Kaleidoscope #15163

The Story

Looking down into a shallow pond, leaves that have fallen lie slightly submerged under the water. Mixed with the aged leaves of Fall, many are still quite green even though it’s mid-October. A single shaft of sunlight has cut through the surrounding woods to fall across the water like a spotlight in a theater.

A strong, clear azure blue sky above comes back up from below via reflections in the water, adding to the colorful mix. The water bends and slightly twists some of the reflection lines while leaving others alone. There’s a kind of motion to this picture even though it’s a still life, a frozen swirl if you will. And there is, of course, a calm serenity in play here too.

To me, this pond scene seems much like an organic kaleidoscope. There are no repeating angles or patterns as in a traditional kaleidoscope, but there is that swirl of strong colors to delight the eye. Besides the serenity and simply put, it’s colorful and plain fun to look at, just like its namesake.

Location: Mt Etna, Blair County, Pennsylvania. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks