Sophs #2--NATURE-teacher, soother, healer
The Romantic artists of the 19th century viewed nature differently from their neoclassic predecessors. To the Romantics, Nature wasn't just an orderly scientific force to be studied and predicted. The Romantics worshiped the beauty, the strangeness, the evolution, and the wildness of Nature. They looked to Nature as a teacher (To a Waterfowl), as a soother (I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud), and as a healer (Thanatopsis).What has been your experience with Mother Nature? Choose to write about one of these four topics.
1. I learned a lesson from this incident with or observing nature
2. This natural experienced solaced me
3. This natural experience exhilarated me
4. I have no such natural story. I prefer the indoors, and I'll tell you why
Need some brainstorming help? Think about your experience with animals, maybe your pets. The animals around your house. Your vacations at the beach, camping in the mountains, or just hiking through the woods. Nothing is too insignificant to write about. Remember, Wordsworth wrote about viewing a field a daffodils (see link) how can still dance with the daffodils.
posted by JTF @ 9:21 AM
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For Easter vacation earlier this year, my family and I went to visit some relatives who live in California. We spent one of our days there in a national park known as Muir Woods. I was not in a good mood at all that day because I was not aware that Muir Woods was on a mountain, and I am afraid of heights and when my mom told me that we were going to be ascending this said mountain I was not a happy camper. As we hiked up the mountain, my bad mood made me go a little faster than the rest of my family, who stopped every minute or so (no exaggeration here) to take pictures or coo at the cutsie little woodland creatures, so I made it to the top about 15 to 20 minutes before they did. When I looked out onto the surrounding mountains and valleys, I was in total awe. It was beautiful and not even my fear of heights could deny me that. Since winter was just turning into spring, everything was green and full of life. You could hear the birds cry as they soared through the open sky, the rush of the wind through the trees and the quite background noise of the many streams as they rushed down the mountain. But most of all there was peace. Peace was everywhere, it surrounded everything and even when my family came back and started bugging me for getting to far ahead and not waiting for them, that peace stick with me and I took it with me as I began the long trek back down the winding and treacherous paths of the mountain, again to far ahead of my family, but for a different reason this time.
When I first moved to Delaware from California about 8 years ago I was really bummed. We were driving home from the airport and getting close to my new house. I remember looking out the window and trees full of leaves were surrounding me. I had never seen that many trees in my whole entire life. I was totally amazed and in awe. This was so different from California where I was used to palm trees in my back yard. At first I thought it looked so weird but then I realized they were really beautiful. These were trees thriving with life and almost like protectors. They are so big and strong but they still have beauty. When they surround me, it’s like no one can touch me and everything around me is silent. After a couple months of living here, we found a hiking trail behind my house that went through the woods. It was fall so the leaves were all different colors and falling. As I was walking I could look up and see all of the beautiful colors and below me hear the crunching of the dried up leaves. At one point the trail kind of stopped and I had to go through this type of ditch and I slipped and fell into it. I had mud and leaves all over me but it was really fun. Some people think that nature is dirty but I think that it’s wonderful. Nature is so awesome and so many of us take its beauty for granted.
Nature is an extraordinary place to me, filled with many creatures, plants and simplicities that when put together, create a breathtaking image. I have had many experiences with nature, but one incident has stuck with me. One night my friend Jamie and I decided to go to a park in a mountainous area known as Hills Creek state park in PA. The park is by a relatively large lake, and we decided to sit on one of the docks that night and look at the stars. The water was perfectly still, and because it is not an urban area, the night sky was exceptionally clear, making the stars appear unusually bright and numerous. When I looked out in the distance I could see the land, which looked like a dividing line between the sky and the lake. The Stars reflected onto the lake so that the lake seemed like it was the night sky also, but was still divided by the mountains off in the distance. I turned my head to side, and it looked like the land was a split in the universe. The view fascinated me and made me reflect on how mysterious the universe is.
During the end of summer, my family and I drove up to Connecticut to go get our new puppies. Since it was going to be a four hour drive I was not so happy. The entire ride was completely boring but I was excited to get the puppies. Once we got there, the boring ride did not even matter because it was so beautiful. We picked the puppies up in a wide, open field and because the trees were transitioning between summer and fall, it made it almost magical. It was so peaceful. Those kinds of moments are the ones where you really appreciate life and the beauty of Gods creation. It was an amazing sight especially because you saw the dogs playing in this beautiful field completely carefree and loving life.
