On my first visit to my spot this semester, I see this place — an undefined 50 square feet — under snow for the first time. Strangely, the water nearby was flowing more than ever. Last visit, it had been frozen, and frosted leaves gave wet crunches under my feet. This time, I heard the familiar rubbery sound of shoes on powdered snow, but funnily enough, I could still feel and hear the leaves crunching under those layers of snowfall and frost.
Along with this new snow, of course, brought evidence of life that I hadn’t really seen before. Small tracks that my friends and I guessed are that of a grey squirrel, were trailing all over the place. Whereas usually, I can only hear the birds to know that our dear forest is alive.
In all, I’m glad to be back. There’s not a whole lot of natural areas back home that I can call my own, and taking this ceremonial walk with my friends through the hills of Centennial was a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air. If I have enough time I’m going to take another walk through the woods, or at the very least appreciate my time outdoors more.
Until the next post!
-Alma