This is where the creek to the left of the prior pictures begins.  Being in a forest helped with establishing an originating point which would not look like some pile of rocks miraculously spewing tons of water. Indeed, this can always be problematic, selecting a style and design which makes things somehow “organic” when dealing with water features.

I have winced at a few in my day.  Once, I was invited to look at a fellow’s feature who was essentially daring me to not be envious of his spectacular waterfall in his back yard. Prepared for a look at some masterpiece of landscaping (which I have definitely seen, many places and many times) it was all I could do not to break out laughing. There was this pile of rocks in the middle of a xeriscaped yard using native desert plants, with this miracle fountain spewing copious and loud amounts of rushing water.  What was worse were that the rocks used were a desert rock mix of a riot of colors, about 25,000 years removed from moisture.  They were sharp rocks, all fragmented and leading no one to believe they had been there since before last Friday, lol. Surrounding this edifice were desert plants, some one’s excellent use of local natives but hardly those “riparian” varieties seen naturally sprouting around water.

In a sense it was so striking it was sort of fascinating, yet, even the spillways did not produce any effects, such as perhaps a “sheet” of water or anything tending towards naturalistic.  It was very disappointing, in the end.  I stood and looked at it as he explained all the technical details with which he was definitely familiar. Flow rates, “amount of head”, pressure readings, pipe size and the mechanics of the pump he was truly up on.  But it was one of the fiercest artistic failures I had ever seen. I could not even take a picture of it, lol. I did not want to embarrass anyone.

Now, not everything has to match my criterion.  If there is anything I have learned in my years in the trade it is that no one has all the answers. I have been humbled by my betters, many times.  It has led me to appreciate their own takes on the trade and I learn from them.  So, please excuse me a moment’s humor over the one I saw.  It was pretty rich.