The canyon of Taughannock Falls near Ithaca is a natural wonder some 12,000 years in the making. It was chiseled into the rock by floods and freezing waters over the course of the last twelve millenniums. The waters of Taughannock Falls flow into one of the Finger Lakes.
And yet on the rim of the canyon, the vegetation clings for dear life. Take a look at the old pines over there on the far rim. They look like they are ready to fall into the canyon, holding on by only a few roots. How long will they be able to hang on? Perhaps a few more years or maybe even ten years at the most. There is constant change occurring as the winds and the water leave their mark in the limestone.
If you look, there is beauty in this scene of survival. The wild flowers that come up in the spring, or the gentle flow of the spring waters of Taughannock creek as they empty into Cayuga Lake.
It’s hard to believe that these gentle waters could bring about such a transformation. And so it is with us humans as we undergo our transformation from a new born babe to an old weathered hulk. We tenaciously hang onto our lives but know that we too will eventually have to yield to the ravages of time.
James R. Bupp