As we grew up me and my siblings continued to go back to the forest regularly. We would bring neighbors and their dogs along with us, go for hikes, go fishing, and we found a rope swing at one point. We were exploring one of the times that we went with our neighbors to find somewhere to go swimming in one of the ponds. It was on a nice little sunny peninsula on one of the many lakes in Harold Parker, far away from the roads so there wasn't much noise. There are always fish swimming around everywhere, sometimes turtles find logs in the sun and camp out on them. All over the lakes there are big groups of lily pads that cluster together, and on the top of the lily pads there are delicate white flowers. It's always so peaceful, and it's secluded as well so it's a good place to go when you need to think or get away for a while.
Even just driving through the forest is enough to lift your mood up. You don't have to get out of the car. Listening to good music and looking at all the tall trees is calming, putting all the windows down and turning the music up really loud was something I would do multiple times a week this past summer. I would go during the day and walk dogs with friends and watch the dogs swim in the berry pond. At night sometimes we would make bonfires by the lake and bring our own chairs to sit around the fire together. Until the week I left for college I continued to go to Harold Parker, and when I go back home I'm sure I'll find myself back there.
5