Shedding Spring

This time of year begins the constant hum of the vacuum cleaner throughout my home. You would think that eight years of experience would prepare oneself with an inevitable oncoming of cleaning and isolation, but it never really does. Animals shedding does not seem like an overly obstructive problem in one's daily life, but owners of long haired animals are reminded every spring that this simply isn't true. One must be selective where they sit in a home containing an animal or risk consuming large amounts of time ridding themselves of the seemingly magnetic filth that has accumulated all over them self. In my case, the perpetrator is an abnormally large cat, which has it's benefits. Its size causes it to refrain from moving often, so the massive amounts of hair are left in isolated recesses of the house. If it were a different case, say an in shape Labrador retriever, one would have to be much more diligent in determining where it is safe to sit.

Break

It's not often that I get to relax without worries, but break was a great opportunity to do just that. Most nights were spent out doing things with friends, and one night in particular stands out. A few of us went to a bonfire in a rural area of my county, and played a game of hide-and-go-seek which lasted several hours. It spanned from woods, to fields, to ditches, and even to several ponds. This exemplifies the greatness of living in a rural area; the ability to do so many things in so many places in a relatively short period of time.

Roosevelt Response

Roosevelt obviously was not a citizen of Arizona, and had likely never been there, but he did a good job trying to associate himself with the citizens of that state. His talks about people he knew from Arizona were an attempt to give himself some credibility when talking about things he would like to do for the state. He used some variation of ethos, pathos, and logos to try to get his points across, and it seem to flow quite well.

Momaday Reading

The audience for this piece is people who are interested in Native American culture and history. Momaday's describes the ways in which they hunt and how they learned to use the environment to their advantage without greatly disrupting the natural world as a whole. Therein lies the purpose of this piece. He is making the point that natives were capable of sustaining themselves while living in harmony with the environment and it should be possible to do that with the modern generation as well. He does not come out and say the second part, but it is evident in his writing that this is what he is hinting at.

The major, and evident, theme in this piece is how in tune the Native American were with the environment. A minor theme he presents is the difficulty in which the natives have had in understanding what the concept of "land ownership" means. I believe the subtext of the essay was mentioned above, that modern Americans have not been able to live in harmony with the environment when it is quite capable to do so.

Roosevelt and Abbey

These two pieces are strikingly similar in context but there are some distinct differences. The audience of these excerpts is rather general. I believe the first is a speech addressing the residents of Arizona, but it seems like Roosevelt is portraying a general message which is directed at the country as a whole. The second piece is unique, as it specifically mentions different groups of people who are probably reading. Like the first piece, it is directed toward the general population. Roosevelt's message leans toward preservation, while Abbey's message is more to the tune of isolation. By preservation I believe Roosevelt is referring to the protection of nature by some outside source. Abbey's message of isolation is simply that. The natural wonders of the United States should be left isolated from outside sources, including "help" from the federal government. He believes that only those who reach these places by foot, much like a character in a previous class activity, should be allowed to enjoy them.

Patrica Smith Poetry Reading

Patricia Smith started off her poetry reading with a poem that she says she reads before every reading. It was a poem about a class of students she had in a southern school (Florida I believe but I'm not sure) and more specifically about a little girl whose mother had recently died. This little girl asked Smith to help her write a poem so she could remember her mother. The message of this poem, Smith said, was that her and other poets had the power of creating memory and closure with words. After this poem she started reading from Blood Dazzler. She began with poems personifying Tropical Depression 12, Tropical Storm Katrina, and Hurricane Katrina.
She then went on to explain how she got her inspiration for many of the Poems in Blood Dazzler. Her husband, who is affiliated with the Associated Press, brought home pictures which could not be posted in newspapers for graphic or other reasons. One of those pictures contained a dog which was suspended on a power line. This picture, Smith said, was the basis for the series of poems contained in Blood Dazzler about the dog Luther B. Smith read all of these poems before continuing on to the piece with 34 stanzas about the men and women who drowned in the nursing home. Patrica then went on to read about Ethel, the woman who died in her wheelchair outside of the Superdome and was left there for three days. Her final poem was about the other storms of 2005, ending with the title of the book, Blood Dazzler.

"Gettin' His Twang On"

This piece bothered me and in all honesty severely hurt the point I feel she was trying to push in this book of poetry. It consisted of an short explanation preceding the poem: "George Bush plays guitar with country singer Mark Willis; 2 p.m., August 30, 2005. It is just another example of bashing a leading political figure who was likely doing all they could to try to help in an absolutely impossible situation. Smith could have much better detailed the hardships the city of New Orleans felt after Hurricane Katrina without resorting to cliché and tactless strategy of demeaning government officals.

