WETLANDS

Let’s talk WETLANDS.

I have come a far way in my expectance of all types of topography. But today I learned that I may have a way to go. 

Living in The Valley of The Sun* until I was in my forty somethings, I had never seen real WETLANDS.

Truly believing that the scene from The Lord of The Rings “Dead Marshes” (Google it) is what filled these scary places.

Well, I thought I was doing better, I thought I had overcome the fear. 

Until my beautiful drive through the woods today, with an occasional spot of forest destroying WETLANDS here and there. 

But as the road curved through the woods, suddenly the woods stopped and gave way to endless WETLANDS.

**WETLANDS for as far as I could see. 

I stopped my car in the road. 

It was a two lane road. 

The road that I had been enjoying, with my windows down, with woods and land on both sides of me. 

But suddenly, I was panicking big time. 

I tried to turn my small suv around, but the creepy dead body filled stagnant water came right up to the edge of the road. 

I straightened my car in my lane and willed it to be smaller than it is as I sat there.

You see, I could not see the other end of the road. It was like there were hills. But were they solid road hills or wet dead body swamp water squishy hills I will sink on the other side of hills?

I knew I was being irrational. But there was no way I was moving forward. I didn’t at that moment feel I could safely back up either. 

So there I sat.

I told myself that this is just one more lovely type of topography and it is truly splendid. 

No dead bodies. 

How do I know there are no dead bodies in there? 

It would be a great place to store dead bodies! 

The weather was great, it wasn’t stinky, dead bodies would stink. 

Oh wait, here comes a car!!! 

He slowed down behind me. 

He understood that I was not in true danger, that I was only having a self imposed panic attack. 

He went around me. 

Showing me that the road does NOT sink into the muck. 

I watched him for a bit to make for sure…for sure.

He took the hills as though they were solid and did not look as though he had come in contact with any decomposing bodies.

So I followed. 

Not sure I breathed until I had crossed all the massive WETLANDS. 

And finally m, I made it out. 

I do not want to ever go back there alone again. 

I know I am an adult, but that was really super scary!!!

*(Background note: The Valley of The Sun: Desert

Dry, Dusty, Parched)

** Palustrine Wetlands

That is ALL WETLANDS

SO SCARY!!!😱