Water

Yesterday I found myself in Manitou Springs on business. While driving, I accidentally missed my turn and ended up on "the strip", where most of the shops, bars and restaurants are located. Since I was already so far off course, I decided to go up the road a little farther, to the spot where you can pull over your car and appreciate Fountain Creek. This charming, unassuming little creek turned into a monster and twice laid waste to Manitou last summer. (You may remember my blog posts about it, but if not, click HERE and HERE to see a couple of them.)

Yesterday's water flow was a little heavy but certainly not the fearsome wall of destruction we experienced last year. It made the most benign, lovely sound as it rushed over the rocks. I used a very slow shutter speed (1/2 of a second) to capture the photo above, in order to blur the water completely. Below is a GIF showing three different shutter speeds (it may take a moment to load, so be patient). Which version do you like best?

Water

The water understands
Civilization well;
It wets my foot, but prettily,
It chills my life, but wittily,
It is not disconcerted,
It is not broken-hearted:
Well used, it decketh joy,
Adorneth, doubleth joy:
Ill used, it will destroy,
In perfect time and measure
With a face of golden pleasure
Elegantly destroy.

Ralph Waldo Emerson