I like walking along the river near my house, really more of a creek. The ebb and flow of the water and the seasons always brings something new to see.
As the water level receded last weekend, ice ornaments sparkled from the branches just above the flow of the Little Shenango.
Beyond the river bank, the ice took different form.
Shallow pools in the floodplain had frozen over, capturing yesterday’s maple leaf and tomorrow’s skunk cabbage.
There are pictures in the ice too. I can’t be the only one that sees a happy fish there.
There were also fresh signs of coppicing above the ice,
but this wasn’t cut with an axe or billhook.
I spied the woodworker yesterday afternoon and watched from a distance as she (or he?) munched on bark in the pool — now free of ice. There may be some spoonwood laying down there.
Until I can take a closer look, I’ve got some cherry branch crooks to work into spoons. Got to stay in practice for the big Spoon Day in Buzzards Bay! I’m looking forward to learning from some of the best spooncarvers around and to simply being part of what is sure to be an inspirational day in June. Checkout the lineup and the details at this link. We’ll have a blast. Hope to see you there.
David Fisher, Carving Explorations 
It can be amazing what we can see in the natural world around us if we just take the time to look. Thanks for sharing your sightings.
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Thank you for sharing these absolutely amazing photos, David! They sure bring me back to my childhood on the East Coast, though those kinds of scenes are still a month or two away here in SouthCentral Alaska. I bet you’d really appreciate a film from a few years back called “Rivers and Tides,” about an artist using natural materials from streams and beaches in Canada (?) and Britain. I checked it out from Netflix, if that’s available to you.
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I love that film, John. Andy Goldsworthy’s work is really wonderful, and is a reminder of the beauty around us that we often overlook. Thanks for the reminder; I’ll have to watch it again.
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Dave, Love those River walk pictures! So good. Tad
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Thanks for the photos, Dave. Just beautiful… as is that tight, clean woodwork!
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Beautiful sights Dave…your setting makes me a bit jealous…I need to drive a bit to get to the country.
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You may be surprised by the setting for those photos, Skip. Really just a pocket of nature in a largely residential setting. Little areas of nature can be found just about anywhere. If we focus our vision, an abandoned lot may hold beauty and surprises to rival a national park.
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I have to admit I’m not seeing the happy fish, but the beaver’s work is quite impressive when looking at the as cut surface with minimal tear-out.
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