Another Chance

After nearly two years of holding a grudge, I finally gave it another chance! This nature park that I visited back then left a bad taste in my mouth. The problem happened all over water! After a few things with the water there, I didn't like the place one bit! But I've now decided that I was being unreasonable. Let me explain.

Back then I was new to so much nature. I had just begun to look for a place where I could see a few big bodies of water, other than my beloved Great Lakes. I just wanted a few pictures, that's all. I found the water at this nature park, in the form of a pretty large lake that bordered the park. But it was blocked by vegetation and more inadequate ways to view that water.

The side of the park was the only way to view the lake. All other sides were apparently bordered by very expensive residential property. I hastily, and maybe rightly, determined that the water was blocked by selfish residents that lived around it. I completely agree with the idea of property rights, but why did the public nature preserve need to be blocked from viewing the water?

On top of all of that, there was a very sad incident at this lake that was all over the news. It happened only a week after my angry trip to this park. A man who was visiting from outside the country was found drowned in the lake. Something like that really hurts when it happens so close. It made my negative feelings for this place even worse. I soon decided that this nature preserve was just a bad place that was devoid of life, even though I had some good times there.

With all of that, I began my search for other places to explore. I soon found several, some even being very close to home. One other place was even right down the street from this place, which was soon left forgotten. But a few days ago my memory came back. I decided to give this nature preserve another chance. I wanted to view it with my now more experienced eyes.

With my sight much better in tune with nature now, I found that this place was just teeming with life! The older incidents now finally began to fade into the past. I have since that old time found other sources to view watery lakes, ponds, and streams of all kinds. So this place holds different expectations for me now. And I'm realizing that my old prejudice was probably just foolishness.

I now walked through this place with a new joy, and also with the remembrance of familiar beauty. I now remembered how I really missed this place. From the stone steps you see at the top; to the boardwalk through the swamp, that seemingly goes on forever. To the solitary rest building at the back of the park. And the very large meadow where birds and insects of all kinds like to reside. It's a beautiful place to be. Maybe it can give me another chance too.

The whole park is swarming with chipmunks, even though they were very difficult to see, much less get any pictures of them. There were squirrels, groundhogs, birds, butterflies, and even evidence of deer. Many different habitats here, even if many of them contained poison ivy. A very good place indeed.

I'm very glad I went back. It will be much sooner this time when I go back there again. I have a new happiness as if I discovered something new, but familiar at the same time. Time and experience can help clear a lot of things in a mind. I'm glad it did mine.

Yesterday's post about so many baby geese does seem to have an answer! It turns out that your comments were very helpful, and always welcome. I'd especially like to thank Bill of Wild Ramblings, who once again gave a very logical and reasonable explanation to one of my questions. Read yesterday's comments to see his answer. The geese I studied last year also fit his explanation because I watched them merge their two families together. Go visit Bill's site for me.