From my journal while
working on Louisiana Wild…….August
29, 2013. I put in Lake Martin early. Went near yesterday's location and set up for
a nicer sunrise. A lone bald cypress with good moss and a few lotus scattered
around. Wonderful light, top of the morning, many Bird sounds. The squawk
of the little blue herons, the sweet sweet song of the prothonotary warbler,
the loud call of the pleated woodpecker and the whoosh and flap of cormorants,
egrets and others landing in the treetops. It is a still morning, flat calm
lake, ripples only come from my movement in the bateau, even as I have trained
myself to step gingerly across my boat to get a different angle. Starting
with silhouettes of the fore mentioned tree, almost black and white looking
with little color yet and it grows into the yellows, oranges and peachy pinks
as the sun starts its daily climb. Then the red ball of fire pops up over the
bald cypress across the lake and the colors explode into sunrise. I never
get tired of it. Every one is different. I prefer sunrises and you start
from dark to the ever changing movie and the beginning of the new day. In
contrast to sunsets, of which you see many more, for the logistical reasons alone
starts with the day ending. You’re more expectant for sunset. You go from
daylight to nice light to pre sunset to the set its self. You kind of
have a better feeling or knowledge of what's coming, where as sunrise is a
surprise, and surprises are good.
Image# 140228-0734
Sunrise Cypress Island Preserve
Once up everything is green, not quite the fresh green of spring, but green, even the water with the reflections is green. But touched here and there is the creamy white of the lotus flowers and the golden yellow of the inner flower parts, the red of a cardinal, the orange of the trumpet creeper, the iridescent blue of one of the dragon flies, the showy yellow of the prothonotary and brown of the osprey's back or the millions of midges that must have just hatched. So many on the lotus flowers it looks like they have the brown measles. It's a big and important habitat here, but the little ones interest me too. One I find fascinating is the water droplet on the top of the lotus leaves. Boy do they shed water, amazing. I wonder how long they would last as roofing material.
