Two years ago I made a long, long drive--the longest drive of my life--to visit my friend, S, who had left her home for a while and was living in Ontario. I had first met her during summer that year. We were only together for a day or so ... but that was long enough for a great many things to happen.
I decided to visit her for a few days in early December 2005. They are among the most memorable days of my life. Believe me, I could write a lot about it.
Instead, I'll focus mainly on one afternoon we had, when we took a trip to a nature reserve, about 20 miles away. It was a cold, sunny day, the temperature about 10F. She told me about this place, and I decided why not.
The place was called Sulpher Spring. After getting out of the car, we walked by a fence and a wooden bridge with geese swimming nearby ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-GooseBridge-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
We walked by some sheltered outdoor cages, where a variety of pheasants were being kept. These are called phoenix birds ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-PhoenixBirds12-05.jpg[/IMG]
Nearby was a fenced enclosure with some deer inside ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-DeerField-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
We decided to take a closer look, walking along the outside of the fence. The deer didn't scatter. Some came right up to S, who talked to them and gave them some treats from the woods nearby ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-deer12-05.jpg[/IMG]
The deer came to visit me, too. Talk to the hand ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-HiDeer12-05.jpg[/IMG]
Then we walked down a trail through the woods to where an artesian well bubbled to the surface--the Sulpher Spring. A sign explained that the water is a constant 9C (48F), so it never freezes ...
We walked down the trail together, as the late afternoon sun caught the upper branches ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-WoodsTrail-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
And we eventually got to the source of the spring itself, where the water comes up. It reflected the blue all around us ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulferSpring12-05.jpg[/IMG]
We turned around and retraced our steps, visiting the pheasants again. S talked to them ...
Daylight was fading quickly, as the deer came towards the headquarters building, where a fresh supply of hay was waiting for them ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-DeerFeeder-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
The spring that we had crossed earlier emptied into a little pond, and we saw dozens and dozens of Canada geese and mallard ducks swimming around, honking at times as the day faded away ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-GoldPond-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-Lake12-05.jpg[/IMG]
It was "the end" to our visit.
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-TheEnd12-05.jpg[/IMG]
We went back to where she was staying. The next morning, I woke around 6:30 a.m. and got up to look out the window. Then I turned and saw S lying in bed, sleeping on one arm, covers pulled up to her waist.
She looked so lovely and peaceful. I decided I had to try to get a picture in the low light of early morning, and I did.
But since some people are offended by pictures of the human body, I did some work on it with Photoshop Elements, and a slightly out-of-focus shot of a woman asleep in bed turned into this ...
[IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/drdog/SulfSpr-Sasleep-12-05.jpg[/IMG]
Maybe taking the picture was something I shouldn't have done. Maybe it was unfair to S, who doesn't know about it to this day. But I think it was a good thing. If one picture could symbolize that trip, this is the one. Along with the one up above, showing the footprints on the trail through the woods.
When I look at it now ... many emotions race through me. Love. Sadness. Loneliness. Regret that those days may be over. Joy that they did happen once. Hope that someday they will happen again.
I felt that way two years ago. I feel that way now.
[I]Since December 2005, S has moved back to Wisconsin and is back with her husband. We visited them last summer, and we hope to see them again in January or February. The tentative plan is a visit, dinner and a few movies. It will be nice to see them again.[/I]
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