Season’s End

Story

It had been a very good year on the lake, that’s for sure. The languid summer days had been idyllic, halcyon even, and the time had flown by. They stopped to remember the first day they were out on the water. It seemed like it was just this morning that they slipped into the crystal waters.

They recalled the lazy summer days drifting, and occasionally being rowed, across the lake; perhaps the fishing was better on the far side, but in any event, it never hurt to find out.

They recalled the days when the water had a slight chop to it, adding a small thrill, and they recalled the days when the mirror surface was broken only by the occasional jumping fish. They remembered each day and shared the delight of the open water again. Alas, Season’s End was here, and winter arrived with the first snow.

At last, however, they finally consented to the transition and began the final journey to the far shore. Pulled up on the far bank, their owners trudged up the hill. Their hearts were heavy at the moment, but they knew that spring would be back soon enough.

Once again they would experience the joy of being out on the water. In the meantime, I watched the boats rest on the shore of a lake in Grand Mesa National Monument, Colorado, patiently enduring this season’s end.

Finding scenes like Season’s End

I truly enjoy finding scenes like this–small vignettes that illustrate a powerful moment. I found this one while peering through a small gap in the trees. When I saw it, the story sprang into my head even before I had made the photograph. Sometimes, the best images come together with the story at the same time, and I can feel the emotion as I make it.