Whether clear or cloudy, the stream is joyful as it fulfills its purpose to flow. This joy is shared most effectively with the wader when the stream is clear. Stormy times are normal and cause a natural movement of soil and sediment that temporarily clouds the stream. Just as naturally as it clouded, it will clear. It clears because it flows. The stream clears because it stays focused on its purpose.
The majority of the stream bed is its cache of rocks. As a wader, to see the rocks is to understand. The stream’s flow over its rocks produces its clarity of presence. It is in the beauty of this clarity where the wader is not distracted by unknown treachery.
For me, navigating the stream in high and cloudy water conditions registers high on my foolish scale. I don’t ignore the stream during these times. I know it is there and I patiently wait for the clarity that reunites me with its presence. I love the stream in all conditions.
