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Littlefield
Forum
I have a history of art and drawing in my family; well with my dad.
He is an awesome artist and always pushed me to do the same because he
knew I had potential. The thing is that I can see these beautiful works of art
in my head, but once I begin to draw or paint them, they never come out how I
envisioned them. This is a beautiful tree. When I sat down to draw it, I
pictured putting it onto the paper the way it really exists. The branches are
droopy in a angelic way. The leaves are so intricately placed. The tree has a
beauty that people walking by never see. I have to admit, I didn't notice it
either until today. I never saw how beautiful the tree was until I couldn't set
it's beauty onto paper. God keeps this tree alive to supply the world with
oxygen and keep this earth in a steady balance.
But He more importantly keeps it alive because it is one of His most
beautiful creations. This tree is like no other, even though some people see it
as "just another tree." It is a work of art in nature that no man can
ever imitate. A photograph may show what the tree looks like, but it doesn't
allow for the ambiance involved in being near the tree. A drawing may bring out
feelings, but beauty is always lost. Writing about it may stir emotions, but
this hardly does the tree justice.
Life for humans is a never-ending hassle. There is always
something to do and always somewhere to go. But this tree sees none of this.
This tree stays out and continues to grow and share its beauty without ever
knowing about it. Some people can go into symbolism about this tree or any tree
for that matter such as "the thickness of the trunk symbolizes vitality,
and the flowing branches represent life." But this is not true. The tree is
a tree: a beautiful creation of God. It is not a symbol for life. It merely
shows that as life gets busy and complicated, this tree will just stand there
and wait for us to notice its beauty.
My drawing of the Littlefield Pine Waller
Creek 1 Forum There is nothing as ordinary as a common
squirrel. They are all over Texas.
I notice them often: how
cute they are and how they rush away from me.
But I have never taken the time to just watch the squirrel climb through
the branches. As I was walking
around the path of the Alumni Center, a little (and apparently young) squirrel
jumped into a small bush-like tree and began to scurry away.
I kept still as not to startle him anymore than I already had.
He also kept still, not wiggling his tail or jumping to move away, only
staring directly into my eyes with his deep, dark, brown eyes.
As I moved slightly, he began to scamper through the thin leafless
branches. I had already observed that he was a young one, so he was
more careful about his choice of branches.
He moved to a taller tree and scrambled to the top to be out of the way
of danger. Then he stopped, looked
at me for what seemed to be an eternity, and then simply began to groom himself.
Though he was high above me in the tree, somehow he sensed that I was not
going to hurt him. He ever so
gently groomed his precious little head with his front paws.
What is going through this little squirrelís mind?
In The Sympathetic Imagination by Bump, it is said ìAs Adam
Smith suggested, almost all knowledge of the inner nature and feelings of others
must come through the imaginationÖî(85).
Though science may prove that this little squirrel is of lesser
intelligence, they cannot prove that he is thinking above and beyond of what
instinct already provides within his genetic makeup. Maybe his thoughts include ìWhat is this person doing?
Why does she look at me as if I am some sort of stranger.
I am no stranger. This is my
home and I want to be comfortable here.î
Waller Creek is this little squirrel's home.
It is hard to imagine what this little animal thinks, but it is the only
way into his mind.
Sitting here on the ground, at eye level I see browning vegetation
(vegetation unsure of what season it is in Texas) and a low, babbling brook.
As I look up I see MAN. I
see buildings, people walking on the cemented roads to class, the few cars that
are allowed to park on campus. But
what contrasts more than the sights to me, are the sounds.
Closing my eyes, I hear the wind rustling the leaves and the water
flowing downstream. But I also hear
machinery -- the sounds of new dwellings for the ever-growing population of this
university being put into place next to Waller Creek downstream.
But these sounds of industrialization do not compare to the sounds of
nature. In Jonesí piece, he
mentions, ìThere are thousands upon thousands of [studentís] on the Forty
Acres, within a few minutesí walk, but as yet only a few along the shady,
limestone-littered reach of Waller CreekÖî(Jones 166).
This may be true, but only because no one has ever introduced it to them.
The population of the university does get a chance to look at the
squirrel in a different light.
What does the little squirrel hear?
Does he hear the machines? Does
he hear the new buildings rise to the sky?
Does he hear the passing studentís?
Maybe. This has little
meaning to him in my mind. He hears
the trees rustle as he jumps from branch to branch.
He hears a splash in the water when something falls into it. Life is wonderful for him.
No cares, no worries. The
life of a squirrel, what a life to have. I
would love to have a chance to run though the trees with greatest of ease. The
Old Man and the Cypress Tree
The old man and the cypress tree Sit
together in perfect harmony. Both
depending on each other without the other knowing. The
treesí long think trunk supplies a place of rest,
the branches, a source of shade. The
old man writes the treesí story - what the tree has heard,
has seen. The
companionship is not understood by anyone,
but the two
the old man and the cypress tree
sit together in perfect harmony. Dobie
Forum
The Longhorn
ìTall, tough, and full of fightî describes the iron longhorn outside
of the Alumni center. This
statement gives rise to immense school spirit.
