A fine light mist
Hangs over a Northern lake
Draping the surrounding forest
Moisture laden branches dripping
Onto the lake’s surface
The remnant of a late summer storm
No winds blow now
The lake surface calm
The sound of running water
Can be heard not far off
A beaver dam holds
Back the rising water
Induced by the storm
A beaver can be seen
Repairing the leaking dam
The water drips through
The dam of sticks and mud
The dripping water
Becomes a trickle
Of a small flowing stream
The stream menders through
A grass filled swamp
Gnarled tree trunks
Grey with age
Stand like aging sentinels
Among the green grass
Waterfowl frolic and feed
The stream flows on
The sky is clearing
By late morning
The sun warms the land
Emerging from the wetlands
The river’s edge becomes rocky
The hills close in
Old growth pine and cedar
Dominate the rocky shoreline
With quicken of pace
The river flows onward
The merging of streams
Swells the strengthen river
The speckled trout abounds
In the clear and cold water
Of pools and rapids
A wide bend appears
A grove of Birch trees
In a burnt over area
Grace the river’s edge
The white bark luminous
In the late afternoon
There is a noticeable
Increase of water flow
The roaring sound of water
Can be heard ahead
Mist is seen in the distance
The river plunging vertically
Over a steep precipice
Into a swirling pool
Jagged cliffs are raised
Above the violent water
A family of Otter rollick
Below the misty falls
The river tumbles and surges
Through a rock infested gorge
To emerge into quiet waters
Leaving behind the towering hills
To flow through level land
A scattering of Maples
Are now a common sight
A grass filled meadow
Appears in the distance
A Common Merganser hen
With her half grown brood
Following helter-skelter behind
As she hurries downriver
A cow moose noiselessly
Steps to the river edge
Two calves follow behind
Lowering their heads
To drink their fill
Of the clear water
Before merging back into
The shadowy forest
The river flows on
Small birds in splendid color
Twitter and dash among
The overhanging tag alders
A hawk perched high
Watching for an unwary prey
A mink dark in color
Follows the rugged shore
With a bounding gait
Foraging for a meal
In the far distance
The shimmering waters of
Lake Huron is glimpsed
The river twists and turns
Through heavily forested land
To emerge through wind swept rocks
Merging into the vastness
Of Lake Huron
Ken Bennison's Photography 