My sense of place is defined by the presence of water in any given area. I feel more alive and comfortable when I am surrounded by lakes, streams, ponds, and the ocean. In this location of centennial, the water presence is on a much smaller scale, but I still feel the same sense of connectedness with the area, and that’s why I gravitated towards it to study. The stream itself has gone through many changes since my first visit. The first time consisted of very slow-moving water which was clogged by leaf litter and then the second visit consisted of over flowed and expanding stream beds. Rocks from upstream and along the expanded stream bed had been pulled down stream and created a pile. The water had been moving so fast before that it carved little caverns in the soil underneath the tree roots and flattened grass. Now the water flows at a more normal speed, fats but not fast enough to move rocks or form ridges in the soil. It also has a smaller and more manageable volume now. The area is still slightly muddy in general though.
One thing that was very different from the last time that I just noticed was that there where at least a couple hundred little fish that hid in the shadows of the water or in the slow-moving parts. Some were very small while others were a little bit larger and the length of a pen. They all blended in with the soil bed, so they were difficult to see if you weren’t looking for them and they swam in groups.
In the larger sense I find my sense of place to remain the most intact when in New England. This is because I have lived in New England and vacationed in New England practically my whole life. On the other hand, though, there is water practically everywhere. Whether it is in a state that is land locked or on an island, every state and country have some source of water whether it’s a lake, a stream, a marsh, or an ocean. I can find my sense of place anywhere from the stream in centennial woods, to Lake Champlain in Vermont, to my hometown in Pepperell Massachusetts, to the marshes of New Orleans.
At another point in time the stream that exists here could have been much more bountiful and full of life. I envision it being very heavy flowing with many different kinds or fish. I also picture less trees in the area and the stream being a water source for the sheep that once roamed the region. There are stone walls deeper in the woods that signal there was once sheep herding in this area. Once the sheep business lost popularity the woods became woods again. The trees flourished and now the area is protected from deforestation and development, but the little stream is depleted. I find myself at home here and everywhere that I can find my sense of place which is a water source.
