I think few of my photographs better represent the tagline “water and light” than this early morning on Merchants Millpond. Sunlight flows across the water. Mist rises from the surface of the pond, entangled in the light. And ripples radiate across the pond, reflecting the colors of the canopy.

There is a sense of silence about the scene…and sanctity. Unlike the great cathedrals, it doesn’t accommodate crowds. More like a Taoist shrine set in remote mountains meant for solitary worship.

Such places need to be protected from ourselves, from our meddling and improvement. Ironically, it was created a few hundred years ago by our meddling, the consequence of a dam built to provide power for local gristmills.

The universe has a wry sense of humor.