At the River

Busy and faced with recent bouts of rain, I missed several days at HaYarkon river. So today, on a sunny, clear and slightly breezy afternoon, I headed out for a long walk. Encumbered as I was with Ipod, cell phone, and keys, I foolishly decided to leave the camera at home. A bad decision but I’ll have to make do with this word picture. In the park I encountered a world so vividly green I wondered if I had fallen asleep and dreamed my way into Oz, although this Oz was teaming with water birds rather than flying monkeys. Crossing the pedestrian bridge to the far side of the river, I paused to watch Mr. and Mrs. Mallard lazily drifting and pecking at the reeds at rivers’ edge, while out in the deeper water a cormorant repeatedly dove down, each time coming up a good ways further downstream. Continuing on I reached a gentle curve in the river where my gaze was riveted to a view so stunning I was immobilized. The brilliant emerald green grasses lining the banks, the swaths of fluffy yellow wildflowers, the graceful Eucalyptus trees and a low stone wall at a curve in the embankment were all so perfectly reflected in the glassy surface of the water that I felt as if I could step through into an alternative universe. A few paces further revealed a magnificent crane standing stock still at the water’s edge. After a long pause I moved on, following the river and then circling back on the opposite side where masses of purple and golden wildflowers lined the path. Passing a flock of geese and another group of large white birds with black speckles and red beaks, I came once again to the pedestrian bridge. Here I stopped to watch another beautiful crane--- long white neck, slender head with long pointy orange beak, grayish-white feathers and a black stripe running from the eye along the side of the head—move slowly along, lifting one long leg at a time and pausing momentarily before putting it down and lifting the other. All this accompanied by a Mozart piano quintet. Heavenly!