Many of my closest friends and family all know that I am not an outdoorsy person at all. I have never been fishing, hiking, hunting, or camping. I would be the person when you are hiking up a hill to completely trip over air and roll down the hill. I am a typical girl, when a bug even comes in close contact of me I will scream and run in circles until the bug is gone. After thinking about all my past experiences I think that I am number one and number four. I have had many incidents that have led me to the conclusion of staying indoors. I have gone to Williamsburg, Virginia twice in my life and broke my nose the same way both times I went. Let’s just say, Williamsburg will never get to see me again. The first time I ever went to Williamsburg I was about 8. This is probably be the only time I will ever say anything good about Williamsburg. At the time, Williamsburg was beautiful. I was in the heart of December, and everywhere you turned it was white. However, the only thing that did not seem very beautiful; was the ice. I was walking through this park, and (to this day I don’t know if the reason for my fall, maybe it was a bug or a tree branch.) I remember I was in the middle of talking to my mom, and I felt this thing touch my face. My first insistent was to smack it away, but I didn’t seem to go. Being the girl that I am I started jumping and running around until the bug was gone. Little did I know, I was ice. All I remember was running then smacking my head on a freezing log. Breaking my nose was probably the best Christmas gift I have ever gotten. Just kidding. Two years later we went back again. You would have thought that I would have learned from the first time but, no I did not. I was up then I was down on the ground. This was the last time that I would ever allow myself to go to Williamsburg ever again. Obviously Mother Nature has something against me.
Nature is a beautiful thing. Few people spend time admiring nature’s ambiance. I personally have always been one of them. When I was young, the kids from the neighborhood would all come together over summer. Most days we would be outside for the majority of the day. We would catch frogs in the pond in my back yard, walk down the creek looking for salamanders, or try our hardest to catch the beautiful Monarch butterflies. All day, everyday we would do this and we never got tired of it. I suppose that’s when I realized my love for nature and how much it affects me. My realization was confirmed when I went on a vacation in fourth grade. We went to a house owned by a family friend in upper Pennsylvania. This house was located in an area somewhat like The Poconoes. The scenery at this house was exquisite. The house was literally on a mountain in the middle of many other mountains. This area, called Sullivan County, had trees with changing leaves, deer, and even bears. The atmosphere of this county inspired me to pursue my interest in photography, which I hope to make my career out of some day. I had never seen such scenic territory in all my life. I was truly inspired and changed as a human being when I visited Sullivan County. I am very eager to return.
A few years ago I took a trip with my family to Florida. After taking that trip, i thought of Florida very differently and in a much better way. I had always thought that Florida was a very hot, sticky place almost all year long. We spent a week with my aunt and uncle at their house during the beginning of summer. They showed us around where they lived and my family and I thought it was beautiful. I was not used to seeing all the palm trees around which made it so fascinating for me. The beach that we went to at our time there was completely gorgeous. The water was so clear that you could see your feet. The sand was so soft, and the color was a beautiful bright white. There weren't many waves in the water which made everything so calm. I remember the water itself feeling just like a hot tub at the perfect temperature. And best of all, the beach hardly had any people there. I completely loved all the sun. What I thought before about it being too hot was completely wrong. I thought it was an amazing experience. I cannot wait until I can go back!
A natural experience that exhilarates me every time I do it is running in White Clay Creek State Park in the winter. This exhilarates me because I feel that i am one with nature. Also when running there all alone I forget about the world and school and what homework I have do the next day and marvel at how amazing this place is. I also love I when I see a fox or a deer scampering around along the creek or when there is a thin layer of snow on the trail with no footprints and I am the first to leave my tracks in that snow. This place is my sanctuary because it is so quiet except for my feet pounding the frozen trail and the sound of my breathing. White Clay Creek keeps me coming back whenever I have to run by myself just to get away from it all and let lose. All of these reasons are why White Clay is a natural experience that exhilarates me every time I go on a run here.
I have what my family likes to call "farmers sickness". I have lived on a farm for eight years now, and i couldn't love it any more! I hate being locked up in a building for more then a couple minutes. My life seems as if it is on pause when I am indoors. My mind and body seem to venture out windows and I can't help but to think about what I could be doing outside.
There isn't a greater feeling then feeling the warm sun beat down on your shoulders. I love the feeling of the wind as it whisps over every inch of your body. The whistling of the trees and the chirping of the birds charm a melody undescribably beautiful. Somehow work seems as play and hours pass by as minutes without recognition.
Nature can truely bring out happiness and energy in any situation. I think of any place outdoors as a place to unwind and let loose. My favorite place to do this is up in Unionville Pennsylvania. During the summer I am up there almost every day. My trainer and friends live up there and Me and My mom trailer our horses up to ride. This summer me and my friend Hayley went out almost every week and could gallop practically any property imaginable. There is no fence lines except for the ones that the horses are kept in. The properties go on forever as if they weren't even connect to the world. There are endless woods with the tallest tree's imaginable decorated with leaves and flowers of every color. The creek that runs through practically all of unionville twists and turns along through the woods and paseurs. There are trails leading off in every direction imaginable. There are so many adventures and new places to be seen and experienced that any rider would be overwhelmed with the thought.
