#0790 "Spring Marsh"

By 9 am on Monday morning I was back at the pond and looking into the marsh. This is looking northwestward from the back hill of Watershed Farm into the dark pool beyond the pond. The swamp was coming to life again with the onset of spring. All of the creatures had been awake for hours. The Canada geese were nesting. Frogs and turtles were getting busy. I had some days off from my real career to worship in the cathedral of the great outdoors. All of nature attended the service which is held every day of the week.

The water was as high as it has ever been even though the beavers have evidently been removed from the environment. A local landowner objected to the beaver dams and the shoreline cutting of the smaller trees. I choose to work with nature. Everything needs a place to live and thrive. The beavers do a tremendous amount of work for no charge and create a very healthy and diverse wetland.

Working with beavers can evolve into a tremendous win-win experience. Beavers construct and maintain the precious wetlands that sponge up floodwaters, alleviate droughts, reduce erosion and raise the water table. These wetlands operate as the "earth's kidneys" to purify water. Several feet of silt collect upstream of beaver dams and the trapped toxins are broken down by microbes in the beaver created wetlands. Water downstream of dams is cleaner although probably refrain from drinking it. You will know what I mean if you have ever experienced beaver fever.

The colours of the dark water and the reflections caught my eye. This painting is all about matching the colours of the environment to those on the canvas. Of course I also wanted to have some fun...

This was the same pond painted in #0745 "The Pool" the previous August.

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