A rocky coast of the Vermilion River, found in Matthiessen State Park of Illinois, USA. Over the countless times I’ve hiked this preserve, I’ve seen blue and gray sky energized by newly sprouted leaves, approaching storms conquer the day’s intense heat, autumn colors stumble merrily in the cold, and tree limbs creak under inches of snow. Such moments leave me utterly captivated, but I accept this river as a peerless embodiment of change.

On this particular day, two fishers waded from one bank to another, and I watched their relaxed pace through still water. If I were to return the next day, the water may have been enough to knock them, and me, aside.

My hike usually ends atop these rocks, halfway through this trail bordering the Vermilion. Nowhere else in this preserve does growth, activity, and decay manifest so easily and unpredictably.

Minolta XG7

Minolta MD W.Rokkor-X 28mm f/2.8

Kodak T-MAX – ISO 100