If my memory serves me well, and in this situation I believe it does, all citizens of New Orleans were issued a mandatory evacuation the leave the city. These evacuations are not issued lightly, and mean citizens are supposed to leave their homes. Citizens who stayed behind not only severely jeopardized their lives but also the lives of the men and women who would inevitably have to come to their aid. There were situations (Smith details them quite well in "Ethel's Sestina") where it was impossible for some to leave. The other situation ("Only Everything I Own") details people who refused to leave the city because they owned nothing but what lay before them. These people led to many of the causalities caused by Katrina, and they needn't have happened. Much of Smith's writing is a question posed to people in charge. She is wondering why aid wasn't overwhelming. Maybe she should be wondering why the citizens didn't leave, and the risk they placed others in.

Snapshots

I stood looking across the lake, watching hail pelt its surface. It began to rise quickly, threatening campers who strayed too close to the edge. The sky was swirling madly, so willing to come in contact with the ground. Miles away a city lay underwater. That was the summer of '08.

We blazed through the streets trying to catch a glimpse. Driving around town was erie, as everyone had taken refugee to escape the wrath of the storm. As we approached an open field, we finally saw what gripped the town with fear. The wall of clouds was fast approaching.

I woke up with an air of excitement. It didn't take long to realize the afternoon would be eventful. I had a choice; wait, or go find it myself. Standing my ground was the right decision. It came quickly and left hastily. To the trees it must have seemed like an eternity. The strong survived...the weak were not as lucky.

Bass and Williams Questions

To Bass:

How did the systematic destruction of wolves affect the western ecosystem?

To Williams:

How does the Great Salt Lake, a lake containing virtually no life, support the vast amounts of species in Northwestern Utah?

Ninemile Wolves

What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?

A detail briefly mentioned in this piece but has great influences on the events which occurred was the spread of the Americans into the west. This influx of people led to the destruction of massive buffalo herds, a vital source of food for wolves. Naturally the wolves were forced to resort to a similar animal to sustain the size of their packs. This resulted in the wolves feeding off cattle in the open ranches of the west. These feedings were harmful to the wallets of the local ranchers who undoubtedly lobbied the government for protection against the creatures. In the early 20th century, wolves were hunted and destroyed to the point of extinction. The small mention of the western settlers leads to the rest of the story about the destruction of the wolves, and that is why it is an important detail.

Blazing Sky

The above image is one taken looking west out of my hometown of Epworth, Iowa. I feel this image is perfect in describing the town, especially in the summer months. The photo is shot facing the sun, which is falling quickly below rows of maturing corn, with vivid mammatus clouds crossing the sky. If I were to include a picture of the South sky, vivid displays of lightnings would be present on a pitch black backdrop. This is the dynamic nature of my part of the world. A beautiful serene seen in one quadrant of the landscape, and an equally beautiful by frightening scene in the next quadrant. For my part, weather is the main representative factor when I am in different areas. I affiliate certain places with the events that are going on above me, which has strongly influenced my decision of entering meteorology. Most people can see their town in a building or a street sign. For me, it's represented by the changing nature of the sky above me.

Tempest Williams Reading

Are there any moments that seemed weak or clichéd to you?

The overall mood of the piece by Terry Tempest Williams seemed peaceful and serene. A moment that did not fit with the rest of the story was a point where she returned to the burrowing area of the owls and discovered that they had been plowed and graveled over. A few men in a truck drove up and gave a simple explanation about what had happened there. It seemed like she accepted there comments as she left the sight without confrontation. She later went back to the sight with hopes that somehow the owls had miraculously returned. Once again, the truck drove by with the same men inside. After exchanging comments, she raised her middle finger to the men, flipping them off. I did not see this as an appropriate response to the situation, as she was taking her frustrations out on innocent bystanders, something which did not seem consistent with her personality. I understand the rage she must have felt at the moment, but that action served no purpose and in the minds of the men in the truck, probably justified what had happened at that location.

Mapping Activity

I chose to blog about a satellite map of Western Dubuque High School in Epworth, Iowa. This school was the center of my life for four years, more than anywhere else besides my home. I included the whole school because its influence is all inclusive. The classrooms are where I thrived, leading me on a lucrative educational journey. The athletic facilities cannot be excluded. Even though I was not involved in sports, an essential part of the high school experience was showing spirit and cheering for the various teams. This school influence my decision making process and tailored my education for success in the future. It's value to me cannot be measured, making it an unforgettable part of my past.