Looking for Beauty

I know I should be doing other things (painting, weeding), but the powerful waters of the Rock River are amazing to see, and I find myself watching in awe and counting my blessings that my family is not directly affected by the flood. This week has been dry, so no new water has added to the problem, but that doesn't change the fact that the river is still rising, and even buildings away from the river are having to pump out basements because of rising ground water. At least our city isn't cut in half by closed bridges, as Jefferson is, further upstream.

Rock County was added to the growing list of Wisconsin counties qualifying for federal disaster assistance, with upwards of $45 million dollars estimated loss in housing, business and agriculture. But on a morning "walk and gawk" tour there was also beauty to be found. Here trees and caution cones are mirrored in water filling the library parking lot.


Near the United Way building, closed, the power shut off, carp swim upstream in the parking lot. This shot only shows one, but there were dozens of the big fish swimming where once there were sidewalks, summer plantings, and parking spaces.


Janesville is fortunate to have miles of rails to trails conversions, all heavily used by hikers, bicyclists, and people on roller blades. This part of the trail and a rail line leading to a nearby chemical factory (now closed) will be under water for quite a while though there is beauty here too.