april's river

The river quickens in April.

There is snowmelt in the mountains in western Maine

and we on the coast have hosted a 

few torrential rainfalls in the last few weeks.

Altogether that makes for lots of water, going fast.

We're at the swinging pedestrian bridge I've shown  you before. 

Here is the river looking downstream toward the rapids 

and the hydroelectric dam.

Quite a difference from the frozen water of midwinter!

This is looking upstream from the bridge.

The water is tea colored--both due to the tannins from dead leaves

that fall into the river, and also from the soil

that gets caught up in the flood and the roaring that is spring.

I live about a half mile from the river.

At night, I can hear that roar in our otherwise quiet neighborhood.

Trees that are ordinarily on shore seem to float in the river, while standing still.

There is light, and color and reflection--

and the power of the water is humbling.

I like the way these trees seem to hug each other

in the face of the spring flood.

In the quieter months, this little spot is just about still water

gently flowing into a quiet backwater pool.

No swimming for Pokey in that backwater in April!!