You are welcome to call this my strangest blog post ever (and I've had plenty), but I was just captivated today. I live just two hours away from Yosemite Valley, and I visit every chance I get, and a bit of simple math tells me I've been in Yosemite around 80 times in the last quarter century. I never get tired of visiting, but I do have a standing rule of trying to discover something new and different every time I go. Sometimes it's a new mood, brought about by sky and weather conditions, sometimes it's a new place, and sometimes it is simply showing up with someone who has never been there before.
Today we found a new turnout and short trail that brought us to the south side of the Merced River across from El Capitan. The fall colors were indescribably beautiful, and the river is low and calm. As far as I know this is the first time I've caught El Capitan reflecting off the still, perfectly calm river. Except a duck spoiled it all.
The duck was just doing normal duck things, looking around for something good to eat, and she didn't seem to mind that I was watching. She would just sit for a few moments, sending ripples evenly in all directions, and other times she would swim forward, sending out bow shock ripples ahead.
With the vibrant colors of fall foliage, gray cliffs of granite, and the green of the conifers, the reflections on the rippling water took on the appearance of an impressionistic interpretation of reality.
Or, if you want, call it a kaleidoscopic vision. In any case, I thought the duck made some beautiful art out there on the Merced River.
Mind you, the rest of the day was beautiful beyond description too. More pictures of the rest of our quick little journey will be coming soon!
In the meantime, enjoy, or ignore the quack-up of your host here at Geotripper!
3 comments:
Geologist goes quackers.
Lovely captures!
those are great shots of El Capitan, in my opinion!
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