High Water

Exterior of the Trail

The river overflowed the trails.
The brown cattails
And lilies there
And birds don’t care.

My disappointment flickers though.
I’ll let it go
Eventually.
There’s much to see.

When blocked from going on my walk,
The chatter-talk
I want to mind
Can rest, unwind.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille celebrating its 6th Anniversary and hosted by Grace with prompt word “flicker”.
Photo “Exterior of the Trail” by the author linked to K’lee and Dale‘s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “exterior”.  I am on the outside or exterior of the Des Plaines River Trail at Half Day Forest Preserve.  High water from the rains a couple days ago overflowed the river onto the trails although that overflowing is not evident in this picture.  The collage below contains scenes in Half Day Forest Preserve that I would have missed if the trails were usable.  They are also part of the “exterior” of these trails.

Scenes from Half Day Forest Preserve

Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

116 thoughts on “High Water”

    1. It is a nice forest preserve entrance where people can park and explore the trails further if they are open. Thanks, Dale! And thanks to both you and K’lee for the photo prompt!

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  3. What a great path. We are lucky to have such places to walk. Like you, my walks help to organize the day’s chaos, allow a flicker of creativity–not to mention, calm the dogs down a little bit.

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    1. The area is very well maintained perhaps because it has a large parking area for people to park and enter the forest preserves. I’m glad you liked it, Toni!

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    1. I found out later that the river flooding from the previous two days of exceptionally heavy rain was peaking at the time I planned to walk the trail. Since the sky was clear, I figured the effects of the rain were over. For some people, whose homes were caught in the flood plain, their problems from the storm were only beginning.

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    1. I did not really mind skipping the trails last Saturday. There will be other days and it was the first time I explored this entrance to forest preserve in much detail. Usually I walk past it. Thank you, Xenia!

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    1. There are plenty of places to walk that were dry. I also wanted to see how high the river rose. It rose far higher than I expected, but then the storm was severe. Thanks, Björn!

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    1. The forest preserves are large. The trails are rougher as one goes further into the woods than they are at the entrance, but there is beauty all around. Thanks, Jane!

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  11. I understand this. The tide does this sometimes where my dad lives and you have to time your sojourns to avoid the dog getting swept away on the tide….or the car disappearing down the estuary…nature has her own rules.

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    1. Just seeing how high the water was where it crossed the trail, made me realize the power of those two days of heavy rain. I was going to include a photo of it, but the photos I took did not show how deep the water was. Everything just looked wet. Thanks, Alison!

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  12. Lovely photos, Frank, and lovely poem. We’ve been having near-monsoons here too … and the city’s first sinkhole appeared, large enough to swallow a car! Scary stuff!

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    1. If you have sinkholes that would be bad. The flood is probably more damaging, but the sinkhole makes one wonder just how solid is the ground. I’m glad you liked the photos and the poem, Beverly!

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    1. The forest preserve entrance is more of a maintained park where grass is mowed. The trail would have been more primitive, but the park was still enjoyable. Thank you!

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    1. It is nice way to unwind. A relaxing walk doing what one didn’t expect to do, but I was wondering how high the water would be. It was higher than I expected. Thanks, Sanaa!

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  15. Love your trails and just the sort of activity I enjoy too Frank ~ Too bad for the rain and flooding ~ Its been the same here, like a cool autumn but the sunshine comes through ~ Thanks for being part of our team ~

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    1. You’re welcome! We live some distance from this river or Lake Michigan, but high water is slow to move from retaining ponds here as well. Thanks, Grace!

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  17. How wonderful to walk those trails seeing nature at its most wondrous. My near bit of countryside is ordinary in comparison, nevertheless, beautiful.
    Anna :o]

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    1. That particular park was more elaborate than most and I was unable to venture very far into more primitive trails. I’ve enjoyed walking through most trails. There’s always something there to see if one expects to be surprised.

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  20. When we travel, whenever we must detour, or get lost, my wife reminds me that we are lucky–for we will see things never expected, sublime, curious–a wise woman, my spouse; love your images. Thanks for your participation & interest at my FB photography site, by the way.

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  22. Cattails, lillies & birds don’t care – that line is so suggestive of our limitations! Thank you for sharing pictures of a place I lived and enjoyed so much. The mighty DP did its share of outgrowing its banks in my years there, as well. Spendid pictures!

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    1. It is amazing what happens to a river when it gets the runoff from a couple days of heavy rainfall. I am glad it reminded you of a place you used to live. Thanks, Jill!

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  23. As I read this I see how essential the creatures and sights are to you, and how non-essential you (and all of us) are to them. Hardly symbiotic. Deeply insightful.

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    1. Thank you, K’lee! I know I was stretching the idea of “exterior” although I felt I was exterior to the real trail. Thanks to both you and Dale for the photo prompt this week.

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  25. I usually go to those places to let my thoughts leave. The birds are thinking for me when I hear them singing. They make more sense anyway. I like the photos, and the story was exceptional

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  26. You demonstrate so well how nature and wildlife adapt to what is thrown their way…they don’t care! Those beautiful photos could have been taken on a river near me, very similar looking. One day some family members and I took to some trails at a preserve and just our normal rains had made them sometimes up to our knees with water. Shoes came off, pants were rolled and we forged ahead…it was fun to slog through the trails that day.

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    1. I have never walked in water barefoot on the trail although sometimes I had to step in muddy areas. I will have to consider that next time. I suppose if I could see where the trail was it might be different. I don’t think the water was annoying to anyone but humans, but I don’t know all the plants and animals out there. Thanks, Gayle!

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    1. We had high water and ponds filled up, but we were far enough away from the rivers to avoid much inconvenience except for the heavy downpours. I’m glad you liked the photos and poems!

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    1. I wanted to see how high the water got in the river. It was so high I couldn’t get close to the river. It did give me a chance to explore the park area which is well maintained and something I usually skip for the wilder trail. Thanks, Sumana!

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  38. Thanks for taking us on such a delightful walk, Frank, even if the river overflowed the trails – makes it more of an adventure. Your photos are stunning, too!

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    1. Even far from the river there is flooding issues with heavy rains because the water can’t be moved off fast enough. But if one isn’t suffering from it and so can relax and watch, the power of nature is amazing to see. Thanks, Lillian!

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  44. Nice photos Frank. I can see why not being able to hike there would have been disappointing. I like how your poem brings in your struggle with mind chatter…another kind of high water perhaps 😉

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  45. You went there disappointed, but you came back with a great poem! I admire how you sketch these everyday moments in strict forms yet read unnoticeably simplistic. Thank you for sharing, sir.

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    1. Thank you, Colin! I was disappointed because the trails were closed but I could see why. I did expect to see the water high because of the rain, and it was, way beyond my expectations. Although the grass looked dry in the main photo, it was soggy with water. A few more inches and that park would have been closed as well.

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  49. Nature can be full of surprises. I love finding the unexpected in my photographic journeys. Freezing experiences that will never flicker away. I think I see a robin and her nest in the rafters, but I can’t get a close-up view. Love your collage of photos. ❤

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    1. I think it is some type of swallow, but I’m not sure. There was a pair of them around that enclosure by the pond. A photograph does freeze things and shows more details. I’m glad you liked the collage. Thanks, Olga!

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