Jessica Blanton: Noland Trail (April 11, 2010)

Last summer, when I moved here, I began exploring the Noland Trail because it seemed like a haven, an oasis, of nature in the middle of this awkward mass that was not a city but not a town. When I lived in Minnesota, I lived in a clear-cut suburb of Minneapolis, but it was only 5 minutes to get to a lake, and the lakes were very well maintained. There were some houses around them, but not too much to make it crowded, and the parks that were next to the lakes always had nature hiking trails. Even when I lived in Minneapolis for two years, there were preserved lakes, the Mississippi River was right next to my apartment, and just 20 minutes on your bike along the Mississippi River trail would lead you to the gorgeous Minnehaha Falls. I was no stranger to nature.
I always felt at home amongst trees and bushes; walking barefoot in the grass, climbing up the trees and watching everything speak to each other were my favorite pastimes. Needless to say, walking around a lake was like coming home. I came back later that evening (after the class) and watched the sun go down across the James River. I sat for as long as I could before I suspected I was going against the rules, and then left. I wish I could be there at night, silent and still, to watch the place change. I want to see the new animals come, and the old hunker down to bed. I want to hear the difference in the trees as the noises all become more nocturnal, and then back to bright and sunny days when the birds start singing and the forest wakes up again.