Richmond in the wintertime is like none I have ever seen before. Mid January the sun is shining, 70 degrees outside and not a cloud in site! At first glance only twisted and gnarled seem to tangle and twist on either side of the path as the bushes and trees lay barren of their leaves. Where is the white of snow, the fresh pine smell from glistening evergreen trees and the sparkle and shine from icicles on each room or branch?
My first stroll down Gambles Mill Corridor unfortunately left me disappointed, as everything seemed dead, overgrown and dirty. A gust of wind brushed passed me as I turned around to go back to class and off in the distance the rustic red brick of Boatwright Tower stood perfectly silhouetted by the tall grey barren trees. If you have ever seen the original “Tricks are for Kids” commercial you will know what I am talking about when I say the world was painted with the colors of the wind (stolen from Pocahontas)Colors of the Wind. Red shoes skirt the murky brown puddles, red crested woodpeckers soar up into their homes nestled deep into the woods, red berries lie buried in bushes along the path and red clothed Mark Massaro sets off on through the wilderness in search of adventure. Green sprouts emerge from the gnarled branches; green grass clashes against the brown as life emerges next to the spring.< Orange, yellow and brown still remain primary amongst the foliage but they have taken on a a new sense of beauty.
“ The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name”
– Pocahontas
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