I got the pleasure of attending The Hamilton Pool Preserve. It was my first time and I am so glad I got to go several more times. I really liked it because it reminded me of an oasis in the middle of the dessert (although there is no dessert here). Here is a picture I took the first time I went,
I remember that day being so hot; the temperature was around 101 Fahrenheit. It was about 1:00pm when I was there on a rock laying down and looking at nature. Something that I haven’t thought about doing when ever I am out doors. To actually think about what is around me, and the different types of species and sounds that different types of species make. I noticed on the rock above me that acts like a ceiling, was covered in little holes, which looked like bats nests. The moss covering the doom shaped rock was all kinds of shades of green and brown. This was a beautiful sight to see and to hear. There was water running down from above me into the watering hole, it sounded like one of those nature recordings that you use to fall asleep.
“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics”. – A Sand County Almanac
After lying down and meditating for a couple of hours, I decided it was time to cool off. I walked down the slope of rocks to the edge where I was met by freezing water. I was working up the courage to jump in when I noticed a very large fish swam across in front of me. This fish was extremely large and I started to second-guess my decision to jump in. The water was not clear as I am used to when I go to the ocean, and I could not see what was underneath, it was different shades of green, some were light green and some were dark, but you could hardly see in the water. This made me a little uncomfortable, but in the end I decided to jump in only for the comfort that the cool water would provide.
I got very uncomfortable in the water thinking about all of the species of fish that could be swimming below me, so I got out and resumed my place on the large rock overlooking the pool. When I was looking around I noticed a large cave on the right side of the mountain, and in the cave I could have sworn I saw two eyes looking back at me. There were a lot of different species here, but the main ones I saw were fish, birds, turtles, and squirrels. In the entrance of the park there were lists of animals that were in this park, and one that was mentioned were the rattlesnakes. I was nervous about being in the rocks when there was a possibility of snakes but I ignored my conscience because the view and the environment were so beautiful and peaceful.