Journal Entries

January 20,2000

I agree completely with what this essay had to say about Discovery Learning. I have found out from my experience that it is true when they said, "while you are participating, you are paying more attention." Of course people pay more attention when they are participating in something rather than simply just sitting back and listening. For one, people don't get bored nearly as easily because they actually have something to physically do. Second, people are more likely to ask more questions when they don't know something as opposed to simply sitting back quietly and only taking notes. Face it, if you just sit there and take notes you get very bored (especially if you have an eight or nine o'clock class).

I am not the kind of person who just sits back and listens while others just spit out information and expect me to follow. Don't get me wrong, I can do that if I have to, I have done it every semester in a majority of my classes here at UT. However, I really work better with hands on assignments rather than just note taking. I learn faster and easier, with a lot less stress, when it's hands-on assignments. I think that it is one of the main reasons for my choosing on a film production degree in the College of Communications as my career. Instead of sitting behind a desk and a computer all day every day, I get to create something for people that takes a lot of physical as well as mental work. It is a challenge to me personally, not just the same old monotonous routine every day. Like the essay says, "Because you are able to see the principles actually work, you have a better grasp of the ideas."

First of all, when reading this article I became slightly frustrated, because Greg Miller, the author, repeats himself word for word on several different lines in the text. I understood what he was trying to say the first time. If what he says pertains to another part of his article, he needs to do one of the following: change the structure or format of his article or reword what he had previously stated and not use the same phrase word for word.

The breakthrough of digital technology is amazing. What one person can do with a digital photograph is amazing. I congratulate Atkinson on his decision to go back into the photography of nature. Nature is such an amazing and not to mention mind-boggling wonder. With all the pollution and damage we people have caused to this wonderful Mother Earth, nature might not survive our torment much longer. Atkinson has used technology for a good cause, capturing in nature those wonders of beauty for everyone to enjoy. In the present time, people hustle and bustle their way through life, and not many of them actually stop to appreciate the many beautiful things in nature. Atkinson's pictures are stunningly beautiful, yet they are still simple at the same time. The nature pictures help me to appreciate the simple things in nature and help to create a feeling of serenity and peace if I stare at them long enough to get lost in their splendid beauty. I commend Atkinson for his continuous effort and I hope that he continues to make a positive difference with nature in this world.

January 25, 2000

I was surprised at first when reading this criticism. I strongly agree with what W.J.Bates argues about the "sympathetic imagination." It is hard for a lot of people to do I think because with such advanced technology and science, people seem to have lost touch with their imagination. Well, I don't know for sure, but maybe it also has a little something to do with age as well. I know that over the last decade or so I have lost touch with my imagination a little. I think that may be one of the reasons that I have decided to pursue a career in the film making industry. It helps me tap into my imagination.

Any ways, when W.J.Bates states in his essay, "...The sympathetic imagination in literature and morality are psychologically dependent on each other, ...and decline in the one necessarily precipitates decline in the other." I feel this is exactly what is happening in our society right now. I don't want to say that a loss in the sympathetic imagination causes a decline in morality. I feel morality has greatly decreased due to a lot of different factors like a decline in religion for example. Technology has grasped every one that no one lives off of faith, God, or the nature and Earth any more. People use to be closer to nature, at least it seems like it. We lived closer with nature in our home and jobs as well as travel. In the present time, there seems to be less and less nature involvement. Therefore, decline in morality has caused a decline in the sympathetic imagination, in addition to the need for science, fact and technology.

This poem made me feel grief and sadness for this poor dead lion. It started out peaceful and calm with a short description of the Lobo Canyon, leading me to believe it would be a cheerful poem. Suddenly, the tone changes when it states, "Men! Two men! Men! The only animal in the world to fear." I was shocked and kind of offended as a human. However, with that one sentence my mood and expectations of what the poem was going to be about changed. I no longer felt it would be a happy poem. It told me to fear what I really am. Right then I felt the sympathetic imagination that Bates talks about. The poem continued through with a greater fear for the two hunters and a sympathy and sadness for the poor lion. At the point in the poem where it started repeating the description of her face, "Her round, bright face, bright as frost. Her round, fine-fashioned head, with two dead ears," I felt real remorse as one lion to another lion, like I was a part of nature, a fellow lion. I felt hatred towards man for doing such a thoughtless act towards a species in nature. The description made me imagine when the lion was alive; her past experiences, places she would have gone and things she probably did. It was as if I was a lion in her place, like I was related emotionally to her.

I find the power of just a few simple words to be very powerful. It's all just a matter of how they are put together. Poets are very talented in this area. I commend "Lobo" on his poem. I felt deep compassion for the lion, which is what I think he was trying to achieve.

February 1,2000

The tall pine, high up in the sky, covers the lawn with its enormous canopy of branches and greenery. I look at her height and how broad of a trunk she has, wondering what all she has seen throughout the years. Her tree trunk sits tall, almost as if she is proud of earth and life. Every branch skews off into a different direction. I look at them and wonder what story each branch has to tell. It's almost like the pathways of life, so many directions it can take. There are gloomy, sagging branches extending to the ground. However, they also appear like steps up into the tree. What is there purpose, or why do they droop? Maybe they are the stories that are forgotten or untold anymore. The other branches fill out the top, extending towards the sky. Maybe it is a succession in life, all filling together to protect the old but sturdy trunk, their life source. I can almost see my life among the branches. Every decision or turning point in my life was the start of a new branch, although I don't have as much experience as the old pine does, so I don't have nearly as much branches yet. Anyway, there are decisions or directions I have taken that I no longer remember or consider important enough that I tend to forget about them, like the lower branches. However, it all is a part of who I am, resulting in a huge collection of branches. I hope that when I look back on my life years from know that I will be able to have pride, like this great big pine tree seems to have. The tree sits comfortably next to the old Victorian home. The branches flow into the one side of the home, sheltering and protecting it from any harm. I look at this tree next to this home and all the other buildings that surround it and think to myself, what an odd tree for its surroundings. It is beautiful and tall, yet everything around it seems to not do it justice. This magnificent part of nature has been left alone. Man has trapped this tree next to this house, alone, without the wild of nature to keep it alive for generations. I feel alone like this tree sometimes, which I think everyone has or does at times. I get caught up in the fast pace of life, with all the time constraints and technological advances. I become a robot, forgetting to relax and take in the miracles of life and nature. Life is an amazing wonder that I hope to enjoy for the rest of my life.

