RockFlippin’ on Goose Creek

I’d hoped for a helgrammite or big juicy rattail maggot, maybe even a crayfish or queen snake from the dark side of a creek rock today, but there was too much call from the garden and too little left for rock flippin’.

But as fate would have it, there were others doing that work for us–like this juvenile raccoon who seemed not the least bit concerned when I stopped the car on the low-water bridge to watch him foraging for a meal. Just so happens the camera was on the seat beside me, and he cooperated long enough for me to get a shot or two–but not long enough to be able to tell if he was finding anything nutritious under the dozen rocks I watched him investigate. His best bang for the buck would be a big, fat crayfish. We find their bits and pieces left over from ‘coon snaking.

Chances are, even failing to find a big crustacean, he ate well. Our creek is healthy, judging from the aquatic insects that are common there, including “water pennies”–I may go out before the sun is full down and see if I can find one of those; that would make an interesting picture.

UPDATE: Check Via Negativa for rockflippin’ entries from around the world. The submissions are still coming in, so check back from time to time.