A River runs through...

Near sunset I drove past the former soccer field and saw nearly 100 Canada geese, parents and new ones of this season, grazing on the wet field. I raced home (within the speed limit), confused the cats who thought it was their supper time, got the camera and drove back to the scene. The geese were still there, quite near the highway. Yet as soon as I pulled over to the side of the road and got out ready to start snapping, the head goose stood high, flapped his wings and they were off to the river...or to this new channel.
I was amazed to see how fast they could run and I did not get to capture anything like the vast number in this local flock. But what I did take a closer look at when I got the camera home for downloading is the development of this "island" complete with a young tree in what looks like a split in a stream or lake. It appears to be a flowing lake or channel off the main Chenango River. Each during the past few spring floods this little channel has developed from a flat soccer field and beginning community garden to this slower moving river channel. Soccer has moved permanently and the garden lasted for one summer.

The river has been over its banks covering the entire scene here for at least three weeks. It reached the edge of the highway but did not flow over. A lot of silt remains on the once bright green field. It is part of the water treatment plant and they keep it well-mowed. A boat launch does down the back of the plant. Something the geese like to eat grows there now that the river is returning to its banks.
A number of farmers had their crops planted and have lost it all. the challenged of growing on bottom land. One field nearest to me had a bumper crop of corn last year and even now it is under water. No corn this year...
Just marking the changes here in my environment... and the landscape.

I really need to get some good boots to walk over and see what's happening. Not sure we even have "Wellies" here.