February 8,2000

Jones creatively opens the reader's eyes to the joys of one small creek. I felt a deep connection to Waller Creek after reading this man's story. I think that what related to me the most was his telling of his own personal interactions with the creek. He tells us about his "self appointed tasks (his) shovel stirs the gravel in the creek bed." I can picture a young man playing around in the creek, remembering back when he was young and playing in the creeks. All this talk about creeks reminds me of when I was young. There was a small creek that my friend and I grew up playing in. I was young, about six or seven. I don't remember the name of the creek; however, it was our escape from reality and an adventure in nature. We would constantly be running back and forth down the creek bed, playing with sticks and rocks while trying to splash each other from the water on the banks. I had no worries back then. The world was mine to explore, well just a certain distance from my home.

I feel for Jones and relate to his passion for a single place in nature. It seems that people get too caught up these days in money and politics that we don't appreciate the wonders that are hidden in nature. We are extremely lucky to be able to have such beautiful things in nature to admire. I sometimes wonder just how long they will last; will our world always have them to look at? Or will the fate that everyone dreads or discards as true actually come true? Will there no longer be these wonders of nature? I sure hope not. I want generations after me to be able to grow up with such beauty.

Jones "inventory is such a creative decision. I think it shows the flip side of the spectrum. He has been talking about all the beautiful aspects about it, then he interrupts it with an account of things he finds: "plastic beer cups...the ever-ongoing deposit of beer cans...plastic bags..." they all show how man can destroy and abuse nature with out a second thought. I just don't understand how people can be so blind and selfish.

I was shocked after reading this. I had no idea that anything like this had ever happened before, especially to a University like UT. I was very upset at Frank Erwin. He has no right (or had no right) to take such extreme measures when obviously the students that pay his salary care about it so deeply. I guess he did have the authority, but that just makes me even more upset about the situation; that he repeatedly just refused to listen to the concerns of the students and faculty. The students bring in most of the money that gives him his paycheck and funds these big construction projects that he plans. Someone who refuses out right to listen to the students and faculty, in my personal opinion, has no place as chairman of this University.

When Jones pointed out that "twenty-seven were arrested and twenty-two were booked for disturbing the peace by disorderly conduct." I was completely shocked and not to mention outraged. Since when is sitting in the trees peacefully considered "disorderly conduct?" It amazes me what some people will do just because they feel they have the power and that makes them right. They are abusing their power that is given to them with trust that they will use it for the good of the University.

The way the students and faculty reacted to this was wonderful in my personal opinion. The "clean-in-plant-in" was a very creative and smart maneuver on their part. They made the best of a sticky situation. Instead of reacting negatively they reacted positively. That just goes to show that there are some people out there who truly care about nature.

February 10,2000

I originally pictured Waller Creek to be a small stream barely trickling down its path. I had never really stopped to take a look at it. However, when I did its natural beauty amazed me. Isamu Taniguchi says in The Spirit of the garden, "Even the common pebble on the path or the grass, trodden upon by man or run over by a wheel, in its own individuality attempts to communicate with the heart of man. Therefore, if a man possesses a pure or sensitive heart, the pebbles and the grass can reveal their beauty to his eyes"(187). Nature revealed its beauty to me that day. It's not a small stream winding its way through the creek bed. It is indeed flowing through the rocks and even has a few small waterfalls. It has a small but steady flow to it. The sound of the water flowing through the rocks and crashing against other rocks is so relaxing. I could literally take a nap out here if I wanted to. Yet, amongst all this beauty, we are surrounded by the roaring of buses and cars, trapped by the conventions of man, and isolated from the natural world the creek once knew. I try to think back to a hundred years ago or even five hundred years ago; Waller Creek, wild and free, flowing throughout this land without any urban threats. Even with it being so small, the creek still must have been an amazing natural wonder. I can still see its magnificence. I have never seen a creek with such white rocks. It adds character and uniqueness to the creek. I am so grateful to see such a beautiful sought. I don't like to think about it, but I wonder just how much life this little creek has in it. How much more destruction and pollution can it survive? I don't fully trust man to take care of it and preserve it. It all depends on who has power over it and how they use that power. I wish there could be some sort of guarantee for its preservation, but I know that one can only do so much before times change and people change. Joseph Jones states nicely, "And in cities--most of all those which, like ours, are growing fast--we should be giving high priority to preserving every natural pocket still available, with the practical aim of helping preserve ourselves"(164). Before one knows it, their generation is lost and a new one takes control. There are a few aspects of the creek that are man made, which I feel add beauty and originality. Next to the one end with the small waterfall there is a stone wall extending from one side of the creek to the other. I think that the rock the wall is made out of is the same rock from the creek. I don't know for sure, I am not a geology major. I believe the wall almost blends in naturally, adding to the scene, not taking away from it. Another man made feature that adds to the creek is the rock bridge over it. This bridge I also believe is made out of the same rock. It has three huge arcs that seem to guide the water through the creek bed. I can see the mirrored reflection of the water on the under side of the arcs. It is also very relaxing to watch. I see a small blackbird (I think it's a blackbird-not sure though). The bird is bathing in a shallow pool of the creek, splashing around, and fluffing its wings. I wonder how long these birds have used this creek to bathe in and live around? Who knows? They use this creek as a natural habitat to live in and around. The beauty and tranquility of the whole place is almost mesmerizing. If I was a bird, I would probably choose this place too, or places like it. This creek helps me forget all my stress and worries. It helps me appreciate the simple things in life and nature. I don't get much of that these days.

