Soaked and Dried

There are four rivers, lined with thousands of trees, that flow through Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They often flood in the spring and also swell during heavy summer rains. There’s a walkway, near the city centre, that takes you along the Assiniboine River to where it joins the Red River at what is called The Forks. The flooding is not as bad as it once was because we now have the large Red River Floodway that diverts water as needed. There are other projects that have helped, too. Even so, the water gets high pretty much every spring and soaks the many trees along the walkway. Then, if the floodway is opened or as summer naturally comes, the water recedes and the trees dry out.

This soaking and drying has smoothed and sculpted both living and dead trees along the walkway. The roots in the featured photo above, and in the one just below, resemble an octopus.

The trunk below seems to have a heart.

Over the years the rough bark on dead trees is worn down by the water.

There are a variety of natural sculptures along the walkway.

The contrast between the bark and the smooth spots is lovely.