Hayley and I chose different routes every time. My favorite is one that takes about 4 or 5 hours no matter how fast you go. The path goes through pasteurs with hay bales and cowboys and then leads to a small competition barn with jumps and courses. From there we go through another edge of woods, here is the one part we actually walk. The soft clicks of the horses shoes against the mulch, rocks, leaves and ocassional branches sings along with the rips of the stream and the warm blow of the wind through the leaves on the trees. Birds gloriously perclaim to eachother and Cows can be herd off in the distance. Once the end of the trail comes it leads to a wide open field. Instantly the horses ears prick and they start to jig in excitement. With almost no command they practically take off like a hot bullet leaving a fresh gun. The soft clicking turns to thundering as the two white horses rock back and forth at an unbelievable pace. The wind blowing through my hair, the warm sun, the grass waving , the clouds flying by and the sound of my horses breath and squeaking of the leather is my favorite feeling in the world. Even just the thought brings back my thirst for summer.
For my whole life , I have loved the outdoors. I was born in Miami,Florida so I was always used to hot weather and white sand and clear water beaches. And although I will always be a true miami girl, after moving here in forth grade , I loved the north.
I remember a few years ago i took a trip to my aunt's house in the hamptons. A lot of my cousin's were visting too, and it was a FULL house (i have a big family). Early one morning me and my cousin julia wanted to get away from all the loudness for a while , so we took a walk to the bay near the beach house. This was my first time visiting and everything was amazing; woodsy , cozy, and the perfect weather- not to hott and not to cold. But I have never ever been to a place like that bay. Its a long outstretch of land with small cabinlike houses,and it seems that there is no one ever there. The water softly hits the shore ,the grassy dunes wave in the wind , and to me it is heaven on earth. It completley took my breath away. Me and my cousin julia walked for hours and talked about everything you could possibly talk about. We climbed rocks , ran in the water , and picked up shells. While julia was sitting on the beach with her feet in the water , i noticed wooden stairs that let to some sort of small gazebo that outlooked the bay. Me and julia climbed up the many stairs and made it to the top and sat down. You could see everything , and there is no doubt that at that moment I had never seen anything more serene or peaceful. It made me really think of how amazing this earth is. We finally walked home, pockets full of shells, and feet full of sand. We actually got in trouble for being gone for so long , but it was way worth it. My cousin and I still visit our gazebo everytime we visit the hamptons.
A few years ago I had an encounter with nature that was more terrifying than anything else but I gained a respect for nature and a story I will never forget. It all started with a bad day, my family and I had been fishing on the rocks at the base of the Conowingo Dam and we really were not catching anything. I became bored so I decided to start twirling a fish hook, not my smartest move. My parents had told me to stop a few times but I didn’t listen after all I was 8. The hook pierced my bottom eyelid and after a bit we got it out and we decided to stop fishing and go on a walk through the woods. So we were walking down this path with enormous trees lining both sides of the trail. I ran pretty far ahead and turned and stopped to wait for the rest of the family. All of a sudden my dad screamed as loud as he could “run!” I immediately jolted from my spot and ran as fast as I could in the other direction then I hear an enormous thud and I turn around. Right were I had been standing lay a huge tree. For some reason I didn’t question why my dad said run I just did and I am grateful I listened. This close encounter with nature was probably the worst day of my life. I know that I will never take for granted nature and its power and how nature does what it wants to do and evolves.
Even though I am not a very outdoors kind of person, I had a wonderful experience with nature this past summer. Every summer my family and family friends go out to Cape Henlopen for a few days. When my family arrived on Friday afternoon I was excited and ready to play in the sand. As dusk came, everything started to settle down. I was ready to go to sleep at around eleven o’clock. Before I knew it everyone in my tent was up and about at four in the morning! Wondering what the entire ruckus was about, I asked a friend. She said that they were going to the beach to watch the sunrise and asked me if I wanted to come as well. Thinking over the situation, I thought well I got bitten by bugs ten times already and was so itchy. I also didn’t get a good night sleep since we slept on the ground. So I thought, why not, I’m not going to be able to fall back asleep. When we got to the beach and sat for the sunrise I was in a pretty bad mood. As soon as I saw the sun peeking over the horizon my emotion changed. Just looking at the sunrise and all the pretty colors was just amazing. The mix of orange, pink, and a little bit of purple was just right. At the same time there were dolphins jumping up and down. All I remember is, wow, this is so pretty. I felt peace, relaxation and tranquility. I didn’t care that I didn’t get enough sleep. I didn’t feel the irritations of my bug bites. That morning started my day off with a really great start.
