Reflections on Swofford Pond

Pond : pänd : [noun] : a small body of still water formed naturally or by hollowing or embanking.

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Swofford Pond is a small pond made by the

daming of Sulphur Creek, and it sits in the Swofford Valley.

Before the daming of the Cowlitz River behind the 606 foot tall Mossyrock Dam,

and the filling of Riffe Lake behind the dam in 1968,

there actually was a small town called Swofford.

A small earthen dam at the north end of the pond has allowed access

for decades to homes on Green Mountain

and Alta Vista.

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My husband and I fish here once in a while, without much success I might add.

But fishing is as much about the peace and quiet

as it is about the catching isn’t it?

Here, alongside the pond, my eye was caught by

the bright red and pink bobber hanging in an Alder tree.

Someone has cast out, then oops…only to snag their line and bobber.

Nothing else to do but break their fishing line and start over.

This wasn’t mine, but it could have been.

My husband will still tell you about the time we were trout fishing.

I cast out from our 16′ aluminum boat, only to let go of my rod too.

It was rather a dramatic sight,

arcing up and then splashing down into the lake.

Our kids were little then, they were facing me, my husband was turned away at that horrible moment.

Their eyes grew wide, as they understood the huge mistake I’d just made!

My dear husband tried to snag it

by dragging the boat anchor around the lake bottom for about half an hour

before he gave up.

I’ll never live that one down,

he doesn’t let me!

Lol!

Well, sort of.

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This past week

I took a drive up Green Mountain, then up and down several dead end roads.

This dead end country lane looked very inviting,

with the thin sunshine playing through the wintry bare trees.

Coming back down Green Mountain Road, to pass by Swofford Pond again,

the refections in the pond were exquisite!

The featured post image was my favorite of those I took that afternoon.

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Although this one was beautiful too,

with a bit of bright azure sky.

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Then there were the cattails next to the road.

They were backlit by the afternoon sunlight and I loved the silhouette,

so dramatic!

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It was a lovely afternoon for a drive.

Around here in east Lewis County a few daffodils are beginning to pop up out of the ground.

The only spring blooms I’ve seen so far are Snow Drops.

A couple more weeks yet I’m sure, the daffodils will bloom as it warms up a bit more,

due to our elevation in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

Soon, very soon!

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Blessings,