Short Story

Today we wrote a short that personified and animal. My story stared a mother eastern cottontail rabbit, named Petunia.

                                                  

                                                                    Bunny Trail

                                                                By Alex T. Smith

Petunia is a small eastern cotton tail with a furry grey hair. She lays on her side, peacefully asleep, before the break of dawn. The brisk spring air makes Petunia’s nose scrunch and wiggle. She smells the outside den from within her den and senses for predators in the area. Satisfied that she is safe, she pokes her front outside of the den. As she listens to the surrounding area her long ears swivel like a radar dish, scanning for sounds of danger. Further satisfied that she is safe, petunia hops out into the familiar surroundings search of food. Petunia quickly hops along her simple bunny trail stopping every once in a while to nibble on a patch of grass. Petunia stops when she reaches the familiar meadow. She hops around under the cover of small grass until she reaches a large patch of dandelion greens that she is so fond of. As she noms on the greens her furry body sways gently in the strong breeze.

Petunia eats her fill, and then follows the rest of the bunny trail to the river. She watches cautious from behind a bush, be summing up the courage to hop over for drink. She quickly laps up a mouth full of water and sneezes quietly as the cold water tickles her nose. She notices a small fish swim by, but pays no attention to it, because after all it isn’t food. Petunia sees quick movement out of corner of her eye. She quickly turns and sees a sleek red fox hunched over a small rock. Petunia’s eyes widen and she stands completely still. The fox stand just as still, until its front right foot moves just a little too much for her comfort, and petunia dashes off. The fox pursues for petunia for a short while before giving up. Petunia runs for a few minute after the fox gave up chase. She stops in a small thicket and quickly pants, as her heart beats so quickly that it is on a nearly continual beat.

Petunia rest for a good ten minutes before she is able to relax. Now petunia’s interest returns back to her nest. She hops cautiously around the bunny trail. She reenters the meadow and hops to about the center of the grass sea before a flying shadow makes her freeze as her spine tingles with fear. There is a hawk circling above in many lazy circles. Petunia tucks her ears close to her body and assumes the shape of a small clump of grass. The hawk circles for a while before giving up and leaving. Petunia remains still in anticipation of the hawks return. But it never comes. Petunia gets up and hops along the bunny trail once again. She notices small squirrels climbing in the trees and a few acorns falling as a result, but she keeps moving. Only one thing is on her mind.

Petunia reaches her den and approaches it cautiously. She smells for unfamiliar scents and scans for unfamiliar sounds. Petunia hops down into her den, and finds each of her five bunnies all accounted for. Their small fragile eyes are still too weak to be opened. She allows them to suckle her teats, for her warm milk. She lays down on top of them to share her loving warmth. She curls up for a small nap and wakes up peacefully. And hops out of the den today. She repeats her previous journey several more times in that day, although she does not meet any more threatening creatures along the way. She returns to that very same patch of dandelion again just as the sun begins to drop. She hears the stirring of the night time creatures waking from their slumber. This tells petunia that it is time for her to return to her den once more for the night.

She hops down the bunny trail as the last lights escape from the horizon. She enters her den, and once again snuggles with her tiny bunnies. She drifts to sleep as she reflects on her productive day. She survived another day in the deep woods. Her bunnies have gone to bed with a full bellies, and she has defended her nest from all manners of creatures that would love to break apart her small family. Petunia, satisfied with today’s work drifts of to sleep only to wake again to repeat her schedule the next day.

              

Canoeing at Bell Brook Canoe Rentals

Today we went canoeing at Bell Brook Canoe Rentals. Shortly after arriving at their facility we were ushered into a colorful bus painted with murals of African animals. were driven a few miles upstream, Then once we reached the right spot. we were led down to a small boat ramp, and allowed to paddle all the way back to the facility. This was an extremely peaceful trip and we able to drift back and listen to the beautiful sounds of the river. To memorialize this experience I wrote the following recipe poem:

A Recipe for River Soup

Pour one bucket of Minecraft water that flow without end over stew rocks. Allow the water run in whatever direction it pleases. Add in sediment power and a few shells to taste. Plant several trees around the edges and allow to sit overnight for 10-20 years. Add in a copious amount of turtles to rest above the water's surface on the fallen limbs of the trees. Sprinkle in small minnows to feast on the algae and other plants that may grow. For texture place a few frogs, insects and plenty of birds to perch, hop, and buzz around the dish. add yeast and listen to the sound that the mixture makes as it rises, the sweet rustle of the water, the various sounds of the birds call, and the pure and gentle breeze that floweth about. Finally allow the bake in the sun for the duration of each day. Enjoy by paddling down the river in a canoe, wading into the water, or trying to catch one of the many turtles. Remove garbage and other careless waste as needed.