We are the longhorns. How
could anyone disgrace who we are? This
is a great animal to be represented by. Mr.
Dobie comments, ìAs an animal in the realm of natural history, he [the
longhorn] was the peer of bison or grizzly bearî(Dobie 281).
A longhorn is a courageous, fierce animal that embodies the state of
Texas. Looking at the statue of the
longhorn made me proud to be her at the University of Texas, right here, right
now, in this place of time.
The Mustangs
As I looked up at the enormous (well to a degree) statue of the running
mustangs, I imagined then coming to life to continue their path from the place
in time in which they are frozen. Mr.
Dobie commented, ìThey [the mustangs] have gone with the winds of vanished
years. They carried away a life and
a spirit that no pastoral prosperity could in coming re-presentî(Dobie 307).
If they did become alive and began running down the paved street, what
would they think? Where would their
grassy prairie be? Why had Texas
changed so much for them? I would
tell them that, yes, Texas has changed, but we still love them.
Those who think about the wild and free mustangs that once roamed the
land, wish it could be so again. We
all wish that we had a chance to see these strong, beautiful creatures running
as they pleased. But these mustangs
are not real. They are merely iron
giants, frozen in a place of time we can never go back to.
The Freedom Mare
A single mare running through our campus seems quite unlikely.
This beautiful creation of God is now recreated as a creation of man.
Do students even notice this mare running, here always, as they pass by?
Thousands upon thousands of people flock to the football games every
year. I know they walk by it, but
why donít they see it? This is a
beautiful campus and so many students donít even notice itsí beauty. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to be in a group
(this class) and get a chance to look at the beauty of this campus.
I love it here. I love the beauty, the atmosphere, the people, and the
experiences. The Freedom Mare
brought this all into my mind. We
have a great place for our higher education and we should take full advantage of
not only the opportunities we have here, but also the surroundings.
We have the freedom here that this mare had long ago in her days when
things were simpler. Life was
grand. She was free and spirited.
It seemed to her that it would go on forever.
Life does not go on forever, nor does out time here at the university. We should grab it up now and never let it go.
The
Family (??)
This statue was done with a different texturing
than the others we viewed. Thatís
what I noticed first. I then
noticed the strong necks and bodies of the horses of the group.
What an outstanding creature. The
horses are larger than the old man, girl, and calf, but seem to be less
emphasized in the theme of the creation as a whole.
This statue embodies the University of Texas.
The old man is the past and the young girl is the future.
The longhorn calf symbolizes (to me) the spirit of the university.
The old man seems to be handing this calf to her as in passing the spirit
and love of UT. The horses are the
travelers, the means of transportation; they are how the old man and girl will
arrive to their destinations -- their futures.
This statue, along with the others surrounding the Alumni Center, allow
us to view our school in another way and to be proud of where we are.
The artistís knew what they were doing when they chose their subjects
for their work of art of our campus.
The Dobie House
I thought the house was really cute.
Everything Mr. Dobie needed to work was right there.
Itís hard to believe that his house used to sit there without all the
large buildings surrounding it. It
must have been so peaceful. Iím
sure that it was the place he wanted to die -- his house, his sanctuary, and
around the university he loved so much Biology
Ponds 1 Forum
The
beauty seems to be lost in this man-made pond:
these flat, round statues posed without movement.
The species that I recognize, the Texas Red-Eared Slider, sits upon the
rocks sticking one or two webbed feet out into the air ñ so perfectly, so
easily, without becoming weary. I
believe there are two, maybe even three species, one of which I know because I
was exposed to them so many times throughout my life.
The other I am unsure of. Maybe
they are the female species of the Texas Red-Eared Slider; maybe they are a
completely different species. It is
a question I will surely ask my dad, just so I will know and be able to say that
I know (I guess). The wind is now
blowing quite strongly, yet the turtle seem unaffected.
They sit quietly and still waiting for the glorious sun to warm their
bodies. What a simple life they
lead.
I look around at my fellow classmates. We
are all thinking about the ponds. But
everyone thinks differently, even about the same thing.
A big fish (a koi) appears below the surface.
Some of us are impressed, some are not.
Personally, I do not like big fish.
I like them to be small. But
only God can decide the size of fish. But
Darwin thinks otherwise. He thinks
that species are the way they are because they have survived that way.
They are how they are in order to procreate and keep the species moving.
He says. ìIt has been said that I speak of natural selection as an
active power or Deity; but who objects to an author speaking of the attraction
of gravity as ruling the movements of the planetsî(340)?
He wants to know why people accept physics in place of God, but not
natural selection. Well I accept
neither in place of God. God made
the world the way He wanted it and allows it to continue the way it does because
that is His master plan.
The beauty of a man-made pond can never equal the beauty of a God-made pond.
The cement, the gravel, and the few plants that were place where they now
grow all make the pond seem cold and uncaring.
Do the little turtles know that their home is not real?
Do they know that their past generations were purposefully put there and
not born in the pond? The sun is coming out from behind the clouds.
I can feel the heat on my back. The
sunlight brings more turtles out onto the rocks.
