The upper story of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is very dense in most places. As a result, small waterways in deep valleys are often shaded, even when brilliant sunlight falls on the tree tops above. In such conditions, water in relatively still sections of the numerous streams winding beneath the leafy canopy often appears to take on the color of the leaves high above. Such was the case this autumn day. Birch, beech and maple leaves high above Lynn Camp Prong had already donned their full autumn coats of yellow and orange. Backlit by the bright sun of late afternoon, the leaves caused smooth-surfaced pools on the picturesque little creek to take on brilliant hues of gold, with touches of red and orange--and blue from the sky--thrown in. Though appearing to be still, this little pool had enough current to create a painterly effect in an image exposed for but the most brief of periods. The resulting photograph reminds me of the stained glass in church windows I sat next to nearly every Sunday growing up. Then, I found the nuances of color and texture in the windows very interesting, especially when sermons dragged on as they often did; now, viewing this image, I experience similar interest, except more so, as this "stained glass" is naturally occurring, and not a creation of man.