When you haven't seen an old friend for months, you may be shocked to see how much they have changed. I've photographed Fontenelle Forest hundreds of times. Today I visited without my camera. I was shocked to see how my old friend has aged.
My favorite places to photograph had been under water and off-limits for over 6 months. The water is now gone and work has begun to rebuild the trails.
Some animals have returned. I saw raccoon and deer tracks in the mud. I saw a couple of birds but the plants that would normally have provided their food were killed by the flood. The ground is littered with fallen trees. I don't know how many of the standing trees are still alive. The smaller forest and marsh land plants are gone - mud is everywhere.
Fall is nearly over and the winter will be severe. Any plants and animals that survived the flooding will be tested by the worst weather that Nebraska is capable of sending their way.
Today was especially symbolic because it is Veterans Day and soon will be the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. A navy without battleships was unthinkable. A forest without trees and plants is heartbreaking. When you look over the devastation, you remember what was and it is hard to visualize a happy future.
I love to photograph this area because it is a transition between wetlands and forest. It is an area that has experienced change before. It was visited by Lewis and Clark. It was home to the first trading post in Nebraska. It was on the route of Mormons traveling west. I will have my camera the next time I visit. It will be exciting to record the return of plant and animal life.
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