In my first few visits to the lake, I’ve noticed a pattern: I almost always stick to the side of the lake that I’m most familiar with, venturing down the same set of beaten paths. In the next series of blogs detailing my adventures, I am going to seek to change this.
As I’m sure I have discussed on this blog before, one of my favorite pastimes is to head to the volleyball court outside of the Guilford College gym in order to relax with my friends. Having been to that location almost a hundred times over the course of the last year and a half, it’s a miracle that I’ve only ever used the connection to the lake from it twice. Now that I’ve been blogging my lake adventures, I figured that I should take a better look.
From the volleyball courts, I took a gander down a gentle slope, gravel crunching under my shoes as I make my way to the grassy, natural area around the lake. Almost immediately I see the water, glistening in the late afternoon sun. While no official path greets me at this point, there are markings of trails well worn in by the foot falls of countless people before me. Continuing in their footsteps, I march onward, coming to the view seen above. Through the crook in the tree, its scaly bark pulling my eyes away every few seconds, I can make out bits and pieces of the lake that I’ve come to know: the sandy beach, the gravel path, and the Muscovy ducks. As I watch from afar, I see one of the Muscovy ducks dive into the water, flinging droplets in every which way as it careens through the water. I’ve never actually seen one of the ducks in the water, due to both biology and nature, and I regret that I have to witness it from afar. By the lake’s shore, a dogwood tree (I think) blooms early, its delicate white buds nipped by the gentle breeze of the afternoon. I’m more alert than usual, my senses perked by the new environment.
Continuing forward, I pick up the sounds of the game of ultimate frisbee going on to my right in the elevated field. On my left, a small hut stands solitary, covered in markings and graffiti left by those that have visited in prior years. The distinct images marred onto the hut provide a harsh contrast to the natural beauty and peace of the lake behind it. While I’m not sure if I appreciate the nature of the art, it certainly provides a unique look to my viewpoint. In my opinion, this image might perfectly sum up the environment of the lake: natural, yet not. Wild, yet man-made. A few minutes of though reveal the contrasts and peculiarities that make the lake and its surrounding woods such a wonderful place.
It is here that I must end this post, although my discoveries for the day did not end at the hut. Being my longest time at my location so far, I decided that the events deserved two posts. Catch you in the next one!
