#AdventureDiaries: Cherry Creek

After my last walk down to Cherry Creek where my camera and phone died, I knew I had to go back and venture farther. 

I wanted to capture an image of a flower resting on the stillness of the creek far from the fall, so I plucked a rose from a bush near my condo and gently held it all the way to the trail.

I went back down the first footpath I found the few days prior, found the snapped over tree, and decided to put my rose in the tree before losing it to the creek.

I lifted the flower out of the snapped over tree, and placed it gently into the water. I expected to have to move quickly once placing the flower in the water, but it caught in the aquatic plant life and stayed put for a few minutes.

After a while, I let the flower go, and captured a few more snaps of it before it floated too far away.

I watched it float on, said goodbye to it, and proceeded on my journey down the creek. 

Along the way, I noticed this squirrel, who is clearly fattened up for winter, and decided to get a shot. 

As I continued walking, I always find myself admiring the view of the footpath dividing nature. Colorado's nature is very interesting to me, because there are several desert-like plants that grow along the fresh green foliage.

I popped out of a bush and heard a small bark and a little growl, followed by panting and paws hitting the dirt. This friendly little guy was about 30 seconds ahead of his owners, and was just overjoyed to come across me. I snapped this photo before the owners approached. Isn't he adorable?

I took a few more shots on my way down the creek. I used a leaf to color the image top left, below, but didn't think the waterfall was a powerful enough image to add to the site. I found this wider fall further on, with a damn blocking it, but the sun was beating to hard on it, whiting out the areas I wanted to show off.

I walked through the water to a little sand hill in the middle of the creek (thank you, mother, for the waterproof boots), and found these little shells (bottom left, below), but thought the image was too crisp, resulting in too much to look at.  I found some ducks wading in the creek too, but decided to move on as I was starting grow thirsty. I left my water bottle at work (again), and had no means of bringing water with me.

This little guy flew right by my face, and I watched him, keenly, until he landed on this branch. I slowly lowered myself to a squat to change my lens from the standard I had hooked up to my camera, to a telescopic. I took several photos of him before he flew off, and I continued walking down the path.

I came to a fork in the trail. If I went to the left, I would be on the Highland Canal Trail, and if I went to the right, I would continue on the Cherry Creek Trail. I sat down under the bridge that lead off to the right, and admired the large waterfall in front of me. It was exquisite, and calming.

​My peace was disturbed by this young boy, who decided to dance across the rocks below the falls. My heart leapt up to my throat as I looked around for his guardian, and saw no one. He continued playing on the rocks, and I set my bag down, prepared to go and get him if he were to fall. I now wish I got a photograph of him, but I was so concerned for his safety that all I focused on was him.

​After I saw his guardian appear from the woods, I picked up my bag, and headed for home.