Annie Writes About the Parkway 3/20/19

As a sixth grade writing assignment, and he was asked to write a paper on how Nature has affected her. This is what she wrote. I am amazed! ...

Living in the mountains of North Carolina is a unique experience.  Local to the mountain region is the Blue Ridge Parkway, a place of many adventures.  This historic highway combined with my lifestyle makes me feel carefree.

After school, during the beautiful season of autumn, my mother will often take us for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway (sometimes accompanied by small furry creatures:  bunnies). Driving along the winding roads, my mother lets me and my sister stand out of the sunroof of our silver Hyundai Sonata.  The wind blowing through my hair cools my body and mind. 

Looking in the back seat, I see four small furry bunnies huddled in the corner of their carrier.  I take one, its white fur spotted tan, and hold it up to the edge of the sunroof. Rabbits have always been an important part of my connection to nature throughout my twelve years of life.  I’ve had more rabbits than I’ve had years of life.  The bunny snuggles against me while we both enjoy the cool fall breezes. 

We pull over at an overlook in order to marvel at the mountains and to let the bunnies have a taste of being free.  Gazing at the beautiful landforms, each spotted with orange, red, yellow, brown and a little bit of green, I think of how long they’ve been here, how wise they are and how many changes they’ve witnessed. As I sit in my Crazy Creek chair, the four small life forms huddle under my knees for protection.  A friendly smile sweeps across my face. I sense that the bunnies feel safe.  As we pack up our chairs and settle the rabbits back in our car, we drive off, watching the sun slowly sink down into the horizon. 

The connection between nature and I grows stronger every time we take a calming drive on our favorite mountain road:  Blue Ridge Parkway.  Listening to my music, I ponder all the wonderful feelings of peace, leaving my anxiety behind.  The climate and landscape of Western North Carolina make me grow appreciative of God.