Nature Journal #1: Inks Lake

     In class last week, we discussed "Luther Standing Bear" from The Norton Book of Nature Writing by Robert Finch and John Elder. In this reading, Standing Bear shares the experiences of the Lakota people and how their unique view on nature allows them to live a peaceful and content life. By living lives full of gratitude towards Earth, they are able to appreciate nature. This specific reading reminds me of my experience working at a camp on Inks Lake in Burnet, Texas.

    Before working at this camp, I had only ventured to Fort Worth and Dallas in Texas. I was nervous for the three hour long drive in a state I was not yet familiar driving in. However, I was surprised by the ease of driving through remote areas without a city in sight. I found the drive to be peaceful, but very repetitive after a while. There was no variability in the type of environment I saw. It consistently of flat, grassless land with the occasional farm with some cattle. After this, arriving to the camp was a shocking change of environment.

    Since moving to Texas from California for college, I have been told to expect nothing but flat land. I was pleasantly surprised to drive down a small mountain to get to the base of the camp along the lake. Growing up, I never attended camp. Even though I was an employee, I felt giddy with delight just as the campers did. During our free time as employees, we were able to take part in the camp activities. I utilized my time to envelop myself within this new environment and explore what it had to offer.

    Even though the weather reached highs of over 100ºF, I still found myself spending my time outside. I went on walks everyday, either up the mountain or along the lake shore. The shrubbery offered a wonderful hiding place for the wildlife. I encountered various types of wildlife, including families of deer and turtles swimming inside the lake. This also meant that massive bugs, which I did not find as delightful as the deer, would approach us at night. I also spent hours inside the lake, swimming all the way to the buoys and paddle boarding. The somewhat murky water was a relaxing escape from the heat. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of these experiences as I did not want to lose my phone forever!

    Living in this nature wonderland for over a month, I gained a new appreciation for the natural world. Beauty like this should not be turned into a tourist attraction, but should be commonplace. "The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks, and the birds and animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of earth." I yearn to one day return to Inks Lake to hear the chirping of the birds and feel the burning in my throat as I accidentally swallow the lake water while swimming. Experiences such as these cannot be replicated.