Living Water

There's been a lot of it lately I think.  Rain. I went to my happy place, North Devon to escape for a while this weekend.  And got thoroughly soaked as you can see from the photo below.  But also managed a good 10 miles walk including a walk up to watersmeet from Lynmouth and a return along the river, followed by the obligatory cream tea, walk up the cliff and rerun of September's walk along the coast path (30mph winds) to the valley of the rocks. 

I'm fascinated by water, as you will know, I find it draws me and I would love to swim in the rough pools and torrents as otters do, to tumble and play in the stuff.  I can stare at it, listen to it's magisterial thunder (especially after a week or so of rain) and try to imagine how Jesus voice might sound - "like mighty waters" personally I find that exciting rather than terrifying!

There's a really lovely poem in the book "watching the kingfisher" which sums up my bird and nature watching approach:

"Wait for the Spirit" by Ann Lewin

Wait...

Without expectation

Which might focus

Attention too narrowly,

So that we miss the coming.

Wait with expectancy, alert,

Hearts, minds, hands, ears

Open to receive the gift"

It's brilliant, go watching without being too disappointed if the bird you would like to see doesn't turn up. Focus on the good stuff of now.  I'm preaching last night's sermon to myself!

Here's a small attempt to sum up a whole afternoon's love affair with water.

"Whisky colour water, pools of bath bubbles of palest jade

Rills and runnels, teeming over trapped tree branches

Torrenting downstream, roiling over rocks.

White shirted, brown jacketed, swirling in the pools

I catch sight of the dipper, battling the river eddies.

Downstream, a flash of yellow of dipping flight

Grey wagtail, and the torpedo streamline of a cormorant

Diving through the weeds in expectation of dinner."