6/8/2015

Day 9

Today we had to make a creature short story. I choose to personify a Mexican wolf and tell a tale of his finale adventure,

Rabid night stalker

By Cameron Haney

Canis Lupus Baileyi – Mexican wolf

Humans call me Canis Lupus Baileyi but, that’s a mouthful so I go by Caleb. Every day I go to my nine to five job, hunting for the pack, today I’m tracking a new scent. I can tell it’s big but I have never run across this scent before. I’ve been tracking it for the better part of a week. The only reason I’m still tracking it is too make sure it leaves our territory. A few day ago whatever it was came too close to the nursery and it seemed to be hunting. It has been easy to track this beast, he leaves a trail of death wherever he goes. I think he has the madness. I’ve seen it affect the strongest they begin to foam at the mouth and are worse than the hairless apes. It hurts the most when a family member get the madness you know it’s over. First the foam, then the madness, then they die a painful death. I need to find Ravage that is what I’m going to find him no matter how long it takes.

After two weeks of tracking I had my first encounter with Ravage I noticed too late following his tracks that he had doubled back. I lifted my head and howled a warning to those farther back in the hunting party. It was too late the screaming had already begun. I raced back and when I arrived he was there gorging himself on my brother’s body he wasn’t even dead yet. I finally got a look at Ravage he was what we call a night stalker or a panther. He turned his blood red eyes toward me and charged. I jumped onto his back as he was charging and sank my teeth into his neck. We grappled and rolled. He threw me off and bit my leg. I felt the bone crack and yelped. I turned and bitt him on the ear and ripped it off. The taste of his blood filled my mouth fueled by rage and anger and I locked my jaws and squeezed harder. Ravage ran to the edge of the cliff with me still attached and threw us both off into the rapids below. I hit the water like a sack of bricks and blacked out. When I came to I had floated father down the valley than I ever had before. But I had a mission to complete. I inspected the bite and knew I would come down with the madness. But before that I had to kill Ravage and protect the pack. It is my job to make sure the pack survives.

I got up and followed Ravages scent into the woods. As the days passed I could fill myself losing my grip on reality as the madness tried to take over. I knew I didn’t have long when my vision went red and I ripped a fox to shreds. From then on I pushed myself harder to find him before I became like him. It took me three days of constant tracking to find Ravage hiding in his cave. I dropped low to the floor and crept forward. Ravage whipped his head around sure he had heard something at the mouth of the cave. As Ravage settled back down into his slumber I attacked. I dashed forward and took a chunk out of his side. Ravage jumped up dripping blood but that didn’t seem to faze him. He swiped his claws along my flank raking four long lines along my side. As we fought I could feel my self-weakening the loss of blood was getting to me. Ravage didn’t seem to be affected at all as he came forward for the kill I went limp. I only had one chance for this to work I waited until he was right over me then jumped up and ripped out his throat. Ravage staggered for a few steps then collapsed. It was done and with my last bit of strength I crawled to the ledge and threw myself over taking the madness with my dead body couldn’t infect anyone else.

Back in Caleb’s pack they tell stories of his heroics so none would forget how he gave his life to protect the pack. As the years pass the name Caleb was passed down to pups who seemed to embody everything Caleb stood for it was a great honor for all who were able to carry on the name.

6/4/2015

Day 8

Today the whole class went kayaking on the river. My partner was Caleb, he was in the back steering and I was pushing forward. We randomly switched after we had beached to wait for everyone to catch up to us. There were so many tree's in the water we were dodging left and right. We saw turtles, blue jays, and a beaver. When I stopped to listen closer I could hear the gentle gurgle of the water running over a fallen tree. I could also ear the yelling of students when they almost capsized into the river.  :)

How to make a ocean

first add a dozen handful of fish
and a few creatures like algae too
sprinkle on some sand
and thrown in a few clams
a couple trillion raindrops
and monster sharks
add a few waves sloshing
and some froth popping
sprinkle on some island
and don't forget the tsunami sirens
make sure all the pieces are whole
then pour into the earths nature bowl
now stand back and watch
as the ocean spring forth
it is of great importance and worth
to the whole earth