February 24,2000

I have never been a bird person. I don't know much about them and I have never observed much about birds. I guess that is one reason that this reading kind of sparked my interest when I read the title. I have been so "in-tune" to nature lately, I guess you could say, because of the things we have done in this class. I felt that I should get to know more about one of the aspects of nature that I don't know much about, actually nothing about, birds, and specifically the swallow.

Another thing I didn't know was that Swallows are major occupants here in Austin. Austin is such an interesting and diverse place, as I am coming to discover more and more. The swallow described seems magnificent. Even though there is no picture of him, I can picture him in my mind flying magnificently through the clear blue sky. I had no idea that the Swallow has so many muscles they have got to be very strong for their bodies, especially to be able to fly through the sky like that.

As I think about it, I begin to drift off into a dream-like state and imagine myself as the Swallow flying through the sky. I have often dreamt of flying through the air, as I think that most people have done before, wild and free up there in the air without a care in the world. To have such freedom would be such an experience. If only one day that dream could come true, just for a short while, enough to really enjoy it.

Swallows must not be much different from humans due to their playful and friendly interaction with other Swallows. It states in the reading, "Swallows associate in loose groups, as if enjoying their skyey sport together, each one spurred onto his best efforts under the stimulus of friendly rivalry." They have playful competitions with each other, just as we have. Of course the game is not the same as humans, but they do appear to share the joys of friendship between each other like we do. I could definitely let myself escape from this world and become a Swallow and simply soar through the air. I would definitely enjoy it.

I really like this story; it is so heart wrenching and touching. When it states that he wants to chop simply because he wants to keep doing something and not because he has to, I teared up. That man is strong, determined, and very hard working. He doesn't let age or time stop him from living his life to the fullest, in his own way. I really admire that, and I hope that some day I will be like that after I get older. The essay states, "With the lengthening of the span of human life, the problems of old age become increasingly difficult." I never really put too much thought into it before, I guess because I am still so young, but I really do agree with this quote. Centuries ago when people rarely lived to be even fifty; they were usually pretty healthy up until their death. In the present age, for someone to live above a hundred is very common. However, the sad part is, all that they do for the last few years of their life, even decades of their life, is to just sit in a nursing home somewhere and basically waiting to die. I never want to end up like that. My great grandfather lived to be ninety-two. He was a wonderful man, so full of life and energy. This man was living on his own still with his dog all the way up to the age of eighty-nine, the same year his dog finally died. He was always climbing trees to chop down some limbs he didn't like. He would even go for mile long walks with his dog in the afternoon. He was extremely energetic. After his dog died it seemed like a part of him died with him. He was never the same again. My grandfather eventually got too old and weak to live on his own and he moved in with my grandmother, his daughter. However, I can never forget visiting him at his home when he was energetic, watching him tend to his yard. I hope to live a long and healthy life right up until the end.

February 29,2000

Michael turned out to be a bit similar to the story The Cedar Cutter. Both men are strong, dedicated, and hard working young men. They work throughout their life, well way past the age when most people would stop and retire. The cedar cutter was a very old man who cut cedar wood for a living. He did it all his life. He didn't want to just stop working and retire. To him that would make him old and useless. So, he continued to cut cedar. He saw all his friends around him stop working and they only became old and died. He felt that as long as he continued to cut cedar, no matter how slow he eventually became at it, he was still alive because he was still doing something. Michael is also like this. He continues to work his land well into his eighties because he doesn't want his land to go away, to lose it to the city. He chooses to continue working because it is a way for him to feel alive still and keep his land alive.

There are a few differences between Michael and the Cedar cutter. The Cedar cutter is alone and simply chops for himself, to keep himself alive and feeling young and happy. Michael does have family. He tried to pass it on to his family but they just didn't want it, and the responsibility. They just didn't appreciate the land like he did. He works to keep the land alive and beautiful. If he keeps the land alive and looking beautiful then he is happy. He states, " Many months passed on: and once again the Shepherd went about his daily work with confident and cheerful thoughts." Nature to the shepherd is what makes him happy. The Cedar Cutter is happy working period, knowing that he is still alive on this earth.

This was very interesting article to read. I have never really understood anything about farming but especially farming in England. I guess they are both similar in someway. For example, it is both very hard work to maintain. I guess that is true for farming anywhere you go. It is hard labor that most people in today's age cannot and simply would not fathom. I do believe that they are more different than they are similar. In England, they view their farmers and lane with more care as well as respect. Nature to them is important to maintain, more so than in the United States. In the US, we seem to treat nature with a lot of disrespect for the common part. We plow over it, litter, pollute, and use up everything we can possibly find in nature that helps us. I was shocked when the article said, "an American who claimed to be able to locate Gold with 'an instrument' got permission to prospect over one of his farms." This clearly illustrates my point. Instead of working the land and allowing it to grow and flourish, people here just want whatever they can take that is of some value from Earth. I don't know if we will ever change, it seems too late, we have gone too far and become too dependent on it now. We seem to be too technology oriented these days. The Earth is something people care about and are aware about just not something of immediate importance any more.

March 2, 2000

I really liked the story of Sancho. He really seems to be more thought minded than we (humans) seemed to take them for. Sancho had thoughts, feelings, and a determination within himself to not let man take him away from his home and the people he loved so easily. I like the quote, "He chewed his cud peacefully and slept soundly, but whenever he looked southward, which was often, he raised his head as if memory and expectation were stirring." He tried over and over to leave the herd quietly, ducking out of sight of the cattle herders. He kept trying to fall back, trying not to attract any attention. This shows he planned and tried to deceive the herders. He is a very intelligent longhorn. He knew when to take a chance. Even when it didn't work out the first few times, he didn't give up. That just makes me wonder how all cattle in this age feel about being herded up like prisoners. They obviously have feelings and memories for Sancho to be able to make it all the way home from Wyoming to Texas. I really have a much better respect for these animals than I did before.

There was another quote that I really thought was ironic and funny. On page two hundred and ninety seven it states, "The longhorns of the Brush, instead of being modified by men, bent men to their own ways." This goes to show they are a lot more similar to man than we give credit for. Here you have rebels, just like there are in the human race. They would rather fend for themselves and risk dying than to be herded around by men who ultimately will sell them to the slaughterhouse for meat. I really respect them.

