Wild Rice and Sweet Rush - bone china mug

21 August 2014 finds us at dusk looking across a marsh on Long Creek just above its confluence with the Canaan River, 13 km northeast of Cambridge Narrows, New Brunswick. I have found my scene for a Fragile Crossings painting, just before the road enters the covered, wooden "Starkey's Bridge". We are looking out over soft green flats of what is apparently Wild Rice. As I quickly brush in the lowering clouds, a Great Blue Heron glides and strokes in to the marsh south of the road, announcing its arrival with modest croaks - then flaps off again with grotesque protests when it sees Fred poking about in its fishing spot. A Belted Kingfisher rattles by in the dusk, and then a few notes sound from an unseen Canada Goose break the silence as the guardrail near the bridge pops as it loses the heat of the day. Soon Fred brings me a long green blade of something that smells enchantingly sweet as he folds and crushes it - Sweet Rush, Acorus calamus. What a romantic spot, to have both these special plants as well as a dramatic sunset!