Long Rock Sunset
If there’s one special event at Green River Preserve that embodies the majesty and magic of the Western North Carolina mountains, it’s the much anticipated, Long Rock sunset. Yesterday, after GLPs had finished and we’d all enjoyed a hearty dinner of fried fish with mac n’ cheese, we made our way to the back field to pile onto the buses and depart for what we all hoped would be an epic sunset. It’s always hard to tell what to do on such evening programs, when weather may play a crucial role in the event’s success. Having had some rain before dinner, with storm clouds circulating around base camp, there were some doubts floating around, as to whether or not we’d get up there and be pelted with rain. As it was, luck was on our side. Thanks to those very same clouds and the recent precipitation, the western horizon was layered with ever-changing cloudscapes and colors, along with mists hovering between the hazy blue mountains in the distance. We could not have been more perfectly blessed had we made an appointment with Mother Nature, Herself.
Our extraordinary Music Director and Mentor, Jonathan, led the us into the setting of the sun, overflowing with rhythmic tunes and genuine laughter. At one point, over a dozen campers and staff members played together in front of the entirety of camp–this, in itself, is something to be proud of. It is a rare thing, to have so many young people willing to perform with so many watchful eyes. Such is the power of the Preserve. Here, we aren’t ashamed to be silly or to make mistakes or to be exactly who we are. Each one of us has something to learn and something to experience, but nothing to prove.
A golden sky turned to a fiery tangerine as the dusk crept upon us. While we listened to Senior Mentor, Star, tell his story of the giant turtle, we gazed into the sunlight that illuminated our very souls. In the last moments of daylight, we stood together to sway arm-in-arm, singing our thanks to one-another and to the earth. Finding beauty isn’t hard when it’s all around you.
Story by Brandon S. Marshall with Photos by Samantha J. Keebler & Brandon S. Marshall