Vignette

Today we practiced a new style of writing called a vignette. A vignette is a small story or description that uses a poetic style of writing to convey emotion. This is a very important form of nature writing, because it can be used to convey grand emotions in a short scene of even moment of time. To practice I wrote about an experience that I had with a particular animal that I saw on our trip to Cox Arboretum.Here is my practice vignette:

As I wade along the murky pond's edge, my eyes feverishly search for movement.My heart races as i hunt for one of the elusive guardians  of the pond. I stop immediately and pause in my tracks. Jug O'rum, O'rum, O'rum, O'rum. My soul quivers as goosebumps slowly work their way down my back and then up my arms. This is what I had been searching for. I move agilely toward the origin of the sound. I scan the waters edge for a moment before my eyes secure their  target. A small bullfrog sits nearly a foot away from my waterproof boots. I cautiously remove my hat and move into position. I stare intently at the frog, so that I may never lose sight of it. I then in one quick swoop, catch the frog in my hat. I flip the hat and lift it out of the water. I behold within the soggy mess that is my hat, the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. My goal has been accomplished. I had truly bested the pond.

Kayaking at Eastwood Metro Park

Yesterday we went kayaking at Eastwood Metro Park. The temperature was a little chilly but it made the experience more fun by presenting an added challenge. I had been canoeing and rowing plenty enough in the past to be an expert, but this was my first time kayaking. Upon getting into the water I quickly got myself turned around and heading in a direction opposite of the group. One of the rangers had to come and ask me where I was going, and I explained to him that I was in need of help getting back. Within about five minutes of instructions I got the hang of it. From there I was able to race others and follow commands from the instructor about where to paddle. By the end of the day I was beating the instructors in races. This reminds me of almost every new challenge I have faced in life. At first I feel a little scared and unsure about whether I will be able to succeed. Then comes the awkward phase upon starting the challenge, when I clearly could use a hand. Finally comes the part where I master my fears, and eventually become an expert at whatever that challenge was. Although I learn this lesson after every challenge  I seem to unlearn it by the next challenge because I go through that cycle every time. I would love to one day be able to remember this so that I will feel confident at the beginning of every challenge,

Backpacking Trip

Today we read excerpts from the Cheryl Strayed's memoir: Wild. We learned about all of the materials that she took with her on her three month long trek across the Pacific Crest Trail. We then designed and planned out a backpacking trip of our own. I chose to hike three hundred miles around the Grand Loop at Yellowstone National Park. For this tip, I planned out what items and gear I would need to survive. Some notable objects, were my trustee bowie knife, bear spray, a back packing tent, compass, water purifier, first aid kit, and a cast iron skillet. all together this totaled 70 pounds. We then put weights into a backpack to see how heavy that would feel on a hike. It's a great skill to plan gear for hiking trips. It makes me really look forward to backpacking in Yellowstone National Park this summer.

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This is the SOG Jungle Primitive bowie that was include in my hypothetical kit.

Aullwood Audubom Center and Farm

On Friday we went to the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm. I am a regular volunteer at Aullwood so most of the staff was already familiar with me. I was put into a small group with, Sarah Alverson, the lead land manager at Aullwood. This summer I will be having an Externship at Aullwood where I will be working closely with Sarah. While our group was walking on the trail I got a chance to talk with her about wildlife and the invasive species we will be removing during my externship. During our trip we identified various plants, trees, and animals. Some notable ones were the American Sycamore, Indigo Bunting, and the American Bullfrog.  After our hike we ate lunch at the Aullwood farm. As soon as I finished eating, I went over to the Chicken coop and fed dandelion greens to the hens. I even got to pet some of them, and they felt incredibly soft.

After we returned to the school we worked on a prompt of creating a meditation script. My script was as follows:

You are siting beneath a mighty oak tree deep in the forest. You are aware of the warm air and an occasional gentle breeze that feels refreshing on your skin. You look at your surroundings and you notice that you are so deep in the forest that all you can see are trees around you for what seems like miles. You look up and notice that several small squirrels are scurrying from tree to tree about twenty feet above your head. They cause one small acorn to come lose from a branch. You watch it as in falls in slow motion and lands right past your feet. This makes you smile.  You close your eyes and rest your head against the tree. You reach your hands downward and grasp gently at the soil. You thoroughly examine the texture of the forest floor, as if it were the first time you had ever experienced that sensation before.

You open your eyes and gaze at the peaceful forest scenery, with the leaves gently flowing in the breeze. You concentrate on the sounds of the forest. You hear the sounds of many birds singing a sweet natural melody. If you focus your ears you can hear the faint sound of rushing water. You focus on this peaceful sound until you lose all track of time. You drift off peacefully until the sound of an acorn falling off to your right side brings you back to reality. You decide to follow the sound of rushing water to its source. You follow a small trail that leads towards the water. You walk from a while and focus on the sound of crunching leaves with each step you take. Off to your left you can see a sublime canyon overlook. You can see a large river flowing at its base and a grand, purple, white capped mountain far in the distance. You fully immerse you self in this breathtaking view and let all of your inhibitions melt away. You go around a bend in the trail and you realize that there is a fork in the road. Both paths lead towards the sound of water but follow slightly different directions. After a moment of contemplation you decide to take the right path.

