A Flowing Stream at Shoal Creek Preserve

A stream flows through the woods and over the shoals at Shoal Creek Preserve in Florence, Alabama.

During our visit to Shoal Creek Preserve, we stopped on a footbridge that ran over the flowing water. This was the actual Shoal Creek that the preserve was named after, by the way. These are different shoals than the ones seen in the previous Shoal Creek photo, in case you were curious, as these were a little more up the creek from the first location. And although the colors suggest an autumn scene, this photo was taken on the first day of February, very much in the winter.

It was a beautiful scene, and it was a perfect day to be outside enjoying nature.

On the Bridge

Because I mentioned above that we had stopped on a footbridge, here is that footbridge with Laura standing on it. As you can see, on the first of February we were not even wearing coats. Later on on February, we would have temperatures dipping down to single digits. So even if you are not wearing a jacket in February, you better have one close by, just in case!

Fascinating Water

I enjoy seeing streams like this one. Or creeks, if you prefer, since that is the name of this particular waterway. This creek, like so many others, flows into the Tennessee River, which then flows into the Ohio River, which then flows into the Mississippi River, which then flows into the Gulf of Whatever You Want to Call It. And then the water evaporates into the air to become rain and start the whole cycle all over again. The Water Cycle, they call it.

And when we are at an ocean, I look at that large body of water. Sooner or later I start to wonder just how many drops of water are in the ocean. I don’t think I can get my mind around the number of drops in the ocean, because it is so large.

All of that water, and all of those water drops, constantly in motion, whether in waves in the ocean, or flowing in a creek, or floating in a cloud.

And then I go get a drink of water. Our water comes from a well deep in the ground, where the water drops have seeped down over hundreds of years. Not only does that water taste good, it is also necessary for our survival.

While it seems simple to say it, water is very much a blessing. It is good and necessary for drinking, and it is also interesting to watch. Just another beautiful part of God’s creation.

And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:9-10 ESV

About the Photos

I wanted a certain look for the woods in the first photo, and what you see here is very close to that look. It took a little bit of work to accomplish that look, but it was worth it in the end. So then I tried to somewhat match that look for the second photo. Sometimes I don’t mind if two photos in the same post have very different looks, but this time around I wanted both of them to look similar, just to keep things consistent.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Darktable and GIMP
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: February 1, 2025
Location: Florence, Alabama