I went back to my place today, The Guilford Woods, after going through fustration with my college courseload. I felt like me just being in nature and being still was something I could benefit from. I sat down on the grass and started just looking aroud me. I was fascinated that when I am being still and not just being in my head, I notice the small things. I saw a squirrels climbing on the trees and leaves still falling. Everything around me was still happening, but I was just taking time to be present in the moment.
The Guilford Woods has history that when I have researched that has fascinated me. It was the site of encampment of British and American troops in the Revolutionary War. Also to mention Refuge for enslaved Africans who were looking for freedom from the Underground Railroad. Additionaly, Quaker men escaping Civil war Confederate draft in the 1800s. This place has so much history that I wasn’t even educated about. From doing research, I have learned about John Dimery’s escape; this man moved to Indiana in the year 1819. The year of 1819 is the earliest reported year of Underground Railroad activity.
I took a moment of time to walk around my place and more of the outside of it. I wanted to observe what was around me. I walked around the lake and noticed where there were things man made around me. For instance, people put wooden poles on the side of the gravel in the picture above. There were seating near the lake that people put. After research, I discovered the lake was man-made; this doesn’t come as a shock however. On my walk, I had noticed one or two bees around me buzzing. I would have rather see a different creature, but I’ll take what I can get. I tried to look into the lake to see if any fish or other animals were present. I stood there for a good ten minutes before my attention span got the best of me, but I never noticed any animals in the water. I’ll be interested when I come back to my place and walking around if any will be present in the months yet to come. The months ahead will come and nature will change.
