The Play

I call this The Play because it strikes me as textbook perfect: a gully cutting up into an alluvial fan that had formed within the drainage. The alluvial fan creates abundant opportunities to dig diversion channels to lead the water off to the side and around the inflection point at the head of the gully. So far (January, 2010), I have dug 7 diversion channels of various sizes within this headwater. I am curious to see what will happen with the vegetation upon the alluvial fan and what will happen within the gully at its base.

To make this photographically compelling, I placed ten stakes around the area before I started making plays. I stand at these stakes to photographically document what might be happening. Since I'm not sure what might emerge where, I take a 360 degree series of photos from each stake. I also use the stakes to help the viewer orient themselves within the drainage. I color the poles with the spectrum. The pole at the base of the headwater is red. The pole at the head is purple. Orange, yellow, green, and blue poles go up along either side of the area. You will see this poles in most of the images.I am accumulating hundreds of images - the joy of digital photography.

Currently I have posted just four photos to introduce you to the place.

Red Pole at base of headwater

Orange - on left side

Orange on right - within gully near the head of the gully

Yellow left - Situated near the inflection point forming the very head of the gully cutting

Yellow right - looking over the lower part of the alluvial fan and the head of the gully

Green left - Major divergence leads runoff towards this pole

Green right - looking across the central part of the drainage

Blue left - on a rocky point looking down over most of the drainage

Blue right - looking down over most of the headwater from an angle.

Purple Pole at the head of the drainage