Until Justice Rolls Down Like Water

"No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (you may read the rest of his I Have a Dream speech here)

We've had a lovely spell of weather these past few days, and I've been outdoors as much as I can be. We had quite a bit of rain last week, and the creeks have been running high everywhere. On this morning, I decided to stop by Shingletown to check out how the water was doing.

I drove slowly up Mountain Road, parked my car in the little parking lot, walked past the reservoir, and headed up the hill into the woods. I was surrounded by rocks and big trees and rhododendron thickets. You should see it when they're all in bloom.

The water was indeed running high, and so I decided to forgo my usual wade. I often take my photos at Shingletown from the middle of the creek. But it did not seem advisable on this day. So I looked on from the banks, for a change.

As I stood there staring up the creek with the light in my eyes, watching and listening to the roar of the water, I thought of how critical water is to our planet and its denizens. Without water, there is no life. But too much water can wash away a town. Big water can be scary. (Ask the people of Johnstown.)

I was reminded also of a favorite MLK quote which I've included above, about letting justice and righteousness roll down like the waters. It's a paraphrase of a verse from the Bible, of course - Amos 5:24 - "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

It is one of the finest things I know of to be in the woods in the morning, watching the tippy-tops of the tree tops warm up with light; and then to see how it moves down the trees to the ground. It is visual poetry, watching the coming of the light.

So it was on this morning. The trees along the reservoir were catching golden sunlight and the reservoir - still as glass - reflected it all back. The trees shone like candles on the water. I've included a shot of the tree reflections on the reservoir in the extras.

The soundtrack . . . I needed a song to accompany a quote about justice and righteousness, and this one came to mind. It's John Mellencamp's Justice and Independence.

Additional Shingletown Blips:
Shingletown
Shingletown in Winter
The Faerie Glade
The Woods Are Lovely, Dark, and Deep