6/3/2015

Day 7

Today we created a pieces of writing called a vignette. We created the vignette based on one of the creatures we saw at Cox Arboretum. So I chose the frog I saw.

lily pad riders

eating water striders

a beautiful array of colors

eyes like an eclipse

obsidian circled in gold

strong hunters brave and bold

consumers of bugs and brothers alike

just hope you aren't in the way of the next bite

waiting, watching silent in their approach

you don't know it's over till you hear him croak

legs like twin pistons

propelling him towards his next mission

slicker than oil

his skin his cloak

as his muscles began to coil 

the preys fate is set

with a flash the tongue ejects

the predator of the lake

may you fear his wake

tread lightly

don't make a mistake

6/2/2015

Day 6

Today we went to the Eastwood Metro Park to hike and kayak. When we got there we were split into two groups one went hiking first while the other group kayaks then we would switch after lunch.I am going to talk about my experience kayaking. At first we were shown how to secure our life vest with a buddy.We also were showed the proper method of holding the paddle by the "shaft" and don't hit someone with the blade.

The water was dark and murky like liquid dirt. The wake of the boat creating miniature mountains if only for a moment. Broken trees rise above the water like the arms of the deceased begging to be pulled from their watery grave. The  leaves reach down as if trying to kiss the surface of the river.
The spray from each paddle kisses my cheek like a cloud old yet soft like the caress of feathers. A dog jumped into the water causing tsunami like waves and almost  capsizes me. He felt  like wet velvet soft yet cool fun to touch but run when he shakes. I felt my shoulders ache but because of how fun it was I didn't feel it until we were on the bus coming back. I know want to buy a kayak and go back every other day. 

6/1/2015

Day 5

Today in class we calculated how heavy are bags would be if we went backpacking. My partner and I chose a the american discovery trail. A coast to coast hike with about ten rest stops total. We realized our bags would be around fifty pounds. That's including safety gear, medical supplies, food, and everything else you could imagine. I learned that fifty pounds isn't bad until it has been on your back for hours and I could see how it could get tiring but it would still be fun. 
The bag would be pretty similar to this. Inside would be everything that you would need to survive your time in the woods. What you would bring would be controlled by where you are going, the season, time of year, the location, weather, and the animals.

5/29/2015

Day 4

Today we went on an adventure out in Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm.

On the way to The farm Alex, Caleb, and myself played the alphabet game to pass the time. Only words one or near the road were exceptionable but not licenses plates. I learned that there are not many establishments that use Q words on their signs, making the game extremely difficult to end. Once we got there we were split into four groups, after being introduced to our guides. One of our guides was even the mayor of Englewood.

After the groups and the guides got acquainted with our guides w were each given a pair of binoculars and given a crash course in using them. Soon after we were introduced to some of the birds in the area. At first it was extremely difficult to locate the birds because of the constant movement and the sound of  multiple birds in one area but over time I got sorta better at it. But my  favorite part of the bay was just being able walk around the woods and observe the diversity in nature in just a single area.  

Mediation

Deep Blue Lake

You're sitting on the edge of a lake, the cattails sway hypnotically in the breeze. You gave a lake and notice of  blue it is, like gazing into a liquid sapphire.  The waves lapping at your feet, calling you deeper into the lake. As you walk down to the water you notice how far into the water you can see. As you gaze deeper and deeper into the water you can feel yourself slipping away the noise around you slips away until it's only you and the water. You are surrounded by the blue of the lake, falling deeper into an aquatic paradise. As you gaze around at the fish and the plants you realize you can here your own heart beat, and can feel how slow it is. You realize this is the calmest you have been in weeks. IT is only you and the water the gentle breeze pushing you about in gentle circles. You stay their for some time before you notice a sound at the edge of your conscience that pulls you back to the surface. It's your mother calling you back its time to return home, as you leave the lake you feel lighter like all your worries has left you. 

