The second morning of our vacation we headed to the main town area of Hot Springs, NC to take in the local sights, soak in the hot springs water, and go white water rafting in the French Broad River. (Not in that order) But, as we drove from our cabin through the curvy mountain roads, we spotted a creek, and decided it was too beautiful not to stop and investigate.
We parked just past the bridge on a patch of grass, then headed down some very convenient wooden stairs to the creeks edge.
It had stormed vigorously the night before sending buckets of rain down on the mountain. As a result of down-wash from sediment, the water looked muddier than usual, but it's levels were much deeper than any in the previous month.
The creek itself was well worth the stop. If we didn't have an appointment to go rafting and had been industrious enough to pack a nice picnic lunch, we could have stayed for hours. In a place like this, you can just feel the stress peel away.
Nicole has improved by leaps and bounds as a photographer, and it's a pleasure to watch her artistic process unfold. She really soaks up the moment before she starts taking pictures. And unlike me, she doesn't cheat and enhance her photos later on.
Despite, or maybe even because of its muddy color, the water was really beautiful. The experience of the moment reminded me of attending a great play or concert. I don't want to sound silly, but it really felt like we were watching good art unfold.
I leave you with a short video of the creek I shot before we left. I think it better captures the beauty of the movement of the water. You can even hear Nicole tell me she is going to keep a rock she found.
Please forgive the shaking of the camera.
Thanks for reading, Scofflaws.
