My posts about the mountains (monadnocks) in this area- Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain, and Panola Mountain- have been from someone who stubbornly keeps insisting that they are unique and beautiful and that we should appreciate their great natural beauty and take the joy of them into our hearts and our everyday lives. Recently, Jeff Nix from Friends of Panola Mountain had a wonderful link to "Mountain In The Shadows: A Cultural History of The Lands AroundPanola Mountain State Conservation Park" by Ryan D. Hurd. It gives you a great detailed history of Panola Mountain, and I am so grateful to have found this! What Mr. Hurd says of Panola Mountain in the conclusion, is the same way that my husband and I think that the other two monadnocks should also be respected and loved. (Even if some of the memories associated with Stone Mountain have been negative...KKK meetings and setting cars on fire and driving them off of the mountain. Arabia Mountain, heavily quarried, and used as a dumping ground and a playground for drunks for decades. Painful to think of, but those were the activities of mankind, and NOT nature!)
You see, by observing the nature of these mountains, you notice more and more and come to love every single bit of nature that you encounter... always appreciating the "wild-ness" and "uniqueness of life", no matter where you are in this world. (The following is in the conclusion written by Mr. Hurd.)
Then there’s the mountain itself, rising over the hills in quiet grandeur. Throughout its history, people have climbed its steep slopes not as part of their everyday chores – but perhaps for a view above the never-ending canopy of trees, or a ceremony during the setting sun and rising moon, or simply for a moment’s peace as the children sleep before dawn breaks. Panola Mountain represents all that is sacred and non-ordinary in nature. The twisted, shrunken trunks of the juniper and the delicate blooms of the tiny dwarf stonecrop re-awaken us to the fragile reverence we hold for the uniqueness of life. We should pause with that thought, and then make sure we take it back down the mountain to our everyday lives. Because wild-ness here at home, in our front yards, and in the streambeds that run through our neighborhoods.
Indeed, it is a shame that people were allowed to do such stupid, dangerous, ugly and downright horrendous things on or near the beautiful place for so long, with nobody interfering.
ReplyDeleteI never understand how anybody can, for instance, leave their rubbish behind when they have had something to eat or drink out on the grass somewhere. You were very well able to carry that can while it was full, so now that it is empty, it weighs less and should be even easier to carry back to where to you came from!
I am always surprised by how much rubbish people can generate and then how much of it they leave behind!
DeleteSadly there are always idiots who want to spoil things. You have to pity such people. We were out recently at Totternhoe Knolls, an area that I have blogged about. Someone had obviously been having a party, and there was evidence of a bonfire and cans and bottles were strewn all around.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. Once, at the very top of Arabia, we came upon evidence of a fire with hot dog bun plastic wrappers, and more paper and plastic, cans and bottles strewn about...all that natural beauty and all you can think of is to roast weinies on it?
DeleteSo very very true. I love your nature pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice!
DeleteThe bright purple beauty-berry was in my own backyard, but it grows on and around all three mountains!
What a great conclusion - well done Mt Hurd and well done you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteHey John!
DeleteI knew you would love this too! Thanks for your comment!
I have come to love your monadnocks through your posts. From the first moment I saw one of them, I've wanted to climb them! Part of it is the geologist in me! LOL I keep walking through the same areas, and each time is different. I'm never happier than when in nature! Thanks for sharing this, Kay!
ReplyDeleteLouise,
DeleteIf you love rock, you would love these mountains! Each one is different, but all of them are beautiful.
Get yourself to Georgia, I need a geologist to walk the mountains with me!
Beautiful and so well said. I love this post. I went walking on a nature trail yesterday and got so sad when I saw someone's abandoned water bottle on the side of the forest. Who does that? I feel sad for them.
ReplyDeleteAudrey,
DeleteI knew you would love these words too, the article is long but it is fascinating, bookmark it and read it when you have the chance, easy for me to tell you this, I know! ;-)
It's why we hold on to the wild-ness of the creek, the pond, and the wooded areas that surround and run through our neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteAnd if we love our native plants, even better! That beauty berry (the bright purple one!) is in my own backyard, but it grows on all three monadnocks!
DeleteI hope that more and more people will come around to your way of thinking, Kay, and want to take measures to protect these areas. All of nature and life is precious, but the areas you've shown us are unique. Your blog is helping strengthen public opinion, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think so, Kristi. That's a nice idea, thank you! And you are so right, all of nature and life IS precious, and I was trying to convey that ANYWHERE in the world you may be inspired by nature and carry it with you in your heart wherever you are and wherever you may go. xx
DeleteIt is so precious indeed! I only wish that the 'powers that be' buy into this idea as well and protect the wilderness for future generations to come to also appreciate and explore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Kay.
Thanks for your comment, Jim!
DeleteThere are some great people working very hard to preserve this beauty and I am so proud that they are around. Arabia Alliance, Stone Mountain Memorial Association and Friends of Panola Mountain State Park, I am talking about you!
A shame if such a place is used by drunks and wasters!
ReplyDeleteIt's a terrible shame to see litter and broken bottles amongst all this beauty.
DeleteThat second photo especially is absolutely awesome, Kay. I hope your mountain is forever unspoiled. We need to keep areas wild and free of our manipulation. Those fuchsia berries are so pretty and unusual.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen that on all three mountains, Kay! That is beautyberry and do you not think that is just the most perfect name for it? That photo was taken in my own backyard, however, and it was taken by me! (You can tell, it is slightly out of focus!)
DeleteThis is so beautifully said. Sometimes I think we'd all be better off if we lived a little closer to nature and spent a lot more time out in it, alone even, to let it speak to us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sara, I am pleased that you liked his writing too!
DeleteI believe that nature is important to us, as important as the air we breathe.
There is something very satisfying in getting to know and love every detail of a place. Good or bad, you "own" it in some way, don't you? And it can only come about by time, it's not a short term thing. I like to read your posts about Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain, good AND bad things.
ReplyDeleteI would like to make people see that we all "own" these mountains, and therefore we should take care of them!
DeleteI know you have been all over the world, and you must have seen the same thing, always a few who want to destroy the beauty of a place.
Thanks for your comment, Jenny!
Your love of your mountains just shine in all your posts. I enjoy reading about your area and I always marvel at how lucky we are to live in this beautiful country with all it's different, but lovely landscapes! I hope we can keep them beautiful and maybe some day there will be no "bad" to remember!
ReplyDeleteWe have such a beautiful country. Remember the TV ad, "Keep America Beautiful"? We need to bring that back!
DeleteWe need to appreciate all the diverse landscapes that we have, and to make sure we preserve the wildness as much as possible.