Bennett, April/May

The date is May 5, 2014 and it is starting to warm up very rapidly here in Austin, Texas. The weather is beginning to be like it should, meaning its at least ninety degrees. As usual I took my walk to Blunn Creek, the nature preserve by St. Edward’s University. It was eighty-eight degrees outside and I was sweating bullets. The wind was refreshing when I began to feel like the heat wasn’t going to let up. On my walk over I noticed that the plants are beginning to change. What once was the lush sea of blue bonnets is now covered in weeds and wild flowers that are nice, but not as nice as the bluebonnets. You can see that the heat has began to take it toll on the plants and only the native plants like the cactus are thriving.

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As I continued on my way to Blunn Creek, I noticed some other people going over in that direction. This was the first time I visited where I actually saw people walking to Blunn Creek for “love, respect, and admiration for the land, and a high regard for its value”(223). I walked a little faster to catch up to them to ask what they were doing. They kindly told me that they just enjoy this weather and Blunn Creek is so close to campus. They utilize Blunn Creek as an escape from school and finals right now.

When I was walking to Blunn Creek I imagined it being all dried up from the heat and lack of rain, but to my surprise I saw a lush green jungle. There were branches with green leaves that were overgrown and so much activity there. It seemed like the plants were thriving in this weather. I kept hearing movement in the plants and saw bunnies scurry through the brush whenever I walked by. There was cacti everywhere with flowers blooming and more of the wild flowers. Unfortunately, there were a lot of bees. Bees are good for the environment though for pollinating flowers so I shouldn’t say unfortunately.

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Once I got to my spot along the creek everything was as expected. The water was the lowest it has been over these past four months. There was a plethora of trash of not only bottles and wrappers, but a lawn chair. It’s honestly ridiculous. Something I hadn’t seen before was there which were the dragonflies. There were so many dragonflies surrounding me as I observed the slowly trickling creek. There was little bugs swimming in the water like usual along with the little guppies. This time as I was sitting I wasn’t in silence. I could hear people walking and talking in the distance. This was a positive thing in my eyes because it showed that people do appreciate this nature preserve and utilize it for pleasure, even if it is almost ninety degrees out.

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Over these past four months I have been observing Blunn Creek I have seen some totally different weather conditions. It has been twenty-eight degrees with ice and frost, regular cold temperatures, and now very warm weathers. I have seen the creek when it wasn’t as dry and flowing more smoothly. Although, when I first came to the creek I thought it was very low then until I saw what it was like now. I can only imagine as the summer progresses it might dry up. I have seen the dead, bare plant life that has transformed into this lush green plant. I have seen the flowers blossom and more activity emerge within the nature preserve with not only animals but people as well. The thing that bothered me the most is that the trash situation never seemed to get better. It has only gotten worse as it has heated up. This is probably due to more activity within Blunn Creek. I have seen everything adapt to stay alive just as humans do.

I am pleased to say that as I have sat in Blunn Creek for weeks I have found an appreciation for it. Blunn Creek is a small little area and it doesn’t have much to offer compared to Barton Springs or the Green Belt, but I have really found it as a place for an escape from our fast paced society. I honestly felt so connected to myself when I was sitting there focusing on just the plant life, water, and animals around me. When silence fell amongst the preserve I felt a sensation of relaxation that trickled its way all over my body. The wind would blow the leaves putting on a performance for me when the brush and tree limbs danced. The bugs and animals in the water or the brush reminded me that there is more than just me there. The sunlight reminded me that it is an element for survival. The water that trickled slowly reminded me that without it there would be no life. As I go home for the summer I bid farewell to Blunn Creek that I have begun to know so well knowing that it will still be there when the next school year comes around awaiting my arrival.

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“Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language” (96).

 

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