Radial line

[vaneramos]

Tunnel through white cedars


This afternoon I explored an unfamiliar upstream stretch of the Eramosa River. From Watson Road I hiked along the radial line Jon showed me several weeks ago. At first it ran perfectly straight following the vanished railway through a tunnel of dense white cedars. Sounds of traffic and the background city hum receded behind me. Two jays flew over a meadow, graceful as angels, shrieking like demons. A flock of juncos flitted past, invisible against grey branches of buckthorns, their movements only revealed by white tail flashes. They squeaked like bats. A chipmunk played hide-and-seek under a furled strip of bark.

The air was profoundly still until I passed through an aspen stand, where a breeze stirred the leaves. I stopped to drink in the sound, then noticed an electric whine ahead.

It came from a small reservoir with a pumping station of some kind. According to an inscription, an artillery regiment built the crude impoundment with bare hands in the 1970s. Across the dam, the trail led beyond what's shown on the map, interconnecting with gravel roads that appeared to be on private property. Deterred by confusing signage, I turned back, determined to return with more time and energy.







Eramosa flow







Dam inscription







Fungus on cedar stump

Comments

[vaysha.livejournal.com]

I just absolutely love tree tunnels like the first picture.
It gives me a certain timeless feeling when I see them.
Beautiful shots Van.
:)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It seemed a magical place. It was interesting to walk along there knowing 70 years ago it was a busy railway line between Guelph and Toronto. Now it is the quietest place I have been in weeks.

[chrisglass.livejournal.com]

Ditto along the lines of the first comment.
That tree tunnel photo is phenomenal, timeless, dark and wonderful.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked the darkness. I didn't know whether others would respond to that shot the way I did, but apparently some do. I like photographing paths, and this is a remarkable one.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

That tunnel looks really cool, like it could be a magical place.
And I've never seen fungus like the bright orange covering on the tree trunk. Wow.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Orange? Yellow. My brain said "yellow" when I was typing "orange." Maybe it's time for bed. :)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I've seen slime molds this colour, but don't know whether that's what it was.

And the tunnel felt magical to me, too.

[superbbluewren.livejournal.com]

Hi, I love your photos, and I like the way you write. I'd like to add you as a friend.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Welcome to my journal. :-)

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

Van, this is beautiful. For a minute I was with you on that trail, and the magic of the tree tunnel filled me. Beautiful images, and of course your writing only amplifies them.

Grace and peace

Love Munkey

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The things you talked about: peace and solitude. I found a good measure of them along the trail. In 90 minutes I didn't see a single human being until the very end, a couple walking their dogs.

Cheers and love,
Van

[trinapink.livejournal.com]

Wow. These are lovely (as always). You bring a note of peace and calm into my crazy-busy life.

But...in that second photo...what is that under the water? Is that the dam? Somehow that bit of cloth lying across the beam just begs to tell a story.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It was indeed a piece of clothing. The water there was not very deep, but moving quickly. I was curious about that story, too.