As a child, riding in the back seat meant watching the world go by. For me it was a time of great imaginings. Astride my palomino we galloped alongside the roadway up hills and down valleys, jumped over fences and waded through creeks. With each new vista a new storyline was added to the forever-changing plot. By the time we reached our destination my horse and I had been in rodeos and won the prize, fought battles and came home weary, or simply had a nice gallop in the meadows.
To this day every roadside vista tells me a story. The Toyota is my palomino and there's no galloping to be had with it but we enjoy the occasional, safe, off-road adventure together.
The vista above provided a brief respite along a North Alabama Birding Trail. The single lane gravel trail became a causeway with a lovely little creek on either side. Opening the windows I turned off the car's engine to shoot photos through the driver's side window. In the quiet I slowly began hearing a multitude of tiny birds in the brush and some creatures splashing quietly in the distance. They would not show themselves to me so I imagined tiny brown birds clinging precariously onto swaying reeds, chattering to each other nervously waiting for me to leave. Surely the splashing sounds were little fishes scuttling back and forth through the grasses, splashing through the shallows, avoiding the birds. Small insects were buzzing and singing out of sight. It was a world I could hear vividly but not see with my eyes. However, in my mind's eye it was there and it was beautiful.
