at the river's edge

I grew up in the City of Lakes, but ever since I first left home for University almost ten years ago, I have moved again and again to river cities and towns. While I deeply miss being immediately surrounded by so many freshwater lakes, I have learned to embrace river communities & cultures, which have a charm of their own different from that of lakes. This weekend we explored the shores of the Ottawa River close to where we live in Laurentian Valley. Most of the waterfront within walking distance here is private property, but we found an easily accessible stretch of what seems to be Crown land. The water level is low this year, exposing enough of the muddy and rocky shores to walk along with Glasgow, who not surprisingly spent most of his time in the water. The breeze off the water was perfectly refreshing and as we gazed out at, listened to, and breathed in the sights, sounds, and scents of the river, I found my thoughts silenced and absorbed by its humbling currents and underwater mysteries. It was pretty close to perfect.