Quiet (or still) waters run deep goes an old saying, meaning a quiet exterior can hide danger or inner turmoil. That might certainly be the case with some rivers. Not all quiet rivers are deep or dangerous. But beware! Some are...
Quiet Rivers
A Quiet River (desktop nexus) |
Some rivers rush and roar as they wend their ways through mountains and perilous valleys. Then there are those rivers that upon first glance might seem like they are going nowhere. There are rivers that flow with almost imperceptible movement to the casual onlooker and yet if you study the river carefully you might detect a current. Throw a leaf or something light into the water and watch it drift away. The river is moving even though it looks like maybe it's not going anywhere at all.
There's an old saying that quiet (still) waters run deep. A big wide slow moving river might very well have portions that run very deep. The plodding Mississippi plunges to a depth of 200 feet at its deepest points. The Monongahela River in Morgantown WV where my relatives lived is a slow moving somewhat foreboding looking river which has an appearance of being deep is probably only 20 feet or less in the parts that I used to frequent as a child.
Then there are certain slow moving waters where one can see the river bottom. Often these are smaller rivers with relatively light flows. One can peacefully float in a boat and fish or just dream without much fear about capsizing. If the boat tips you can just stand on the river bottom and flip it back over.
Mostly when I think of quiet rivers that are larger I think of those rivers in flatter areas like Florida or Louisiana. Rivers can expand widths until they are more like vast swamps. However there are larger quiet rivers throughout the Midwest as well as many other states throughout the country.
Quiet waters do not necessarily mean silence though. Drift awhile or laze on the riverbanks and listen. Maybe you hear the splash of a fish breaking the water surface. Over there is the call of a bird. All around you might hear the sounds of insects or the hypnotic croaks of frogs. The waters might be mostly quiet, but the world can be a wonderfully textured aural quilt of sounds of nature.
Some say that the quietest place in the continental United States is in the Hoh River Valley on the Olympic Peninsula of the state of Washington. Since the river originates on a mountain I'm not sure that the entire river would be all that quiet, but from what I've read there are parts of this river that are blissfully silent. Sounds like a place we all could use an occasional dose of in this frequently noisy world we live in.
Do you have a favorite quiet river retreat? Are you a bit frightened by the sounds of nature? What do you do when you want to have peace and quiet?
Your knowlege of rivers and their atmosphers are wonderful Lee.
ReplyDeleteMost interesting and a pleasure to read.
When I want peace and quiet..... and not in lockdown I love the beach and shore.
Have a great day.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, a secluded or an empty beach can be nice for peace and quiet. I especially like a river lined with trees.
DeleteLee
I would say like Yvonne, beach and shore, but I don't live close to the sea. So it's small, peacefull and quiet rivers ;)
ReplyDeleteFrederique, I live a few miles from the ocean but I rarely go. Don't go to rivers around here either.
DeleteLee
In college, my favorite place to study was near a river. The timelessness of the water flowing helped with any stress over the proofs I was usually struggling with. Great post!
ReplyDeleteSumel, a river can be very conducive to deep thought and studious activity.
DeleteLee
I like the sound of a bubbling river. Like the ocean, it's peaceful.
ReplyDeleteAlex, a quiet bubbling river can be so hypnotic and relaxing. Nice place to take a nap if it's in the shade.
DeleteLee
I sleep to the sounds of nature, specifically to the sound of rain. It's very relaxing...
ReplyDeleteJohn H, I used to go to sleep with tapes that had a combination of nature sounds and relaxing music. Sleeping when it's raining can be so divine.
DeleteLee
I sat at a water feature fountain thing the other day and it sprung into life. I was stunned by all these water pistols going off. The water sprayed churned and gushed everywhere.
ReplyDeleteGuy, That sounds like it could be fun, but not very conducive to resting--well not at least until you got used to it.
DeleteLee
I love water of any kind. Very pretty spot there.
ReplyDeleteJanet, don't know what we'd do without it. Die maybe.
DeleteLee
A wonderful post for the letter Q! And what a gorgeous picture. I love the sounds of nature. Well, except for Northern Mockingjays at 3:am
ReplyDeleteDiedre, nothing too shrill or loud at 3 AM. If there is any sound at that time it should be something calming.
DeleteLee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI like quiet bodies of water or even a tickling sound of a brook. The rush of a river while it's nice to hear while in out in the woods, after awhile the sound gets almost deafening becoming too loud to enjoy. The Little River that runs along the Chimmney's picnic ground in the Smoky's is like that and while I think it lovely to hear for a short time anything longer makes my ears hurt. The sounds of nature don't necessarily scare me as much as the silence of night in the woods. That's really frightening sometimes. I remember years ago we'd cross the mountains when I'd have to go to the bathroom. This was when the kids were small. We'd pull off usually in a large parking lot and the ground beside our car became the bathroom. Usually, I kept my door open but there were a few times not and that's when DH always thought it was fun to lock me outside. The kids got a big laugh out of it but I hated it. I was so afraid a bear would come out of the dark and gobble me up. LOL I get plenty of peace and quiet most days, except for the sound of the dishwasher, washing machine, or printer making noise occasionally. Thankfully, I don't have to run any of these every day.
Quiz an Quackbusters Looney Tunes A-Z Art Sketch
Cathy, the sounds of night in the backwoods can certainly stimulate the imagination. Sometimes when there's been the sound of a roaring water way or wind in treetops it starts to sound like the screaming of spirits or invisible beings which kind of creeps me out.
DeleteLee
I’m loving your tour of the US rivers Lee. Rivers can be tranquil or fierce and terrifying in flood but they truly are the country’s lifeblood. It’s amazing after big wet seasons here, to fly over a labyrinth of rivers and tributaries.
ReplyDeletehttps://cassmobfamilyhistory.com/
Pauleen, I've seen flyovers of river systems on television, but I'd like to actually fly over a scene like you describe.
DeleteLee