🌀 Sweetwater Preserve Walk

Date: 2025-08-01

Distance: 3.0 miles

Route: SW to NE Figure Eight

Gear:
– Canon 5D Mark ii (SLR)
– Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

Weekly Walk: Sweetwater SLR

2025-08-01 · Sweetwater Preserve · Observational Walk

I brought the SLR this time — mostly to feel a bit more legit about stepping off trail and crouching in the weeds. It worked.

Abandoned my 5-photo limit immediately.
Saw a grasshopper and started noticing a lot more bugs.
Had two quiet, positive interactions with couples on the trail.
Wind picked up — felt good to be out there.
Drifted into thoughts about organizing hard drives (of course).

Takeaway: The camera gave me both reach and permission.

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## Instructions

- Snap no more than 5 intentional shots  
  > *(immediately abandoned)*
- Title the session as NOX pulse:  
  `2025-08-02 [mode:observe] - Sweetwater SLR`  

### Background

Bring the SLR:  
- Last trip, was a little too far from things with the Ricoh GRIII's short focal length (although it does have a macro mode)  
- Carrying a camera makes it a little easier to be on an outside path alone 

---

## Metadata

- **Arrival:** 6:30 p.m. sharp  
- **Departure:** 8:10 p.m.

---

## Feelings

I stopped to look at a strange leaf formation. That’s when I noticed the large grasshopper. After that, I saw more bugs than usual — the walk slowed down.

I touched plants. Bent to look at details. Stepped slightly off the path. Then kept walking.

The wind picked up near the open plains, and I loved it. A hawk perched on top of the birdhouses. I didn’t want to disturb it.  
→ *image: raptor on the birdhouses*

Later, I scanned the horizon at the start of the big loop. It felt like I had that entire section to myself. The breeze stayed cool. A young gator sat in the grass, mouth open.  
→ *images:*  
  - Gator, mouth open  
  - Open path curve

---

## Interactions

> *Passed a trail couple with a 4Runner look*

**Them:** “There’s a couple of gators on the left side up ahead.”  
**Me:** “Oh cool, thank you. Have a good afternoon.”  
**Them:** “You too!”  

- Nailed it.  
- Minimal, but outwardly friendly.

Later, a couple stopped and told me about a big gator further ahead. Small, generous exchange.

---

## Outside Thoughts

- Thoughts drifted to the **hard drive organization** project.  
  > Maybe call the blog post:  
  > *Despite My Best Efforts: A Great Many Hard Drives*

## Ending Thoughts

- Bringing the SLR did increase my socialbility in interactions
- It also made me more comfortable with myself, being crouched down off-trail looking at things  


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::: images

- 1-wood-moody.jpg
- 2-thistle-dead.jpg
- 3-grasshopper-brown.jpg
- 4-grasshopper-green.jpg
- 5-leaves-red.jpg
- 6-snake-saltmarsh.jpg
- 7-gator-young.jpg
- 8-heron-great-blue.jpg
- 9-sandhill-crane-family.jpg
- 10-deer-herd.jpg
- 11-rabbit.jpg
- cover.jpg

:::