What. A. Year. It is crazy to think how much has changed from the first day I visited the Redstone Quarry. I remember not being sure if I was on private property and sitting by the pond and sketching plants. Since then, I have gone back, both for purpose of this class and for fun. I have shown this beautiful little spot to some wonderful people and they now love it too.
During my most recent visit, the place looked the most alive I have ever seen it. Everything was so full and lush. I saw so many types of mosses and shrubs. You know summer is coming because there were bugs again.
This spot is a little strange because of its location. It is long and narrow and runs along a cliff behind peoples’ backyards. It is so close to people that it feels very a part of human life. There are kids playing nearby, lots of people come there to sit, or simply walk their dogs. At the same time, it still feels untouched to an extent. It is not a park. Nothing was planted intentionally. This spot was a quarry, so it is beautiful how nature has reclaimed it.
There is something so special about visiting the same spot over and over again. I feel like most of my time in nature has been scattered. Maybe I visit one place one week, and another the next. Always traveling makes things feel fragmented. I love that I got to know this little piece of land so well, because I feel like I really got to know her. The land feels like a friend that I have watched change and grow as I has changed and grown.
As I have gotten to know my spot, my spot has gotten to know me. I feel welcomed when I go there, not by a person, but my the songs of birds and a little wood bridge. The massive weeping willow tree feels wise and caring. She watches over the life below her and nurtures it. Her roots hold the swamp together and he branches make the swamp worth saying in. I love that I have found so much comfort in the shadow of a cliff and I can not wait to return again.
