Walking Another "There" Again

Tammy and I have always enjoyed visiting and walking around some of the natural places in this world, absorbing the beauty that nature provides.  We have been trying to be more purposeful in our efforts to go to some of the parks and wild spaces in northeast Iowa in recent years.  But, I really can't say that we've been incredibly successful in our efforts.

As is the case for so many of us, it seems like the things we have to do from day to day take up all of the time we have available.  Worse still, the day to day stuff seems to take more energy than we actually have to give sometimes!

 

If you read Monday's entry in the blog, you might realize that we did manage to take a short day-trip last weekend.  Amazingly, we got the trip in AND we managed to do some work with the bee hives, some mowing, some field work and some seed collecting. 

Our target this time around was Backbone State Park by Strawberry Point in Iowa.  We took the north entrance and did our best to ignore the golf course and the ostentatious houses nearby and breathed a sigh of relief and gratitude as the trees created a canopy over the road.

We took the opportunity to get out of the car as soon as we were afforded a chance and went to appreciate Richmond Spring. 

Like Twin Springs, up near Decorah, Richmond Spring is fed by an underground source, so the temperature of the water stays right around 48 degrees Fahrenheit all year.   Also, like Twin Springs, Richmond Spring was the site of a trout fish hatchery that has been closed for many years (since the 1980s, I believe).

The water is incredibly clear and appears to be quite calm, though there is obviously a nice current as the nearby sign claims that nearly 2000 gallons a minute enter the spring from the underground source.

The calm surface and clear water allows you to either appreciate reflections or the aquatic life.  Part of me was tempted to take off the shoes and socks and dangle my feet in it for a while, until I remembered how much 48 degrees Fahrenheit HURTS after a minute or so!

Backbone State Park was established in 1920 and is credited with being Iowa's first state park.  The dolomite rock formations were created by lime deposits from a shallow sea that covered Iowa 430 million years ago (the Silurian period).   Apparently, a person can find evidence of aquatic life in the fossils that can still be found.  Since the glaciers did not reach this area, we get to view the work of many, many years of slow erosion.

Can you find the Brown Trout?

If you would like to learn more, this publication by the Geological Society of Iowa in 1995 will give you, quite possibly, more than you ever wanted to know.  However, I've read half of it already and intend on reading the whole thing as I find it fascinating - though I admit to being lost through portions of the material when it gets into details in subject areas for which I have little training.

We tried our hand at some photos and enjoyed peering into the water and just letting the gentle sounds of nature bring our shoulders down below our ears once again.  At one point, I thought to look up and was delighted to see the ripples on the water reflected on the rocks above.

It's at this point that I ask myself - am I allowed to be delighted by something as simple as the reflection of light on water?  But, perhaps the better question is, "Why don't I allow myself to be delighted by nature more often?"

As we looked downstream from the initial pool that forms as water exits the underground stream, we could see evidence of man-made structures and the adaptation of nature to make it all seem like it truly belongs together.  While it is late September, there was still plenty of green and there was evidence of life all around us.

I did not do too much with the camera after this point for any number of reasons.  One of them had to do with the popularity of this park.  It was difficult to frame a photo that didn't have people in it.

Hey.  Don't get me wrong, it's good that people were enjoying and experiencing nature.  But, I, at least, did not come here for them.  I came for the trees.  And the birds, fish, butterflies and other critters.  I came so I could see the deer resting in the taller grasses just feet from the roadside, certain that humans would pass by without noticing.

Well.  Most humans.

I came to see the interesting patterns of old vines climbing some of the trees near the amphitheater.  And I came to enjoy some outdoor nature time with my best friend.

So, like our trip to see Twin Springs and our walk at Dunning's last year, I'd like to suggest that we walk here yet again.