The mustang is more of a mystery to me than the longhorn. My stepfather has a longhorn on his land; however, I have never seen a true wild mustang. The sight of them free and running wild must be a wonderful thing. I really liked the quote on page three hundred and six stating, "He (the mustang) relied upon motion, not covert, for the maintenance of liberty." Well, no wonder that the mustangs free and wild on the prairies no longer exist. We have run them off of the prairies where they run free. Humans just seem to exploit everything in nature. Why do we do it? Why are we so thoughtless and cruel? I don't ever want to do anything like that or even contribute to it in any way. But as I think about it, our society has gone too far and become too advanced for ourselves and nature. It seems like there is no turning back any more. There are no prairies any more for them to run free; they would get caught on all the barbwire fencing in the middle. We have sold the land, put up barbwire fences, and developed all the land into cities with skyscrapers. My hope for nature is not very good; I have a very negative outlook. I think sometimes that I was born a century or maybe two too late. I would really have loved to live back in the old days where nature was first and foremost, not technology and science. Another quote that made me almost cry was on page three hundred and seven stating, "They have gone with the winds of vanished years. They carried away a life and a spirit that no pastoral prosperity could in coming times re-present." I wish they could be free spirited and wild again instead of gone with the winds. What a sad world it has become. I'm sorry about my negative views.

March 2,2000

Today was a very interesting class day. I really enjoyed myself, despite the heat. First, we went to the Dobie hose over off of Dean Keaton. It was a very interesting house. I love old houses with the connecting rooms, creaky stairs, and low ceilings and door frames. I tried to picture what life must have been like during his time. There was an old drawing of his house from back in his time period. There were no paved roads or buildings around it. It was so beautiful. The land obviously inspired Dobie a lot in his writings. He must have had a wonderful view of the area around him, not like the one we have now. I really liked his library. There were so many books in there, from the picture of the Dobie library from years ago. They filled the library beyond capacity. One reason this library appeals to me so much is because it's really cozy compared to most old, musty libraries. The next place that we went to visit was the mustang statue. I have seen it before but it was for my geology class. We only focused on the stone base of the statue. However after reading the articles for our journal and the inscriptions on the statue, I looked at Mustangs in a new light. Maybe it's because I grew up in a technology-driven environment, but I never really appreciated nature, the land, and the animals of Texas. They did contribute a lot to help people make Texas what it is today, and do symbolize hope and prosperity for Texas. I feel bad for the Mustangs though. They are no longer free to run wild and live free. In Dobie's writing of The Mustang he says, "They have gone with the winds of vanished years. They carried away a life and a spirit that no pastoral prosperity could in coming times re-present"(X307). We have taken away everything they live for. The next statue was the mare. I like how they use her as a symbol for women and nonviolence. Women don't get the recognition we deserve some times, but we can look back at the mare as a symbol of hope and determination. The Longhorn statue also went along with our journal readings. The longhorn has always been a key symbol of Texas. For years cattle ranching was a thriving business here. The statue glorifies the longhorn and its relation to man, for the success they have brought man. I still must say, I'm influenced by Dobie's story of Sancho and the other wild longhorns. When Sancho was being taken across the country, away from his home for so long, he felt a sense of grief and loss. "He chewed his cud peacefully and slept soundly, but whenever he looked southward, which was often, he raised his head as if memory and expectation were stirring"(X286). I fell bad for cattle and longhorns because they have no defense against the strength of man. Man has no respect or care for these animals. I don't think people realize that they think and feel like we do, just on a different level. The last statue was of a family and horse. I wish I could have lived during this time period. I would have been closer to nature and family. Time was slower, and people had time to appreciate their surroundings. We do have some of that today; it's just not nearly as common. Today was full of symbols relating to history and nature, mainly of Texas. I guess people take symbols to help represent a feeling, place or time period that is special to them. This way the memory is passed on to further generations. It often makes me wonder what kinds of symbols will our generation create to represent what is special to us. I really couldn't say at this point, time will tell.

March 7,2000

I have been at UT almost two years now and this is the first time I have ever really sat down and looked at the pond. I have walked past this place countless times on my way to the West mall, UGL, or the Drag. I even stopped here for about two minutes Monday to take some photography pictures. The ironic part is my photography project dealt with a "Sense of Place" just like what we are doing now. This is a nice and relaxing place to get away to. I feel like I say that every time we visit a place and write about it, maybe that is why nature appeals to me so much. No matter where I am in nature I feel relaxed, stress free, and happy. The UT biology pond is very unique, compared to what I have seen in my life. It is small yet the perfect spot to escape life's hassles. I love all the stone walls around it. It makes it look a little bit more natural and not so much man-made. However, you can still see that it is man-made because there is a cement ledge all the way around it. That is why the rock wall s makes it appear more natural, to me anyway. They hard parts of the cement ledge. Around the pond is a beautiful landscape. There are at least five different species of plants that I can tell, And I am far from being any sort of expert on plants. The diversity of the plants around adds to the uniqueness of the pond. There is one aspect of the pond that I don't like; it breaks my heart to look at it. There are small bits of trash floating around in the water. It makes me sad that people nowadays can be so disrespectful, selfish, and ignorant. Each person feels that their small bit of trash won't amount to much, but what they don't think about is that they are not the only one's doing it. I can't stereotype everyone, but it doesn't take many to ruin it for everyone. Why don't people care enough to preserve nature in every way that they can? It's almost to the point where you can't go anywhere these days without finding some form of trash, at least a cigarette butt. It's so sad. OK, I'll stop depressing you with all that trash junk. The pond doesn't make me completely sad. It does remind me of a pond I lived by in San Antonio. About 8 years ago, my family and I lived in a neighborhood that had a duck pond next to it. It, of course, was also man-made, but it was a beautiful place to sit and relax. As a young girl, we would play over there for hours. One time my younger brother acquired a turtle from an abandoned house's green pool. My mother wouldn't let him keep it because we didn't have a good place to keep him. So one day, we all walked to the pond with the turtle. My brother said his good-bye's and released the turtle into the pond. He was a bit sad at first, even though I was happy to see the turtle go free. Every other day or so we would visit that turtle at the pond. Sometimes we could find him in the water, and sometimes we couldn't. I do know that the turtle was a lot happier in the pond than our small plastic pool outback. Turtles weren't the only animals at the pond. There were ducks there also. People in the neighborhood had built small wooden box houses for them to sleep and lay eggs in. We use to chase the ducks into the pond and feed them bread pieces. It was fun. What was really amazing was seeing all the new baby ducklings every year. As the seasons progressed we could watch them grow and learn from the teachings of their parents. I really felt close to that pond. One time I went up there, I saw some young kids taking the ducks eggs and smashing them at the parent ducks. It was so sad, I couldn't believe they could do that. They were killing the baby ducklings before they even had a chance. Alice Walker quotes in "Am I Blue?" "There are those who never once have considered animals' rights: those who have been taught that animals actually want to be used and abused by us, as small children "love" to be frightened, or women "love" to be mutilated or raped"(Slovic 141). People can be evil sometimes. Another quote that I really like but doesn't directly relate to the Biology pond is from Darwin's The Origin of Species, "Man selects only for his own good: Nature for that of the being which she tends"(X341). I like this because it gives me hope for nature. She controls that which she does. Man, however, makes me scared because so does he, with no regard for nature.

