I've been so busy lately that I have had only a few occassions to go out to the Reservoir, and even fewer to write about it. An alternating pattern of sunny and rainy days has created an explosion of greenery. Unfortunately, this has made me a slave to my yard--mowing, weeding, mulching, planting and pruning, not driven by hopes of having a prie-winning yard, but rather by fear of offending my neighbors by having the most unkempt one. Yard work is tyranny, and I get little satisfaction out of three or four hours spent doing it. Any sense of accomplishment is overwhelmed by the realization of how many big, impossible yard projects are not yet begun. My neighbors, mostly retirees, are fastidious yard keepers. They approach the task with religious discipline, devoting the nicest part of every day to the tasks at hand. I, on the 
other hand, would rather be out on a run, a bike ride, or woods walk, or a paddle around the reservoir. I can find endless enjoyment in a half day spent trail benching or cutting back multiflora rose, but walking in straight lines behind a mower drives me batty, and pulling the tap root of a dandelion just reminds me how many more of these devils are in my yard than in my neighbors. I suppose it is the social expectations of yard work that make it so unenjoyable. Clearing trail is USEFUL and anonymous work. Strangers will appreciate your efforts without knowing who you are, and will not judge you for missing a raspberry cane or failing to clear a deadfall. They will simply duck under or step over it. No one is keeping score.The Reservoir these days is busy and beautiful. The trees are leafing out and wildflowers are in abundance. White and pink trillium adorn the landscape in some areas. A dozen other wildflowers I cannot name, in yellows, whites, lavenders, blues, and reds, are making their appearance. Painted turtles
adorn every log along the shoreline. Snakes sunning along the trail or on the bridges quickly slither away as they hear you approach. The trees and sky are filled with birds: red-wing blackbirds, kingfishers, green heron, woodpeckers, and high up above red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures.People are abundant, too. In my ten years in New Concord, I have never seen so many people using the reservoir. Today when Liam and I took the dogs out for a walk, a family was fishing along the south end. Two college students--a young couple--arrived with fishing poles and took up a position along the grassy east bank. Bluegill were abundant and visible in the shallows. Further up the east side, a mother and a toddler walked along the trail at the water's edge. On the north end, we came across another couple wading in ankle deep water. They were looking for turtles. I didn't know them, but they had the "look" of seasoned naturalists, so I stopped briefly to ask them what they were finding. They had found a few spiny softshell turtles--a species I regularly see while kayaking local rivers, but did not know was present in the Reservoir. I asked them if there were any snappers in the pond, and they replied yes, there was indeed a fairly large one who lived at the north end. A few days ago while I was out at the reservoir, I saw a very large turtle disappear beneath the surface and wondered if it were a snapper. After describing the turtle and the place I saw it, the young naturalist told me it was almost certainly a snapper.
When we returned to the car, there were six cars in the lot. A mother and a toddler
were lying on their bellies, heads hanging over the edge of the dock, peering into the water. A younger toddler sat nearby in a baby stroller, holding a long stick, pretending to fish with it. It was great to see so many people enjoy this place. Tomorrow morning I leave with twelve students and another professor on a twelve day Civil War tour of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. By the time I get back, I expect the trail will need some tending to, as greenery rises up and tries to reclaim it. I'll gather a few people for a quick trail clearing session, to get ready for a scheduled nature walk being led by a College biology professor on my birthday.
