Mountain streams send fresh water cascading down to the valleys, keeping the water table stable and providing nourishment for grass, crops and animals.

The Blue Ridge is blessed with many such streams which form an arterial network that feeds the body of the mountain range. Water has long been the lifeblood of agricultural communities but is no less important for urban living. Water is such a natural part of our lives that we normally only miss it when it is gone.

But streams also provide unique opportunities for photographers. Capturing the flow of a stream is part luck, part skill and pure chance. Slower shutter speeds blur the flow of water and add to the highlights of color.

This stream feeds into Burks Fork Creek not far from our farm along Buffalo Mountain Road in Floyd County. If it has a name, I’ve never known it nor has anyone who lives nearby.