Final Reflection-Belle Isle

I must admit, at first I thought the view from my reflection spot at Belle Isle really had not changed much since my previous visit.  The colors of the leaves were a little brighter and more leaves had accumulated on the ground, but those were the only noticeable differences in the aesthetics of the environment since my last visit.

Leaves of all colors cluttered the pathways.

As I ambled to my reflection spot two Fridays ago, though, I was shocked at the number of people milling about on Belle Isle.  When I went to Belle Isle to do my previous reflection, the sky was overcast and it had been drizzling off and on for the greater part of the day.  The only people I saw were committed runners and one man walking his dog.  The island was rather deserted, and it was completely unlike the atmosphere present at the time of my original visit when the island was packed with sunbathers and swimmers.  This visit, although later in the season, was more comparable to the social atmosphere of my first visit.

Perhaps it was the unseasonably warm day, or the fact that it was sunny and beautiful outside after a day of rain, but there were a significant number of people enjoying Belle Isle and all its fall beauty.  I saw older couples walking hand-in-hand along the trail, joggers, bikers, and mothers out for their afternoon strolls complete with their Golden Retrievers and Labradors on leashes.  There were other people at my reflection spot once again.  There was a family sitting on the flatrocks eating a picnic lunch, and a kayaker swiftly paddled past, making his way down to the larger rapids.  I had always seen Belle Isle as being a purely seasonal attraction, but this visit clearly proved otherwise.  While there are still way more people who choose to visit Belle Isle in the summer, it has obvious appeal as a year-round outdoor escape.  It is the fact that Belle Isle still remains used by the public during its off-season that makes maintenance just as important to visitors at all times of the year.  This calls for higher environmental expectations of the park staff and volunteers, which ultimately helps the river.  These are things I never would have thought to take note of previously, but on my last trip to Belle Isle, my mind was full of meaningful connections.

The view from my reflection spot on this lovely afternoon.

A family and a kayaker all enjoying this beautiful day on Belle Isle.

I began to feel myself become more in-touch with certain aspects of the river on this trip that I never noticed before.  I noticed the water level was significantly lower, and the rapids were not nearly as daunting as they were in September when I rafted through them with the Outdoor Adventure club.  While I did not think much had changed since my last initially, by the time I left Belle Isle for the afternoon, it was clear things had.  Belle Isle had indeed been changing over the past few weeks.  It was undergoing the changes of fall between the colorful leaves and the dropping water level of the river, but more importantly, I have changed throughout my reflections and this course.  The changes in my thought process and my ability to analyze environmental and social changes over time have clearly been developed, and it is exciting to contemplate how these changes will affect me from here on out.