March 21,2000

This is a very interesting essay. He really gives a detailed account of man, animals, and nature and their relationships towards each other. I really do believe what Burch says about man and nature at equal levels. We are no more important than nature. In fact, I believe that nature is more important than us and it is our test to see how we live with it. It has been here a lot longer than we have, like Burch first states in the introduction, "Only a fragment of geological time has been the resource of man"(X347). Nature has survived a lot longer than we have. We couldn't exist without nature. However, this makes me wonder how earth will withstand all the technological advances of each new generation. We seem to get caught up in the importance of science and how it affects man, and we take all we need and more from nature to further science. I'm just worried that the day will come when we've taken too much without giving back and the earth with all its natural beauty will die. This reminds me of all the science fiction movies I have watched as a kid about earth dying and everyone going to space to find another planet to colonize. Everyone knows the stories and adventures I'm sure. The problem is that most people don't take it seriously. They take it as science fiction. I use to think of it as science fiction also. I think I started taking it seriously when I first heard a public service announcement on the radio. However, this was a very different kind of announcement. It was an old man telling stories to younger children al listening intently and asking questions. The kids were no older than four or five. Everytime he came to a word they didn't know they would ask him with the utmost curiosity and excitement. However, the sad part was the words they were curious about. The whole thing sends chills up my spine. The words were, "fish...Ocean...tree" and more. They didn't even know what it was like to breathe fresh air, or even what a fish of ocean was. These are all words that every four or five year old now a days already knows and understands. It just really affected me and made me realize that what he says could really happen some day, to my grandchildren, great grandchildren or great-great grandchildren. It's all so sad to think about.

I really like this approach to creativity that professor Bump has delineated in his essay. Bump states, " 'Recombination of opposites' is the conscious generation of creativity by dwelling on the interdependence of apparently mutually exclusive opposites and the larger whole which contains them both" (X346). It helps you to expand your limits of what is possible; ultimately helping you increase your creativity.

I have used this approach before, however, it was to help write my movie scripts, and to come up with good movie ideas. I am a film production major in the College of Communications. I love movies and want to eventually be a producer and director. All growing up I would come up with ideas for movies. However, sometimes I get stuck and can't think of any good storylines for a film. So, what I do to help spark my creativity is to use ''Recombination of Opposites." For example, I would pick up a newspaper or two books, anything with titles. I would then look at the titles or headlines. I would next, try to pick out two that were complete opposites from one another and I would try to combine them together to create and interesting story line. Sometimes it wouldn't work out quite well but it always sparked my creativity so that I could find a good story line somewhere out of all of it. It is a very good technique to use for writer's block.

March 23,2000

Professor Bump wrote in his essay, Dualism vs. ..., "Recombination of opposites' is the conscious generation of creativity by dwelling on the interdependence of apparently mutually exclusive opposites and the larger whole which contains them both"(p.346). This is what I am attempting to do today at the creek. I don't know exactly how I am suppose to do this but I'll try. Waller Creek is a serene place in nature. Tall trees and winding streams. When I try to think of what is opposite of this place, all I can think of is man. Man-made things or animal life is opposite of nature. I talked a little last time about man's destruction of nature. However, I must try to restructure my thinking in order to see them as "mutually exclusive opposites" so I may see Waller Creek for "the larger whole which contains them both." Animal, man, and nature have evolved together at this creek. This place was once only nature, according to our planet's history. Over thousands of years, animal has evolved to live off the land and nature. Now, man has built an entire university around it. What is the purpose of all this? Is nature here for man's sake or is man here for nature's sake? I guess neither of the two is more important, they are of equal importance. I really don't feel like I am relating to this concept at all. I try to look at this place as a whole, and I am not fully understanding "whole", I guess. What I see when I try to look at the big picture of Waller Creek is a thriving habitat for many small animals like birds, squirrels, fish, minnows and insects of all kinds. Each animal is engaging in their own daily routine of survival. I find that they all depend on this place for food, shelter, or protection. Among the animals is a growth of wild plants and trees. I see this nature growing healthy, lively, and beautiful. I do notice that the plants could not survive here without the nutrients of the earth and water. Animals also help protect plants against insects killing them. In return the small animals get food from the plants. It all seems to be coming together a little bit. I have to stop and think when it comes to man. Man has its destructive nature. I see sewer pipes with runoff into the creek, which affects all plant and animal life at the creek. Yet, also man depends on nature and animals also for shelter, nutrition, as well as for relaxation by just being in nature. We depend on nature. In a way, nature depends on us to feed on it in order to keep a balance of growth between species. If we didn't exist, wild life would become overpopulated and too wild. I don't know, we have our destructive nature. It's hard to tell if nature would be better off without man. However, when I look at Waller Creek today, the place seems a bit different. It seems to be unified by all those different mediums in nature. They all appear to be dependent on each other for something. Nature is even slightly dependent on man or animal life in general. As Disney movie "The Lion King" said, "We are all a part of the circle of life." Burch says in The Vocabularies of Nature that, "only a fraction of geological time has been the resource of man"(p.347). Waller Creek must have been a magnificent place in the ages before man if it existed at all. However, evolution has shown that in order to grow, nature brings out many new life forms. We are all out of nature and unified by our dependence to it and the relationships between all things. Okay, I kind of feel like I've lost my train of thought for a second, and I think I have gone too far with my thoughts. However, I see Waller Creek harmoniously unified in all aspects of life. Many men and women come here to relax and feel closer to nature and their spirit. It gives us peace and pleasure. The animals live happily here amongst the trees and water. The water continues to flow through ages of time. It's nice to know that the life of this place will live on past my own for all generations to appreciate. All things are peaceful here.

