1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Hey, thanks for being a part of the conversation. Welcome 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,599 to Forest Stories, a series of short winded adventures within 3 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:09,720 a collection of skyscraping trees stuck feet first in Georgia 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,560 Clay right here in Carolina. It's been a huge part 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,160 of my daily journey for over thirty three years. I 6 00:00:15,199 --> 00:00:18,120 Am the Poet in the Forest, a children's series written 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,719 and recorded in the nineteen nineties. It's grown into multiple 8 00:00:21,719 --> 00:00:24,399 podcasts that now reach around the world, and none of 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,519 it would be possible without this forest. Right here in 10 00:00:26,559 --> 00:00:29,879 South Charlotte, North Carolina, at the base of Heartbreak Hills, 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,560 sits a sign that reads Rainbow Forest. Well, it's time 12 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,119 you get to meet what's inspired several generations. Long before 13 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,520 the paved paths decorated with colorful homes colonized around this 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,000 beautiful lake, slow moving stream, flatland swamps and array of 15 00:00:44,079 --> 00:00:47,600 natural animals, there were families and business owners who are 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,719 said to have raced into this area for the beauty 17 00:00:49,719 --> 00:00:53,880 of the land, wild roses, migratory birds, and wild grapevines. 18 00:00:54,479 --> 00:00:57,280 Those before me either forgot to write about it or 19 00:00:57,359 --> 00:01:01,159 it's buried somewhere inside their family tree. Hey, thanks for 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,519 being a part of the Conversation. This week, the Writer's 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,560 Canvas unveils the story of the falling leaves, the final dance. Hey, 22 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,359 welcome back to the forest fall time and Caroline. Man, 23 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,959 it's more than just the cooler temperatures. It's more than 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,319 just the red, orange and brown leaves, and with the 25 00:01:18,359 --> 00:01:21,120 orange ones falling on the ground as well. There's so 26 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,840 much that takes place inside this forest that it becomes 27 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,680 an annual classroom for me because I watch the animals. 28 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,079 I watch how the squirrels are collecting all the different 29 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,680 acorns and nuts, because those acorns are falling like you 30 00:01:34,719 --> 00:01:37,799 wouldn't believe, because it's fall time in Caroline, and so 31 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,319 the acorns and the gumball trees, and I never see 32 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,239 a squirrel go in that direction, nor do I see 33 00:01:43,239 --> 00:01:46,719 the cardinals or even the blue jays step into an 34 00:01:46,799 --> 00:01:49,079 area where the gumballs are because they say that, well, 35 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,400 you know what, it's just not a well like tree. 36 00:01:51,519 --> 00:01:54,599 And yet if you do the studying of the gumball trees, 37 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,000 especially those here in this area in this forest, what 38 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,840 happens is is that the gumball This is what I 39 00:02:00,879 --> 00:02:04,439 read is that way back in the early days, back 40 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,799 in the eighteen hundreds and seventeen hundreds, people would purchase 41 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,000 from other countries. They would purchase our gumballs because it 42 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:17,639 provides a substance inside that creates gum. And so it's 43 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,240 one of those things where I have gumball trees throughout 44 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,039 my forest. Well, people who walk through my area, go God, 45 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,639 get rid of the gumball trees. It is hard to 46 00:02:27,719 --> 00:02:30,800 walk out here, Oh yes it is. And please, whatever 47 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,120 you do, don't walk out here with bare feet, because 48 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,280 you're going to have little prickers inside your toes. So 49 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:39,159 it's just one of those things about fall time, when 50 00:02:39,199 --> 00:02:42,960 everything starts to fall, and what do humans do when 51 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,479 they start to fall. That's when we go into doctors 52 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:47,960 and we say, hey, man, we need to pick it 53 00:02:48,039 --> 00:02:50,000 up here, we need to pick it up there. Or 54 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:52,039 the doctor will look at you and then say things 55 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,759 such as, well, you're at that age where you know 56 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,680 you're dropping everything and there's nothing we can do about it. 57 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,919 But it's very interesting how nature. I don't see it 58 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,120 as being depressing when I see the gumballs falling, or 59 00:03:06,159 --> 00:03:09,680 the acorns falling, the leaves falling. In fact, I stand 60 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,840 beside so many trees inside this forest and I watch 61 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:18,080 as their leaves dance from those high, high limbs, and 62 00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:20,560 it's an elegant dance all the way down to the 63 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:25,560 forest floor. I've done songs, I've done poetry, I've done 64 00:03:25,599 --> 00:03:28,599 so much writing about the elegance of the final dance. 65 00:03:29,039 --> 00:03:32,400 That leaf falling to the forest floor is exactly how 66 00:03:32,439 --> 00:03:34,240 I want to go. I want to be able to 67 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,759 say it's time to let go. I'm going to take 68 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,879 the final dance. I'm going to just fall with the breeze, 69 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,680 and wherever I land is where the new beginning starts. Hey, 70 00:03:46,719 --> 00:03:48,680 thanks for being a part of the conversation.