Towers in the Mist

I took this picture at another of my favorite places, the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.

It's a small area of wetlands, restored and preserved near an oil field.

I love it because it is a place where I can go and be still. The only way even to see sting rays, sea slugs, or busy little fish swimming is to stand very still and watch, letting ones eyes unfocus ever so slightly so as to see under the water.

I love it because during the late spring and summer the air is full of terns, circling, wheeling, yammering, and yelling at one another but very little troubled by the humans.

I love it because it is within sight of a major highway and is still dotted with oil wells and is fully alive and set apart in its own space.

I love it because it is full of plants with names like "pickleweed," "saltwort," and "bladderpod."

I love it.

On the day this picture was taken, a heavy mist had come in from the beach. It was shadowy and silent in this world of water, and the birds were quiet, waiting for warmth and light.

I followed one of the paths inland, and in a very little while I had left the fog behind and found myself walking on a warm, sunny day. Birds sang, the breeze blew, and I could hear the cars on the road.

A few steps later, I turned around and found that I was reentering the white, chilled, still unknown place.