undiscovered

a leisurely late afternoon paddle on the des moines river yesterday afforded me a chance to commune with the eagles, geese, and a pair of swans. nature continues to amaze me in all that she provides for our eyes to behold. i never tire of the solitude.

To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me. --Sir Isaac Newton

preserved from a past year

nature does nothing uselessly. --Aristotle

(ornamental cabbage-Brassica oleracea)

tradition

braving sub-zero temps has become a tradition on new year's day and this year didn't disappoint. a solo paddle with 20 mph winds out of the west kept the bare skin covered, but a turnaround on sunday brought out the northern contingent as stripbuilder joined me for a trip to the dollar bridge and back.