Definition Of Bayou

1: a creek, secondary watercourse, or minor river that is tributary to another body of water

2: any of various usually marshy or sluggish bodies of water

It is the time of year where Winter and Spring are quarreling. (I am told it is a love story.) One of the most beautiful aspects of this changing time is the appearance of our northern bayous. They are beautiful and temporary, impacted by whatever the sky chooses to do.

During this season there are places I go to repeatedly to see what is changing. The images were taken when it was windy and there were rolling clouds, vivid blue, and a storm in the making -all in one sky. The water records everything, including the movement of wind through the ripples on water and bend of trees. When taking these photographs, I suddenly understood why I have always had a sense of longing when I would see photos and film of the bayous of the south.

Yes, there are significant differences between what is here and there.

Our bayous emerge during the time when trees are empty of green and weather is temperamental and tenuous- nothing like the lush green and heavy canopy of grand old trees of the south. However, for me it is the relationship the water has with the trees it submerges in the abundance of its thaw. There is a strange calm that is easily changed by wind and birds. It is its own entity that will reflect brilliantly and eventually dissipate. 

This water connects us together. When I witness these moments, I am reminded of its ultimate destination.