Sunday, April 25, 2010

A couple of nights ago and the day following, most of Arkansas experienced what is popularly known to many as a “toad-strangler.” Meteorologists would call it several bands of thunderstorms. Regardless of what you call it, the results are the same. Everything gets real wet, real quick. The onslaught lasted about 30 hours or so, a respectable period of time to rejuvenate ailing waterfalls atrophied to a mere trickle.

Such was the case with the falls above, which are found at Woolly Hollow State Park, a few miles northeast of Greenbrier, Arkansas. Earlier in the week, I am told, the falls were at the trickle stage.

The star attraction of Woolly Hollow State Park is Lake Bennett, a pristine 40-acre impoundment built by the CCC under the auspices of the WPA in 1935.

The outflow from the dam makes the lake and also makes the waterfalls. But don’t cry foul. The falls are preceded upstream by a man-made lake. The outflow of the dam follows the trace of the stream, which was dammed in the first place to make the lake, which means the falls precede the dam and lake by perhaps eons.

The falls are easily accessible by a well-maintained trail that begins at the first parking area on the right after the entrance to the park. You will see a small bridge with some handrails, and that is the clue you are at the right place.

It is not necessary to get your feet wet to see and fully enjoy the falls. However, if you plan on seeing the falls from the angles in the pictures on this page, plan on a wade, not much more than ankle deep, under the circumstances you see here. My theory is that when you photograph creeks, falls, and bridges in the boondocks and don’t plan on getting a bit wet, you are not seriously in touch with reality.

Every waterfall has its own personality, but for me they all have one thing in common, to wit: the ability to sooth frazzled nerves — if you allow them to work their magic. To make this allowance, take a deep breath, find a place which will suitably accommodate your derrière, and proceed to utilize the space appropriately. Listen with eyes open. Listen with eyes closed. Repeat as necessary until desired effect is attained.

If additional treatment is needed, find a new place and repeat the procedure, etc., ad infinitum.

N O T E S:  
Nikon D300, tripod mounted, ISO 200, both shots composited. Large shot, top: AF-S VR Nikkor 18-200 f3.5-5.6 ED D at 18 mm, base exposure 1/60 @ f4; Wide shot: Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 EX DC HSM, 1/30 @ f5.6. Post processed with Photoshop CS4 Extended and Genuine Fractals Print Pro.
 

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
See additional shots of the waterfall and some bluffs upstream from the falls on our blog, Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind, all natural and non-fattening. Click here to go there. You’ll thank me later.

Click the jump wings to see the previous Photo of the Week.

Click the camera for an index to every Photo of the Week.

Most of the time, there is more to the Photo of the Week story than can be told in an essay. And most of the time there are more pictures to be seen. Presuming that some folk will enjoy being privy to this trove of information, I have created a blog, “Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind,” where I am showing and telling “the rest of the story." There are also some blatantly commercial mentions of some of the things we do to earn our beans and taters. Click on the Weekly Grist logo and go to the blog.  — J. D.