March 30,2000

When I first read this title, I thought that this reading would be religious and weird, but I actually was very interested in it as I read. I think that I wouldn't have been as interested if it wasn't for my Art History class I am currently taking. We have learned a lot about what they call "Landscape paintings" of art. They all involve scenes of nature. Those are my favorite because nature always seems peaceful and happy in almost a spiritual way. I guess that is why the author titled this essay with the word worship. For centuries, God was associated with nature and all its miracles, therefore people worshiped nature in a sense. One way in doing so is through art. You can see this theme in many paintings throughout centuries. This author traces through the centuries the different styles and approaches to nature paintings and sculptures. There is a definite change in perspective over the years. I can also see this in modern times. Paintings are becoming more and more abstract. There are less landscape paintings. My theory on the growing change in style is modern technology and science. People have less faith in the spiritual and more faith in physical facts. We have more and more technology with a big decline in nature and interaction with nature. Therefore, the way people are identifying with the world is hardly on a natural or spiritual level any more. I do like the quote from Thoreau stating, "in wildness is the preservation of the world" (X385). I feel that with the landscape and nature art we can preserve our world for future generations to see and identify with even with our changing world.

I really enjoyed this essay a lot. I really like where Thoreau states, the "awakened experience of life is the process of traveling, for to the eye of the genuine traveler the world always seems new and full of surprise" (X189). I especially like this quote because that is exactly how I feel when I an out in nature just walking. Everything is fun, exciting, and always full of surprises. I look at life differently for that small moment that I am in nature. As a kid growing up, my family would always go on hiking trips. It is so much fun . We all had our own hiking backpacks full of supplies for the day. From a young age I learned to be tough and carry my own weight. That has made me courageous and not scared of what lurks in nature. One thing I always loved was the joy we all had at exploring and experiencing nature together.

Falling back on my experience of hiking as a child I have a dream vacation that I would love to take, and I will some day. I want to take off for at least a month, preferably two months, have my backpack, and travel around Europe with a Eurail pass. That is the ultimate in "walking" and experiencing life (with some friends of course). I just feel that the experiences and surprises would be like no other I have ever experienced.

April 4,2000

This story is very different than any other story we have read this semester. I got the sense that the "nature" in this story is human nature. It shows how we tend to get lost on our own paths in life that we forget about other people. We forget to take into consideration of other people's feelings and lives. In actuality we seem to close out other people as unimportant or different and therefore not relative to our own lives and goals.

The woman in the story got lost on her own path way in life. A man helps her out and all she is concerned with is leaving and getting back in her direction from before. However, in the end she is drunk and a man whose beer she had stolen, helps her lye down to sleep it off. When she looks over at him, she realizes that it is her brother who helped her. She finally realized that the people close around her are important to her and teach her about life rather than just someone insignificant whom she passes by on the street because she is busy with her own life.

These three different accounts of John Muir's experiences in Yosemite are all slightly different yet they are all the same. You can tell by the context and the title of each that they are addressed to. The first, his journal entry is for himself, he appears to be figuring out his own thoughts as he writes about what happened to him. It is obviously not for any audience but himself. As he has thought about what has happened to him, he begins to get a clearer understanding of what it meant to him. He shows this by writing a letter to someone, the person whom he writes it to is clearly a friend of his. It is a more personal letter and not meant for a large audience to read. It is more personal and less formal. You can sense that they are close to each other and share very deep experiences with one another. The last is clearly a story for all to read and learn from. He starts out the story like to attract attention with "A wild scene." This one is clearly for amusement and to learn from for a wide audience.

