Dina Safa
Essay #3 Final
April 21, 2012
Nature and
the Simple Joys of Life
Nature has
always fascinated humans in many ways. It goes back as early as hunters and gatherers where nature was an important factor to their survival. I can’t ever imagine a
life without plants, trees, ponds and animals. The world would simply not be
the same. Everything would be gray and people would be depressed. Nature makes
a person happy and a chance to explore and get out of the house. Nature gives us fresh air, and a space to clear out our heads and our minds. It opens up an opportunity for imagination and creativity. There is so many creatures and species out in the world that human kind hasn't even discovered yet and have yet to find. The most
fascinating things about nature are bodies of water, the night sky, and
interactions between animals. They all bring an important factors to the world.
Without water, humans don’t survive. Without the night sky, we wouldn’t be able
to sleep, and without animal interaction this world would never understand
animals.
Walden
Pond
Walden Pond has always has a special place in my heart.
I’ve been going to swim here since I was about 10 years old. My family lives in
Chelmsford so it was a 30-40 minute drive down but that didn’t really matter on
a hot sunny day when you knew you were about to swim.
Walden Pond is very quiet on a February weekend. No one is around except for a
couple runners and dog walkers. The water is still with no wind moving the
trees. Brown ducks swims close to the shore trying to find some food. The water
is clear; I can see the brown rocks lying on the bottom. Most of the leaves
have fallen on the ground and surprisingly not much has gotten in the water. I
hear the train pass by in the distance as the tracks are just a hundred feet
away. It’s peaceful. The water appeared very cold when I sunk my hand in it but
not to the point that it was frozen. You can see a couple dark brown/grayish
sticks that are barely sticking out of the water close to the shore that we
would usually remove in the summer time if they got in the way.
 |
| "Andrea Goulet." Andrea Goulet. 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://writeideasmarketing.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/blogging-lessons-from-walden-pond/>. |
Walking down this train had never made me forget the great
memories at Walden Pond. It always brings new adventures and new things to see
when you observe closely. Nature is everywhere the key part is to remember to
open your eyes and don't let the world flash by you.
Sunny and Shades
Animals have always been a big part of my life. Ever since
I was a little girl, I had wanted to be a veterinarian or a zoo keeper. The
thought of helping animals just seemed the right thing to do and what’s better
than getting to pet and hold little creatures. When I became older, I grew out
of becoming a veterinarian, but I continue to love animals dearly.
I have two Labrador Retrievers at home. One is yellow and
one is black. We named them Sunny and Shades. We got them when they were little
puppies in Pennsylvania, so it was a good 9 hour drive from our home in
Chelmsford MA. I have been watching them grow ever since they were little
puppies, and because they were from the same litter, they were more than just
best friends. Sunny was the last puppy to be born out of seven, and he was also
the only yellow colored Labrador in his litter. We came to find out he was not
only different, but he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Shades has always looked
out for Sunny.
We have a
big yard outside our house, and it’s mostly used by our dogs. If anything ever
happens to Sunny, and were not around, Shades barks to get out attention and we
quickly run to go check on them.
I have
always wondered why dogs bark, because Shades barks whenever he gets the chance
to. After reading an article about dogs, I learned that the top reason why dogs
bark is because they are calling for help of other dogs because someone is
coming to your territory. Other common reasons are loneliness, an incoming
intruder or simply expressing pain (K9 Magazine). Sunny
and Shades are very fortunate to have each other since they've been living
together for almost 12 years together now. I observe them every time I go home
and make sure to give them plenty of attention. They are never lonely since
they always have each other and just like people, they depend on one another.
Sunny is a
lively dog, and he is always up for new adventures. We see him chasing little
brown squirrels in the spring right outside our house. Shades on the other hand
is more laid back and he enjoys just laying on the cold pavement in front of
our garage in the morning and chew on sticks he finds the night before.
Together they make a great pair.
I always
love to sit outside and watch them play. When their tails wag, I assume they
are happy, but when every dog wags their tail, does it always mean they are
happy? The truth is, dogs wag their tail when they are happy but also when dogs
want to show strong emotions. This could be annoyance and anger as well. It’s
important that when you see a dog with a wagging tail you don’t always go up to
it and pet it assuming its happy (Perry). When we
feed them, they always eat in their own bowl, and if Shades finishes first, he
sits and waits patiently for Sunny to finish his. I don’t think Sunny would
ever be able to live without Shades because they grew up together, and that’s
not necessarily a bad thing. When I am at school and my parents are at work,
they always have each other to play with and be around.
K9 Magazine. (n.d.). Why do dogs bark?.
Retrieved from http://www.k9magazine.com/why-do-dogs-bark-10-dog-barks-transl
Perry,
A. (n.d.). Why do dogs wag their tail?. Retrieved from
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/dog-training/behavior/why-do-dogs-wag-their-tails.html
Night Sky
As the moon rises to her usual
position, blues mix with blacks and purples mix with grays creating a perfect
illusion of infinity. A little strip of white pokes its head out of what seems
to be the edge of the world. One star, then two, then many more begin to slowly appear, each
so much the same but so completely different as well. These huge balls of fire
light the sky and cast my shadow on the grass. A plane flies slowly by with its
flashing lights, defying gravity cutting through a cloud encompassing the
grandiose moon. Sometimes it is possible, if you look closely enough, to see
the “morning star”…Venus. With her
reddish-yellow colors, she sets the stage for curiosity. To the naked eye, each star is but a dot…but
with something as simple as a telescope, those dots become constellations,
worlds, universes.
As the night gets older and older, I
hear the wind blowing through the bushes as I lay in the cold grass. It might
be a squirrel or a raccoon, I can’t really tell. Ignoring the sounds in the
bushes and as the silence becomes louder; I hear the cars on the nearby highway
trolling through. Then I wonder what they are doing out so late. The longer I
stare at the sky, I feel like it gets lighter and lighter by the minute.
 |
| Siegel, Ethan. "The Biggest Stars We've Ever Found." Science Blogs. 22 July 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2010/07/the_biggest_star_weve_ever_fou.php>. |
The night sky I viewed online is
much different then actually experiencing it. The video contains some high
technological devices to actually view the sky, something you can never just
keep inside your house. When you look through these huge telescopes, you can
see millions of dots in the sky, these are stars. You can spot the moon among
these stars, bright as can be. They show
a good amount of pictures of the Milky Way and its fascinating lightning. The video is mainly shown based on
astrophotography, known as a very high demanding field. It can take many days
to get pictures like the ones shown. You simply can’t see images like this
without a telescope. Also, it is not only one image we see, it is many put
together making a remarkable picture.
YouTube. Dir. SpaceRip. YouTube. YouTube, 22 July
2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV58YptFTK0>.
When you put all these components into your daily life, it creates memories and pictures. I can't imagine a life without lakes, oceans and streams. Not only do we need water for drinking, but fish need them to survive as well. Walden pond isn't just a pond, it has a story behind it that tells itself when you visit. My dogs are also a simple joy in my life. They are part of the family and always will be. They bring happiness, companionship and love just like any other pets. I can't really imagine my life without them either.
The night sky creates darkness and with darkness we can sleep. Without sleep, humans can't function. Beyond sleep is the beauty of the sky. By just going outside on a hot summer night, you can see the stars twinkle near the moonlight. I believe each star tells a story as well. They all must have come from somewhere and somehow. Surroundings are one of the most important things we as humans can learn from. Without surroundings we would never be able to think outside our own box.
