Today was bright and cold, and it was NOT RAINING.  I decided to head out and do some litter pick-up on our road, which gathers a huge amount of litter every few months.  (today's haul was 7 garbage bags full........and this in less than an eighth of a mile of roadway)   On my way back down one side, I stopped to gaze at the creek that runs under the road and into our property--Mason Creek--and say a quick prayer of blessing for the creek, its fish, and the forests and fields it runs through.  (also for all the litterers--I used to just curse them, but figured I was just adding to the negative side of things with that baloney)

 

As I looked down at the gurgling, splashing creek, I suddenly realized I was looking at several huge, spawning, land-locked salmon, sitting for the most part quietly in the gravel shallows, then suddenly flipping and struggling to get a few inches upstream, then floating back.  They were gorgeous--turning red on their silvery glistening sides, and exhausted, this was clear.  They had some sort of 'pecking order' going on, for when one would get too close to the one in front of it, the front one would turn violently and appeared to try to attack the one infringing on its 'turf'!  It was so exciting to watch......!!!....These fish were from a foot and a half long to over two feet in length, and that's alot of fish.  The water they were spawning in was only about 4-5 inches deep, and so part of their fishy body was out of the water.  What a sight!  I stood and watched this several times, for a long time each time, and it is a sight I will not soon forget.   WOW.