April 6,2000

I like to start with a quote to help get my mind rolling. A quote from Forster taken from The Other Side of the Hedge really sticks in my mind. He states, "It is the same road. This is the beginning, and though it seems to run straight away from us, it doubles so often, that it is never far from our boundary and sometimes touches it"(p.391). I like this quote because I relate it to my life. Sometimes I feel like I am so far from where I want to be in life, yet I stop and evaluate myself just to discover I am really not that far at all, I just had to look in another direction. When I try to think of this in context of the Biology pond it is a bit more unclear. However, I see all these people running around, scrambling to get to class and I wonder why they are so busy. I am here in a relaxing place yet there is so much going on around me. I guess peace is what everyone ultimately strives for and works so hard for and the road is all our hard work to get there. there are times where I feel I am so busy (like the people rushing by the pond)that I feel I am so far from peace or harmony, when in fact I am really quite close to it, I just have to pay a little more attention to my surroundings instead of what I have to get done. The Biology pond is a peaceful and calm place here among the hustle and bustle of the University. Before this class I had never stopped here to admire this place. I would just "GO GO GO" from one place to another until it was time for me to leave. I was too focused on what needed to be done by when that I forgot to take some time to clear my mind and relax. Life can affect you badly if you don't take that time out for yourself to simply relax and enjoy nature and life. Another quote that this Biology pond reminds me of is from Thoreau stating that "in wildness is the preservation of nature"(p.385). Thoreau said this in context of saving the giant redwoods of the west coast and to activities of such groups as the Sierra Club today. Conservation efforts need to be drastic and wild because people have stopped caring as much. Like today, everybody rushing by this pond is probably not considering it nor the animals that live in it. It shows by all the trash floating in the pond and the cigarette butts everywhere. However, I have left that state of mind and entered a new "wild" territory where all I do is concentrate on nature. The more I come and just enjoy nature , I come to care about nature's preservation. I don't know exactly if that is what Thoreau meant but people are more likely to appreciate and care about nature's preservation when they leave the confines of man and our creations to enter into the wilds of nature. When I try to imagine how Thoreau or Forster would imagine this place, my mind gets lost in thought. I can't really imagine it. However, I do think they would admire the beauty here. On the other hand, I think they would be slightly saddened by such urban surroundings. There is always more than one way of looking at things. I personally am glad that the pond is here. For me life is this campus. If this pond wasn't here, or any other nature spot on campus wasn't here, I don't think I would be very happy right now. I would have nothing to take my mind off school. This is a quick and convenient place to relax for ten minutes between classes or for hours at a time. At this point in my life where I have left home to live on my own, there is a lot of frustrations I have to learn to deal with: school, bills, car problems, relationships, time management, and more. Having a place like this pond to come to set in the middle of it is a relaxation technique for me. I come here when I need to stop, and collect my thoughts. I think that without places like this I would become too overwhelmed and not succeed in my goals. Nature helps wonders!

April 20,2000

I really love this poem. I completely relate to the author, William Wordsworth. Every time I just sit back and watch nature and animals I can see their happiness, like when Wordsworth states, "But the least motion which they made, it seemed a thrill of pleasure." Everything that the birds and squirrels do seems to be pleasurable for them. But, I have also had my pleasant thoughts replaced by sad thoughts. I guess it's the thought of nature and life that brings it on. I feel so spiritual and close to nature and life that I start examining my life. I start to think about what I'm not doing right or what I could be doing better. It's really weird. Then I start thinking about what I shouldn't have done in my life and what I've done wrong. I don't like it when I start thinking like that because I should be leaving the past behind me and moving forward with my life. I don't know why it is just something about nature.

I like this poem because it is the opposite of the other one I just read and wrote about. Instead of talking about negative thoughts when being alone, it concentrates on the positive thoughts. He talks about being blissful and happy in nature and also about how it always remains a happy thought for him. It reminds me of a day during my freshman year of college here at the University. I was in between classes at UT and I was very stressed out. The college life was shocking and hard to get use to. I went to the Lyndon B. Johnson library where the fountain and fields are. I was just laying down alone watching the flowers swaying in the breeze. Squirrels kept chasing each other and birds were chirping. For that small period of time I felt "The bliss of solitude" that Wordsworth talked about in his poem. Every time I get stressed out now I either go to the library again or close my eyes and imagine the peacefulness there. It always calms me.

April 23,2000

"...Even the common pebble on the path or the grass, trodden upon by man or run over by a wheel, in its own individuality attempts to communicate with the heart of man. Therefore, if a man possesses a pure or sensitive heart, the pebbles and the grass can reveal their beauty to its eyes." -Isamu Taniguchi (X187)

The Oriental Garden is a magnificent place in nature. It is hard to believe that one man alone built this place stone by stone. As I sit in the garden and marvel at its beauty, a feeling of peace sweeps over my body. This quote comes to mind because this garden communicated its beauty to me. I feel that at a younger stage in my life I might not have been able to appreciate such natural beauty. Through all the experiences of my life, my heart has become pure and sensitive to nature.

As I first approached the garden I was a bit confused and disoriented. The garden amazed me with all its paths, stairs, and stepping stones. I couldn't have had more fun; I was a kid again, exploring every pathway I came across. The disunity of the garden somehow brought out my childhood memories of exploration. I use to explore everything I could, without an ounce of fright in my body. As I have become older, I have also grown to be more inhibited and scared. This place created the exact opposite; I was excited and curious. I had my imagination back for one day.

The first thing I came upon was this rock sign indicating that it was Isamu Taniguchi's Oriental Garden since 1969. I really like this sign because he incorporated it to fit the style of the garden. Placing the sign in the rock like that is very creative and implies a certain mood as you begin your journey through the garden. For me it sparked adventure, mystery as well as nature and tranquility. This sign also shows real pride in the work of Isamu Taniguchi that will be preserved for generations to come and show appreciation for this beautiful garden.

As I walked down the path a bit more I came across this bamboo teahouse. I am very unfamiliar with the significance of these places, however, I do know they are very spiritual places and are an important part of Taniguchi's culture. I don't know if this teahouse is the original construction or not, but I do like the design now. It is open to the garden so that you are not shut out from the garden; rather, you are joined with the garden. As I look out over the sides of the teahouse I am amazed at all the ponds and unique plants. Their beauty is overwhelming.

As I was winding my way through the numerous pathways, I came across the mother Tree. I had been waiting to see the tree that was the inspiration for such a place. Frankly, I was a bit saddened and disappointed. I expected a wonderful, giant tree that stuck out among everything else as the most extravagant thing in the garden. However, all that was left was a dead, hollow tree trunk next to a trickling stream. I saddened because I feel the tree should be able to live amongst such beauty that it inspired. Life doesn't always work that way though. I remembered Taniguchi's words though, "I will love you forever, Mother Tree. Without your help I could never have done it!" Taniguchi realized that the tree was there to help create a place for everyone to come and be at peace. Once it was done, her spirit became a part of that garden to live on forever in its beauty. This brought me more peace and a smile. Even though it is a bit sad that the Mother Tree had to die, it is comforting to see the beauty and tranquility that is left behind in its honor.

