Rope Swing

Good Friday, eleven years ago. My sister and I, along with two of my neighbors went on a walk. Bored, we decided to sneak into the deep woods that surrounded our neighborhood in search of something that would pass the time until we had to leave for chruch that evening. Before I had left, I remember my father telling me not to get dirty and to stay close to home. We trudged through the mud and eventually found what we were looking for. Hanging from a tree fifteen feet in the air was a giant rope with a foot hole at the bottom. My sister went first followed by Jon, followed by Michael, adn before I knew it, it was my turn. I woke up face down in the mud. Catching my breath I stood up and told my sister that I was going home. On my walk home, my arms began to swell and bruise. Covered in mud, I walked inside. My father wasn't very happy with me. I went upstairs, took a shower, and laid down in my bed. I had broken both of my wrists.

Casey Land Property

The creek's water surrounded the group. Too wide to jump over, Steve went ahead of the group to find a way across. After searching he found a tree trunk that led from one side to another. Everyone lined up to cross the "bridge". Slowly but surely, everyone got on their hands and knees, slowly crossing in order to make sure they made it across safely.

Casey Property Trip

Fifteen Observations:

1. Beaver Chew

2. Barbed wire completely surrounding property

3. Freshwater clam shells

4. Two dead raccoons, both turned upside down.

5. Fish head at the top of the bluff.

6. Deer carcass in ditch.

7. Two tree stands in trees.

8. Large thorns on bark of tree (name unknown).

9. Large creek.

10. Dam letting water into creek.

11. Beaver dam.

12. Large ISU vans.

13. Field that could potentially be turned into prairie.

14. Undergrowth

15. Tree trunk without bark.

Memorable Moment:

I particularly enjoyed watching people strive to cross the creek via tree trunk without falling in. It was very amusing to watch. I also enjoyed walking around and looking at small details such as finding fish heads far from the creek, beaver chew, clam shells. Also, seeing a bald eagle was cool. Very enjoyable trip. Would do again.

Spring Break Snapshot

Day 7: Winchester, Kentucky

After the show we parked ourselves outside of the house in which we would be staying. We walked inside with noodles,bread, and sauce at hand. Ready for a cheap, fulfilling dinner. We placed our sleeping bags, bags, and pillows in Reid's room. Who is Reid? I don't know either. All I know is that he had an xbox and a list of alcohol he wanted to buy on his desk which was cleverly titled "Reid's alcohol list." We ate our dinner while more and more people we didn't know filled the house. Around 3 AM, finally fed up with the drunks taking over the house, Shawn, Christian, and I decided to retreat for the van in order to get some much needed sleep. We all hated cigarette smoke anyways. The loft, the bench, and guitar cabs were used as three beds. Our safe place. The next morning we were awoken by the bright lights of a police car. The officer was very kind, just concerned since we had somehow managed to park our sketchy 12 passenger van right across from a pedophile's house. The social worker living across the street was concerned that he had friends, but we told the officer the truth and were on our way, headed towards Nashville. All we wanted to do was play music.

Wendell Berry - Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

In the poem Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, Wendell Berry talks about a return to nature and loving it more than anything. Denouncing society and everything you are supposed to love and embracing what nature has given us. Every line he talks about a different element such as nature, the government, women, a family, and he uses that as a guide for how to love the world and how to do it simply by embracing nature or the farm. He wants us to love the world like he does, and this poem is fairly convincing. After reading it, I think it is one of my favorite poems that I have read this semester.

Sandra Steingraber - Having Faith

In Having Faith, Sandra Steingraber mainly focuses on substance to involve the reader and persuade them to listen to what she has to say. A large part of the short story involves Sandra talking about the research that has been done on chemicals and their effects on children who have been breast fed. In order to appeal to the audience, there is a substantial amount of writing about her own daughter. She shares her child's different landmarks such as learning to crawl and learning to talk to further push the issue and to try and get the reader to actually think through the evidence. This is an effective way of getting a point across because it helps the reader relate to their own experiences instead of just giving out facts that you are not emotionally attached to.

My First Summer In The Sierra

John Muir explains three different encounters with creatures he experiences while in the Sierra. The purpose of this reading is to give us a deeper look at creatures that we take for granted, giving us insight as to why they are also very important in life.

Ethos is displayed in the stories because they are all personal encounters he had while traveling. Pathos is shown in the story of the bear encounter. He runs at the bear waiting for it to run away, ending up in a stare off. Finally the bear turns around and walks away, like he is happy. Another example of pathos is the personification given to the animals involved in the story. Logos is shown in the explanation of the landscape.