Something Had Changed

I just returned from a short vacation trip which I have named the Marvelous Miata Mountain Adventure. While the primary objective was to find winding scenic byways that would be fun to drive, I was looking for opportunities to work in some plein air painting. Silver Run Falls seemed to present that opportunity.

I had read that there were some smaller cascades upstream, so following a steep climb up a mass of roots, we waded barefoot through the rhododendron thicket.

I found a lovely cascade with two flat rocks in the middle of the stream, perfect for Paul and I to use for seating.

There wasn't much room to spread out my gear, but I sketched the composition and set out paint on my disposable palette.

As I began to lay in my dark areas, I realized the stream looked completely different. Something had changed, but what? In the moments it took to prepare my paints, the water had begun to rise. I hadn't factored in the afternoon rain's effect on the mountain stream.

I quickly sketched in my basic composition, but my determination wasn't going to keep my pants dry. It was time to pack up and go back to the car.

I tried to save my paint, thinking I might get to work later off the photo after we got to the hotel. It started to drizzle as we climbed back down the root wall. Ah, well, we made another memory!