months, I spend time exploring swamps in southern Virginia Beach. I have fewer tours this time of year so there is more time to wander in these wild, wet forests, and the absence of mosquitos, horseflies and snakes allows me to concentrate on observing the strange world around me rather than swatting at bugs and watching for the legless one.
Biophilia is a modern philosophy that suggests that humans seek connections with nature and that time spent in nature benefits us both physically and mentally. There is more to it, but in essence, connecting with nature is good for the spirit and body. The term is modern, but the idea is not. Over a century ago, John Muir encouraged people to get out into nature and to let nature's peace “flow into you as sunshine flows into trees."
For several months, I have seen signs of a beaver in a swamp just minutes from my house. I have been searching for the beaver and his lodge, with no success until yesterday. After retrieving a trail camera I had hidden in the swamp, I found him sleeping on the creek bank as I paddled towards my pickup. The beaver slid unhurriedly into the cold, dark water and kept me company for well over twenty minutes. At one point, he climbed back onto the shore and sat quietly, probably wondering what that irritating clicking noise could be that was coming from the black box in my hands. Eventually, he swam off in the opposite direction of my truck.
Schedule your ecotour with Moore To See Photo Expeditions to explore this environmental wonderland.