The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Each note about the bugs, buds, and birds around us is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns of nature that are quietly unwinding around us. |
A few days ago, Melanie and I decided it was time to give ourselves a break from some of the hustle and bustle. Into a cooler went two bottles of beer, sandwiches, and two plums. It was about 4:30. Not far away is the
Coralville Reservoir with a quiet place to sit and talk and watch things around us. Directly across was this view of very early fall colors. We both liked the layered rocks. This area was once a sea bed during the Devonian era.
Here is a diary about the floods in 1993 and 2008 that scoured overlying soil down to the fossil beds below the spillway of the dam. Rock layers similar to these were exposed revealing a wealth of corals, etc. Hence, the name Coralville. A little larger view of each picture is had by clicking on it.
Below the fall color squiggle are a few more pictures and remarks.
Sometimes, it is best to just sit and watch and listen. It was either a Monday or a Tuesday. Hardly anyone was around that day. There was barely a breeze. The leaves were quiet. Colors have advanced a lot since these pictures. Today, we have a much cooler trend settling in for the weekend. If it rains, many of these leaves will be down. It seems many of our trees will be bare by mid-October, but not all.
When we drove to our spot to sit, several vultures were sitting on a sandy beach. Later, they were airborne and joined by others. They drifted lazily in circles, catching thermals, dive bombing each other, barely flapping their wings. Each nite they roost in a particular set of trees by the dam. In the morning, they glide down to sit on the rocks in the sun to dry their feathers of dew and warm up for action. It's a weird sight to see them sitting together with outstretched wings.
Now and then, a boat would slowly travel across in front of us. They varied in size from small flat bottomed fishing boats to some large boats. These two approached from the left and right. About 200 yds apart, they cut their engines and slowed down. You could barely hear them. As they neared, the occupants started to chat back and forth. They barely moved as they reached one another. They sat for about half an hour laughing and talking, easily heard across the quiet flat water.
Later, a boat glided by at a medium slow speed. Several minutes passed. This very straight assemblage of waves approached the shoreline. I am always fascinated by wave motions and thought these were interesting. Each passing boat made a set like this.
How are things with you? Do you have a favorite spot where you go to get away from it all? Do scenes like these make you feel at peace? Is there something special about events near you that deserve to be shared?
Tell us where you are and toss it into the bucket. We all want to take a look and hear about it.