Welcome to the swamp ...

... that is my writing process.

This isn't really a swamp. Nor is it representational of my writing process (murky, smelly, surrounded by clouds of mosquitoes). My day job as a park ranger (that's ranger, not rager) allows for some pretty good photo opportunities. The trail system along one of the local creeks never disappoints, but is especially photogenic in the evening.

The water isn't particularly healthy, as it's chock-full of agricultural run-off. But it's also chock-full of life. There are turtles (way too many of them), catfish, bass, blue gill, an occasional loon, ducks, Canada geese, and even a couple of beaver who inhabit this particular stretch of the creek. The banks are steep and clotted with blackberry brambles so humans can't hang around comfortably. If they could, the creek banks would be infested with garbage because if there's one thing humans like to do, it's drop trash in an effort to prove they hung out somewhere. I suggested to a resident that what the creek really needs is a couple of alligators. Apparently, it's been done (as some people see creeks as dumping grounds for unwanted animals) but they can't survive through the winter. So unfortunate. Sometimes, I'd like nothing better than to see a 15-foot long dinosaur snatch an unlicensed angler right off the bank. Kidding. I'm kidding. Not really.

And now, partake of my local ecosystem/biome, vicariously ...

Get outside and enjoy your parks, be they local, state, or national!