Standing at the beginning of the dull gravel road this morning, I knew that this would be the last time that I visited the lake and surrounding woods for this assignment. It’s been a great few weeks, and I know that I’ll be visiting the lake far after this semester is over. This blog post is a continuation of my last post, and will be my final one for the semester; it’s been a blast!
As I stand, taking in the scenery around me as I have done many a time, I note a flair of color in my peripheral vision. A pair of small trees stand to my left, thin in nature and fragile looking, yet sporting the emergence of a few bold pink flowers. These small buds bring with them the promise of spring, which is now asserting its dominance over winter as temperatures continue to rise. Spurred on by heavy rainfall, they have grown, splashing color into my surroundings and brightening my day. These budding flowers provide me with a sense of hope, as well as a sense of nostalgia, as this project is coming to a close. I know that I can’t stand here forever, and I set my sights on the road ahead of me.
I continue down the path, reveling in all that I can see. The sides of the path, normally clear (or at least as clear as a gravel path can be), are coated in mud, with bold tire marks indicating a recent drive down here. The beautiful sky, blue as a subtle sea, hides the secrets of the past few days of pouring rain. Messy footsteps and a small lake are all that remains of these past showers, and they’re swept away in my mind by the beautiful landscape that is the sky. As the lake is my focus for this entire project, and I haven’t touched on it specifically since two blog posts ago, I make my way over to the sandy area, which is quite possibly my favorite region of this landscape to just relax in. Crunching over the sand, my shoes sinking in, I plop down on the bench and look out into the water.
As I sit on the beach area, I notice that I have two visitors. These two turtles, vastly different in size, greet me as they stand still on the stony barrier between the water and the sand. Yellow-bellied sliders, as I believe they are called, look away from me, determined to continue in their stony nature as we exist side by side.
It is here that I end my blog for the semester: sitting on a bench in a sandy drift, looking out at the lake while the sun shines down on me and my turtle companion. It’s been a pleasure to have an excuse to visit this land so many times this semester. This place is a thing of beauty: man and nature coming together to create an intriguing mix, and I am so glad that I’ve been able to be a part of it throughout this journey. Thanks for reading!