After pondering over the Mother Tree, I began my journey through the garden again. I cam across the "Bridge-to-walk-over-the-moon". I expected it to be a bit larger, but after seeing the garden, I believe it fits perfectly. Taniguchi was true lover of nature. I love the fact that he kept the parts of nature that he had to take down and remove and reused them to create another beautiful aspect of this garden. As I walk across this bridge, it makes a funny sound. I can't really describe this sound in words. For those of us that have crossed a wooden bridge made of tree trunks would understand what I mean. To me this sound is a part of nature also because you can't here it on any other kind of man-made bridge. This bridge adds life, beauty and a sense of emotion to this garden. I feel a strong emotion throughout the entire garden. It s a feeling of life and energy that seems to radiate through everything.

As I continue my journey across the wooden bridge, the path becomes more mysterious and meandering. I become more and more excited as I follow this path. At this point I have lost all thought of school, obligations, stress, and anything else that distracts me from enjoying nature and life. I feel completely engrossed in this place. The path brings me to a beautiful sight, a small waterfall. I am amazed at its beauty. I tried to get close to get a good picture, but I was scared I was going to fall in. The main thing that I love about waterfalls is their sound. The water falling and hitting the pond below sooths my soul and mind. My head is clear and my thoughts are relaxing. I am in a state of complete tranquility. My words don't give this place justice.

Further beyond the waterfall, is a small cove. I don't know if that is the best way to describe it so I have a picture. I love the way the tree branch hangs over the water shading it from everything else. This is my special place in this garden. I like it because it is hidden from everything else, making me completely tune out life except this garden and nature. This is when I can completely sort out my thoughts and relax my body from stress and life's frustrations. If it were my garden I would climb out on that limb that extends over the water. There, I would sit for hours reading, relaxing, and listening to the birds and the many sounds of nature. Being completely shaded by the tree, I am not hot, which is hard to do out in nature in Texas. It's as if I have found the perfect place to be when I want to just get away.

It was hard but I finally left my special cove. However, as I continued to explore my heart was lifted at the detail that went into this garden. In one of the ponds, there is a rock pathway to skip through over the water. I enjoy hopping from stone to stone. It almost became a game for me. How fast could I make it across the pond by stepping on the stone pathway? I found out that I couldn't go too fast for fear of falling into the water, but it was the fear that also was the thrill for me. I imagined playing hide-and-seek through the garden and running over the stones to base. I wish at times I could go back to my childhood and see certain places for my childhood point-of-view. This garden would definitely be one of those places for me.

As I was crossing the pond from the stone pathway I got a very good view of the fish living in the pond. I was amazed at their size and at their color. The golden orange of their scales stood out among the rest of the plants. Imagine being one of them and living your life here in this magnificent garden. What peace, what freedom, what joy. I would love to spend a day in their position. As I sat and watched the fish for a while my thoughts shifted to my childhood again. I remembered the days when my sister and I would go swimming for hours on end and pretend to be fish. It is a whole other world under there, a world that I will never fully understand. However, I can appreciate the fish and their habitat through this garden.

I would like to end with this picture of this purple flower surrounded in the lily pads. This flower stood out amongst all the rest because of its color for one. Purple is my favorite color, and I have never seen such a beautiful purple flower in a pond like this. I look at it in terms of my life. I am that one purple flower amongst millions of other plants and animals. However, I am unique and grow to be beautiful in everything I do and say, at least I try.

The Taniguchi Oriental Garden is a very unique and special place. It captures nature at its best. The mixture of the different plants, the numerous ponds, and the winding paths creates and atmosphere of peace, imagination and excitement. It is a place that ignites your imagination and excitement the minute you step onto its path. The garden will always be a special place to me that I will continue to visit throughout my life.

April 25,2000

This poem was a little weird. It made me feel sad, mad, confused, and just a whole bunch of weird feelings. I do feel sad for that hawk that was hurt and dying. It was like he was waiting to die. I guess animals have a keen sense about these kind of things. I know this doesn't have much to do with hawks, but it reminds me of my great grandfather. He was a very active man up to about eighty-nine years of age. He lived on his own, gardened, kept house, walked his dog, and a lot of other things that most people can't do at that age even if they wanted to. However, one day his dog died, his closest companion. After that my grandfather was also dead inside. From that moment on he was really "old." He couldn't do any thing any more. Like the broken wing of the hawk that caused the hawk to be "asking for death." The wings of the hawk made him free and my grandfather's dog gave him life.

This poem surprised me greatly. I expected it to be some sad or depressing poem because of its title. Also, it kind of started off that way. I thought he would die or get attacked at least by the vulture. The vulture seemed to be a negative symbol. However, I was completely shocked and turned around when he stated, "To be eaten by that beak and become part of him, to share those wings and those eyes-what a sublime end of one's body." I never thought of vultures that way. But I do think that's true. It is a circle of life. Everything is connected and feeds each other to create and maintain life. I guess that is one reason I have always wanted to be cremated when I die. I want my ashes to be spread in nature so that my "life after death" can be a part of nature and life of other living things. It is all the circle of life.

April 27,2000

This is a very weird poem. I had to read it several times before I could even understand it a little. I have a small understanding of it but I don't know if it is right. Well, as I understood it, the force is nature, the "mystery" of what make all of us living, including the earth itself. Everything is from the same thing, or should I say, we are all driven through life by the same force. Like when Dylan Thomas states, "The force that drives the water through the rocks drives my red blood." The poem is a bit pessimistic though; he talks real negative about himself, calling himself dumb and such. I don't really understand that. Maybe he feels bad about his life or his choices he has made, I don't know. I just get confused after the first two stanzas. I just don't know what the ending means.

I get a sense of youth and imagination from the beginnings of the poem. He talks of games he played as a child, for example, "...I was prince of the apple towns." You can see the youth and imagination in him. It reminds me a lot of that meditation tape we listened to in class with the young boy talking about the mysteries of life. That tape helps you see life from a child point of view. It helped me feel like a child again, all excited about life and nature. That is also what this poem does for me. It forces me through its words to see from a child's point of view. Both of these remind me of this one tree I had in front of my house as a child. I would climb all through it all the time, day after day. The branches were all spread out to create a whole world within this tree. We played house, kings and queens, monkeys and a lot more. This tree was the spark for my imagination.

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