The Kentucky Derby happened 24 hours a go, but the bigger regional story was all the rain we received. I’ve said this before in this blog, the gentle spring rains of yesteryear seem like a thing from the past. Now every storm is charged with energy and abundant water. In the Louisville area totals for the last two days are 5 to 7 inches ( 12 to 17.75 cms). In Nashville, TN there is wide spread flooding. There was one period of a few hours on Saturday that things were just misty. That was as good as our luck ran this weekend. I took that opportunity to get my river fix and it was good for my peace of mind!
Since I fully expected the rain to just pound me at any moment, I kept my eyes open as I moved along the river. I had the place nearly to myself which helped make the Falls seem larger. The willow trees were in bloom and there were even a few nice birds around. I quickly made a figure from available Styrofoam and sticks and I will now turn the narrative over to him.
Yeah…we moved as fast as my beaver-chewed willow legs would carry me over the wet and packed sand. We checked out the various debris fields near the river and took pictures of the things that caught our attention. We came across a lost arm lying next to a plastic bottle and I wondered who would lose an arm and not miss it? I picked it up and examined it.
It’s a perfectly good arm, but I don’t want to carry it around and so I left it where it was found. If I find out later that I have a need for it…I think I can remember where this spot is provided the river doesn’t rise and rearrange things again. Certainly looks a lot greener now than the last time I dropped by.
Of late, I’ve taken an interest in the remains of old fires and camp sites. It’s a test of observation and I like to learn what I can from the charcoal and ashes, but this one has been hit hard by the rain and we learn little.
A colorful, but ruined soccer ball lay before us. The leading edge of the river usually has a few balls of one kind or another in the mix. We stopped for a few snapshots than went our merry way. There were more things we could see laying on the sand a head of us that looked worth checking out.
I traded the blue ring around my neck for a larger one I could wear around my waist. It could be used as a flotation device if necessary! Walking the shoreline we came across this vignette…a still life of tulips. It’s a partially buried plastic watering can and the river has revealed this picture for us!
Oh man! We found that awful jar of baloney again. Even the river doesn’t want this thing and keeps casting it back upon the shore. The thought crosses my mind that this might make good catfish bait if I could stomach running a hook through this mystery meat. I wonder if that giant bug-thing is around?
Like I mentioned earlier…we saw a few birds too! Some of our warmer weather birds have returned. I thought we had some better pictures, but I guess there was just too much water in the air. We did come across a pair of Canada Geese with three goslings doing the same thing we were…namely investigating the riverbank. Their young are very cute!
And, we saw three of our favorite bird species! The Yellow Warblers have returned and we tried like crazy to get a decent shot of this bird singing away, but the images were kind of gray. Also saw a Spotted Sandpiper (but missing its spots) heading north. We will see those spots upon its return migration from near the Arctic circle. Indigo Buntings seem plentiful and we were fortunate to watch Baltimore Orioles chasing one another through the trees. Here’s a picture of a male oriole who was watching a female among the branches and not intent on us.
With hope, the Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks will be passing through soon. I decided to hang out longer while that artist-guy went home. I’ll be right here, unless someone else finds me first.
Well, that’s how our Derby Day went. The rain stayed away long enough for the race to be run and by all reports the festival was an overall success. I’m glad people had a good time, but I’m getting a little event weary and feeling the need to be more contemplative…and dry!
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 