We are Soulmates
Northshore Trail, two weeks in a row. It's much more pleasant outside today than it was a week ago. It has rained recently and the trails are closed, so most of our journey today is on the roads that provide access to the various parks along the north side of the lake.
It's a misty, cool, dull-gray day – one of my favorite conditions on the trail – maybe because I know just how hot and humid and miserable it can get in the trees in the middle of summer, and today is the pleasant opposite of that.
May our souls stay forever woven together because you are mine and I am yours. We are one. We are strong. We are soulmates.
If you've explored the access roads of Lake Grapevine, then you've probably come across this quote and drawings painted on the asphalt of one of the roads near Murrell Park. This has been there for as long as I've been running these trails regularly, beginning some 15 years ago when training for my first ultra-marathon. The drawings were much more vibrant then.
I wonder who created this? Do they still feel the same way about one another? I'd love to know the story behind this.
On Possumhaws
Native tree shout-out! The Possumhaw, Ilex decidua, is a deciduous tree that is native to the area. They can get to about 15-30ft tall, and the females produce vibrant red berries in the winter, seen here. Opossums, raccoons, other mammals, songbirds and gamebirds eat the fruit of this and related species.
A Possumhaw is probably an excellent addition to your landscape. Find one. Plant it. Love it.
Friendship, Bathrooms and Sailboats
As we rounded out our hike for the day, we came across this bathroom at the boyscout camp. I've never seen this bathroom in a usable condition, and it's only gotten worse over the years. But it's somewhat nice to see people honor the love of their friends with random graffiti.
Friendship LOVE RIP SOPHIE
Bathrooms often have some of the most interesting graffiti, usually much more graphic in nature than this sweet note. If you know what I'm talking about, it's rarely ever aesthetically brilliant, but it's certainly creative.
I wonder who Sophie was? Or what they were? I presume she was a loved friend. Like the previous note found on the asphalt, I would love to know the story behind this graffiti. Friendship, LOVE.
The bathroom itself is trashed out. It seems to have gotten worse over the years, and I've never seen it in a usable condition. I'm guessing it once served as a suitable bathroom for the boyscout troops who routinely visit the area. But it hasn't been maintained in forever. Clearly.
That's it for this adventure.
The lost jetski. Another mystery.
Curiosity guides me. Some of these reservoirs have been around long enough to potentially have a rich history of personal stories. I may have to begin collecting them – "Stories from the Lakes." Random thoughts. Until next time ...
