Like most small boys, my first love of the outdoors came with an insatiable desire to play in the dirt.  Dirt comes in many forms, brown, black, reddish, dry, wet with some better smelling than others. Dirt became a medium to experience and create sculptures. As I grew older I looked forward to Cub Scout trips and Boy Scout trips into the wilderness.  Teenage years were spent in forts made with downed trees way out of town.  Adulthood consisted in many of those responsibilities we all experience but somehow my career of teaching Art in the public schools centered on ceramics… another form of dirt. And so here as a retired teacher with many fond memories of dirt in all forms I am smiling while helping to restore a landscape that needs some nurturing.  The dirt and smells out at Scuppernong Springs are awesome. The dirt allows growth of so many species, some not so friendly. Water bubbling out at the springs creates the impression of the earths lifeblood surfacing. The attraction of this land is irresistible.