Being cold-blooded, they thrive on the heat they absorb into their
bodies. The sun us a beautiful thing and sustains life on this earth.
I think it is important for all species to ìsoak up the sunî.
Sue Hubbel writes. ìThat is why I have stopped sleeping inside.
A house is too small, too confiningî(Slovic 135).
We should all go outside, soak up the sun, and enjoy the world God has
made for us. Waller
Creek #2 Forum
Whether
the water is stagnant or rushing down-stream, I notice that it is one of Waller
Creekís prime characteristics. But
when I look at the water, what else do I see?
The limestone bed? The
squawking birds among the treeís high branches?
The few ducks that fly by trying not be seen?
Everyone sees the same thing in different ways, but everything one at a
time. Thatís the way I see
things. What is it like to view the
whole of Waller Creek as one united mass? How
can I begin to process that the water, the limestone, the trees, and the birds,
all come together to create one unity? How
does the plastic bag and discarded beer can add to the eco-system.
Do they become part of this whole? How
am I a part of this united mass? We
often find that "Öthe notion of an individual apart from the collectivity
is a total alien distinction"(Burch 349).
The way I see it is by breaking down.
It all comes down to individual things, but the individual is still a
part of the whole. We have this
infinite universe; we are part of the solar system; we all live on earth, each
one of us occupies space on this earth. I
can only, ìÖknow the word in terms of the body, and accordance with its
structureî(Watts 356). My body is
alone. We are all alone, but we make up the big picture.
We feel alone, but we all feel. The
leaf falling from the tree above my head is as much a part of this united body
as I am. How can I sit here and
wonder how Waller Creek is united, when I need to ponder how the whole universe
is united? What a mind-blowing
thought. How does the trickling
water of the creek relate to the gaseous planet of Jupiter?
Though they share no common characteristics. It simply explained that
they are present and occupy space. We
all are the same when it comes down to atoms.
We are all one body. Biology
Ponds 2 Forum I
had a test today. It was a geology
test over Darwinism (you know, ìÖnatural selection [that] impliesÖ the
preservation of such variations [in species] as arise and are beneficial to the
being under its conditions of lifeî(Darwin 340)), vertabrates, stratigraphy,
earthquakes, and the earthís componentís and magnetism.
I was semi-prepared for it, but the best feeling in the world is when the
test is over whether or whethernot I did well. Classes are so stressful except for this one.
I enjoy coming to class so that I can sit here in nature (along side
civilzation of course) on this beautiful day and feel totally at peace with
myself and the world. All of my worries slip away.
I just think about what wonderful friends and family I have.
I think about how lucky I am to be alive on this absolutely perfect day.
On a day like this, how can anyone be sad?
Why is it that we donít take the time to lay in the grass and just gaze
at the brilliant blue sky? All
animals take part in a day like this. So
does all of the earth, The pigeons
love it. The turtles love it.
We love it. But the thing
that disunites humans from the rest of the earth is that on a yucky, humid,
foggy, day, we wull be in a bad mood, and complaining, but everything else will
love it. We donít cherish every
day like so many other organisms do. We are busy. We
have things to do and we only take time out of our day to realize how great it
is to be alive when we have an absoletly glorious day. In The Other Side of the Hedge, the narrator comments,
ìThey all seemed happy; and I might have been happy too, if I could have
forgotten that the place led nowhereî(Forster 390). We need to be happy with every day. We need to feel united with everything, all of the time.
Life is too short to only enjoy it when we have time.
This is a beautiful day and I am glad to be a part of it all.
And I will try and feel the same when one day it rains again (better not
this weekend). Taniguchi
Forum The
alarm went off at 9:00am, but I didnít get out of bed until 9:45am.
What was so great about this garden that I had to wake up so early (well
to me) on a Sunday morning to visit? Though
the day is overcast, it does not hinder the tranquil beauty of the oriental
garden. The ever-flowing water streams throughout the garden allowing
me to listen to a sound I love. Nothing
is more beautiful then the trickling of water, whether fast or slow, or the
crashing of the waves of an ocean. Though
we are miles away from an ocean, the beauty and serenity of this place brings
fond memories. The occasional, but
not so occasional pass of talking people distracts me from the dignity of the
garden, but allows me to realize that I will not always be a part of this
garden. While I am here, we are
one. When I go, we will no longer
be one, but we (both me and the garden) will have made an impact on one another.
Being here listening to the wind rustle through the variety of
vegetation, the flowing of the water, or the chirping of the typical Texas
birds, I feel relaxed. I feel content with who I am and where I am going in my life.
My thoughts only wonder to myself. I
do not think about others. I think
solely of how I am part of this great universe (a quite complicated thought).
Would the beauty of this garden be lost without someone to look at it?
Probably not, but we would not get any pleasure from it if it were
hidden. The garden is beautiful.
It allows you to feel itsí unity as you follow the path throughout. It could be viewed as the path of life. It is a wonderful to place to be. It is a place of weddings, of family gatherings, as serene
walks, and so much more. Mr.
Taniguchi did a good job. |