Satisfied with this decision you take the path for what seems like a few minutes. On your way you notice a large boulder but you cannot see the top of it due to a small cluster of trees. As you pass it you hear an unfamiliar sound, but your motivation to reach that rushing water keeps you moving. Suddenly you are stopped by the sight of a large Elk eating from a black berry bush just on the side of the path. At first you are awestruck by the beauty of this magnificent creature. Then you feel chills as you register that the Elk is only twenty feet ahead of you. You wonder what might happen next, but somehow you feel as if it is all going to be okay. After watching the Elk eat for a good while you, decide not to risk disturbing it. You head back along the trail, and stop when you reach the large boulder once again. You think about how special this experience was and about how beautiful the woodland scenery is. You wish that every day could be filled with such peace and tranquility. You realize that today has been an exceptionally good day. You have felt stressed recently and needed to get away, but now all that stress has been completely washed away. All you can feel is happiness and bliss. You realize that being happy, and spending time in a pristine setting such as this is all that you really need in life. You realize that everything else simply over complicates your life, and adds unnecessary stress. Realizing this makes you feel happy and you think to yourself,” I am completely at peace now. I could die right now, and that would be just okay”. Saying this with the voice in your head feels very refreshing.  It is good that you think this, because it is the very last thought that you have before a mountain lion pounces on you from the top of the boulder.

Cox Arboretum

Today we went to Cox Arboretum. I played in the pond and caught bullfrogs.While I was still at the pond I fed some potato wedges, and chocolate chip cookies to the fish and turtles. Eventually all that commotion attracted a large alligator snapping turtle.  It would stand still in the water and then pop up to eat an entire cookie whole. This reminded me a little of myself. As an introvert I often am one of the last people to join a group, but in the end I have some of the most fun out of anyone there. Later I was able to identify at least five types of trees: River birch, Bur oak, Sweet gum, Irish spruce, redwood, and blue spruce. Today was a blast and I had a great time getting my feet wet and hiking around the arboretum.

My Trip to Delco Park

Yesterday our class hiked to Delco Park to practice Tom Brown Jr.'s Small World exercise. The point of this exercise was to observe a square foot of grass at a standing, kneeling, and laying down position, and notice things that you missed in the previous position with each time you get closer to the space. Once on your belly you would explore the grass as if it were a grand forest, or as if you were an astronaut exploring a strange new planet. While I was standing up, all I could see was grass. Kneeling I could see there was more complexity to the grass. I could begin to see where the grass touched the ground and bits of the soil.On my belly I could see the grass from the top to the soil, and the ants, spiders, and other insects that inhabited it.

From this position I was able to identify a goldenrod spider, a few red ants, and a Mediterranean moth. I could see how the space that appeared to be only a sea of green before was just as complex and important as the forests that I prowl about and explore. This gave me a new appreciation for all types of nature, and I was certain that I could feel myself treading much lighter with each step I took in the grass after that. Before leaving we hung out around the pier over the small pond. From there I was able to identify that the small birds with red bellies that had circled around use earlier in the day, were barn swallows. Shortly after a classmate came to me and asked for help freeing a small channel catfish from a line that a careless fisherman had left behind.

I was able to pull it out of the water and used two sticks to remove the hook which the poor thing had completely swallowed. After about five minutes, I was able to free the struggling fish back into the pond. This poor fish made me think about how in relationships, young people can often be drawn to someone that gives them a sign of hope, but sometimes once they get to know them better, that hope turns out to be nothing more than a hook and fishing line used to draw them in and leave them to rot. Over all this was a very fun and eventful day.

The Beginning of an Adventure

Today was the start of the To the Woods STEM-mersion class. We started out today by contemplating Henry David Thoreau’s quote, “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately”, and we discussed possible definitions of living deliberately. We then participated in a team building exercise. The class was divided into two equal halves, and the entire group had to make it across a thirty foot long area, that representing a small river, using only four wooden tiles. The pictures below are of me (the tall, green shirt wearing, blonde haired, ginger bearded fella) attempting to cross the “river” with two other group members. Then we had a guest speaker, Scott Giesel, a senior writing instructor at Wright State University, come in to give a lecture about nature writing techniques. Finally we went over the rules and expectations for this class, and discussed the field  trips we would take over the next two weeks. This has been an exciting start to our To the Woods STEM-mersion class. I look forward to many fun outdoor adventures, and plenty of opportunities for nature observation.