Along the Isabella Jo Trail

This past weekend, I made a quick trip to the Big Dam Bridge area in North Little Rock.  I had two ideas in mind.  First, I planned to walk the Isabella Jo Trail, which is a walking/running/biking trail, and then go over to Cook’s Landing Park where there is a small sandy beach area right on the Arkansas River.

Sunrise was around 6:10 that morning.  When I arrived about 5:30, the sky was getting brighter, but it was still too dark to really see much, so I sat in my truck and waited.  As I sat there, I began to question my plans when I remembered the trail ran alongside a small lake, which meant there would probably be mosquitoes.  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.  But, I was already there, so I might as well give it a go.  If the mosquitoes got too bad, I could always leave, but give it a chance first.  When 6:00 rolled around, I decided there was enough light to get going, so I got out, grabbed my gear, and headed out.  So far, so good.

I walked only a couple of hundred feet when I reached the small lake.  I’ve never really found it to be very photogenic, but I always make a quick stop and have a look because I never know what might catch my attention, which is usually nothing.  Wandering over to the edge, I noticed a bit of fog floating across the almost mirror-like surface (which also meant there was no wind, making it far, far easier for any mosquitoes to get to me) and was instantly mesmerized.

I debated with myself whether the scene in front of me was really worth getting the camera set up.  It was a short debate, and the camera came out.  That’s when the insects found me.  I don’t know what they were, but they didn’t appear to be blood-sucking annoyances, just annoyances, but they were everywhere making it difficult to concentrate on what was in front of me, especially since they seemed to have a liking for my eyes.  I eventually gave up, but not before I was able to make this image.

I got back to the trail where the little annoyances were fewer but still there.  Eventually, they left leaving me to enjoy the quiet solitude of the trail.  Usually, there are cyclists all over the trail, but since it was a Friday morning, I guess a lot of them had to go to work.  Good for me.

The part of the trail I was on is lined with trees on both sides, so it was in deep shade.  The shade combined with the cool early-morning air provided a wonderful sense of peace and tranquility.  I was thoroughly enjoying those moments when I came upon this scene that perfectly captured the serenity of the moment.

I continued on my way and, as the trail eventually circled back toward the river, I noticed the river was still quite high, and the waves sounded like I was on a beach listening to the ocean surf.

As I kept walking, I could start to see the second location I was planning to go to, Cook’s Landing Park.  It didn’t look promising as the spot I wanted to go to, the little sandy beach, appeared to be under several feet of water.

When I eventually saw that the gate that leads to the parking area was closed, I knew my morning was done.  I was fine with that, though, because it had been a quiet peaceful morning, and I got a couple of photographs that I liked.