5/28/2015

Day 3 #2

At Cox Arboretum there is a tree tower and while climbing up it my partner Alex and I wanted to figure out about how tall the tower was.
At first  Alex and I accompanied by two other dropped a wallet down to see how long it takes it to fall. The problem with that was nobody could remember what we had to do after we timed the fall. So we decided to measure how tall one flight of stairs was and multiply it by how many there were. I stood next to a single flight then we subtracted the height difference and multiplied that by the amount of flights. We discovered that it was around 660 inches and to accommodate the top of the structure into the equation we rounded to 700 inches. So we figured out it was about 58 feet tall give or take a few.

5/28/2015

Day 3  #1

Today we went to Cox Arboretum our goal was to capture pictures of five different trees and one animal. Inside the park there was a pond full of turtles and fish. So we threw small pieces of bread in the water to attract them closer to get better pictures, and to our amazement a huge snapping turtle appears. To attract it closer we started tossing miniature cookies into the water to get it to come closer. One of us had a Go Pro but we were not able to get a good video because of how murky the water was much to are displeasure. But we were able to get multiple good pictures of the trees.

the first tree we took a picture of was a Bur Oak
Our next tree was a Sweet Gum tree
We also got a picture of a Blue Spruce

We also had a normal spruce tree
But best of all we were able to get a picture of an imported Dawn Redwood 
It's already one of the tallest trees in the area but my favorite is still the Blue Colorado Spruce. That maybe because my favorite color is blue but who knows. We also had to settle for a picture of a red ear sliding turtle and a bull frog.

5/27/2015

Day 2

Today we went to Delco park to spend time with the novelist Rob E. Boley and to immerse ourselves in nature. When we met he thought us fun exercises where you take three words from a random page and make a haiku from them. The words I chose were "especially one made" form these words I made the haiku

Lone Sparrow

Especially here
One lone sparrow flies higher
made small by the world

He also showed us how to make a story from a magazine page. You take one sentence and every word in the sentence becomes the beginning of the next line. My sentence was "juncture a point in time especially one made critical or important by a concurrence of circumstances. The short story I wrote was of a dragon talking to a hero who keeps putting off his fate.

Dragon: juncture a time has has come to choose your path do you choose to save our love or the kingdom
A choice must be made
Pointing one way the key to your happiness
In the other direction is the lives of the innocent
Time is not on your side, you have fought against your duties for to long
Especially now more than ever
One choice could either spell the end of all or a new beginning
Made soon the choice must be
Critical it is but, only to you it falls
or a change could be made, there is a chance to save all
important it is that you make the right choices
By storm or flame
A choice will be made
Currently you have two roads laid out before you
Of your choices these have come to be, which path shall you follow

Hero Juncture:...Circumstances may have dictated the paths I can choose but, one destiny is what you choose to make it. I shall carve my own path towards my goal and none shall stop me.

I call It hero's choices

After this we had a small world exercise where we would observe a one square patch of nature and right down what we see form a standing or close up position. So we can see some of the brilliantly beautiful occurrences in nature that we miss from our high vantage points.

After I had finished the activity I had gone down to the dock to sit and observe the water. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something jerk. There was an old fishing line tied to the railing, so I started to pull it in and on the end of it was a catfish. So my friends and I pull it up and work the hook out of its mouth and released it back into the lake.

5/26/2015

Day 1

Today in To The Woods we talked about what was expected of us and what we thought nature writing was and some of the ways it could be done. Before we started our conversations about what we thought nature writing was we did a few activities. First we read the quote “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…”by Henry David Thoreau. We had to write down what we thought the quote meant. To me I envisioned a life were you do what you want  to better your own life instead of working fro others to get what you need, or in simpler terms I could reference the Lion King and just say Hakuna Matata.  After this we had a team building exercise  how to cross river stones

This in its self was pretty interesting and fun. We were also racing another team trying to find the fastest and most effective way to transport our team across the path, but as always team one is number one. After this exercise we had guess speaker Scott Gesel come in to talk to us about what is nature writing and what form it might take so one can describe there connection with nature to others. We recognized that putting detail into the smaller things can allow you to show a greater over all image to your readers, and how you can use metaphors, symbolism, and personification to help guide your reader to see and feel your experience and connection to the great outdoors.