Hidden Wetland

Yesterday I took Annie for a walk along a short bike path close by my house. It's really a short trail that kind of dead ends in the middle of nowhere. A row of apartment buildings border it on one side; on the other is a small arroyo with rows of trees that hide what's on the other side, which is probably a boulevard.

So it's pleasant, but certainly not "away from it all." Still, I like taking Annie there because it's very restful in the late afternoon and in the summer is the place to be if you like spectacular sunsets.

Another reason I like it is because hidden behind some non-descript bushes is a very small pond which I guess could qualify as a wetland. It's so small that I didn't even know it was there the first several times I walked the path.

These are a few photos I took yesterday. I could have taken a lot more, but it was getting late. Note the watchful eye of the bird in the last photo: he/she crossed my path on my way back to the car.

Wetlands are one of my favorite natural areas to visit, and I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because they don't seem like much on the surface, but if you just sit and pay attention, they can be full of surprises.