My parents’ friends talked about the beaches in Bermuda. They claimed the beaches were the most beautiful in the world. After my visit, I think they were entirely correct. Last summer, my mom, dad, brother, Brian (my brother’s friend), Sarah (my friend), and I went on a cruise to Bermuda. Each day in Bermuda, we left the ship and traveled to a different beach. On one perfect day, when the weather was warm and sunny, we traveled to a beach called Horseshoe Bay. It was the most picturesque beach I have seen, and was unlike any beach in our region. It made me feel peaceful, calm, energized to explore, and adventurous, all at the same time. The sand was pink and extremely soft to walk on, with fine-looking shells scattered throughout the area. The ocean was a striking blue; it was so clear that we could see the very bottom. On the edges of the beach, there were cave type structures which my brother, Brian, Sarah, and I explored. When standing in the water, we saw the vibrant colors of the various types of fish. All of us snorkeled and fed the fish cheerios. When we were done, the six of us rested on a blanket and felt the warmth of the Bermuda sun. I did not need to rent items such as a jet ski, to enjoy my time. All of the enjoyment at Horseshoe Bay was from nature itself. I did not want to leave; I wish I could live there year around.
To me, nature is the main source of beauty on our planet. Beautiful landscapes and vast variety makes nature perfect. Many people go to nature to be enlightened, to find peace, or to find beauty. Some people dedicate their whole life to discover the wonders of nature, and others use nature to help cope with a dark stage in their life, like going mountain climbing to see the vast sights few men see. The fresh air and natural setting helps achieve the bliss that comes with nature. When I enjoy the outdoors I reminisce about being a young kid being out side to enjoy the weather of all the seasons with autumns beautifully colored trees, winters white, fluffy snow, springs bloom of all the plants, and summers hot, sunny days down the shore. Asides from enjoying my home’s nature, I’ve been able to enjoy the beauty of other places around the world such as Hawaii’s grand water fountains, lush forests, light blue ocean and comforting beaches. After seeing how beautiful our planet is, it has taught me that I need to respect Earth by having a “green” perspective on everyday life. I have always seen the beauty in earth, but not until 8th grade did I realize how fragile it is.
Nature. It is all around us, and half of the time, we do not even recognize all of the beauty that it truly holds. We constantly walk right past the roses, and rarely smell them. I love nature. It both soothes, and intrigues the mind, and there is never a bad time to stop and enjoy nature. I think that the thing I find intriguing the most about nature is how something so beautiful and calm, such as the waves crashing on the beach on a summer’s night can turn into a raging 500 foot tsunami that is capable of causing millions of dollars in damage. I think that my favorite time to observe nature is at the very end of a ward summers day, a day that had a thin layer of clouds, just enough so that when the sun sets, it leaves and array of purples, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges all across the deep violet sky and crimson setting sun. It is one of the simplest things that I have ever seen, yet there is an aura that just captivates you and takes your breath away. It reminds me of the song Closing Time by Semisonic. It is a fairly old song, but whenever I see the complex simplicity of that sky, I hear this song, and all of the days troubles just seem to melt away, and I feel at peace with myself and God. Here is the link for the song. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmLmIArqWM
One of my most exciting experiences with nature was this summer when my family and I went down to Key Largo Florida to get scuba drive certified. The process to get certified took a long time but it was totally worth it. If you have ever done any good snorkeling you know how amazing the underwater life is. Now just imagine instead of being tens of feet above looking down, imagine swimming right next to this whole new underwater world. There’s fish swimming in front of your face, coral you could touch, and sand that you can sit on. Its just so amazing how you can be thirty or more feet underwater and be perfectly fine. One of the really neat things we saw was this coral, I think, that when you snapped your fingers would disappear in an instant. We also saw stingrays, eels, and a lobster. Being that far under the water was defiantly a little scary but at the same time so thrilling. I thought it was really cool to look you and see how long it took you bubbles to reach the surface. Scuba diving was very exciting and fun and I can’t wait to go again!
Last summer, my family and I went to the outer banks for a vacation. I thought it was just going to be another trip to the beach, nothing special. I didn't really favor getting up at four in the morning to embark on a nine-hour car ride. When we arrived I realized it was worth the wait. I wasn't told that we were going to be staying in a fancy beach house. It was amazing. Three floors, elevator, stocked refridgerator, and a private boardwalk that went all the way to the sound. ( A body of water) It was beautiful. The beaches that I normally go to have water where you can't even see the bottom. This sure was different. Crystal clear water, filled with life was right in front of me. It was shallow enough to walk 100 feet out and still be able to stand. My cousin and I spent hours walking through the sound. We found so many different kinds of animals including: crabs, fish, birds, and even a shark. We were really surprised to find that this little portion of the ocean was thriving with life. The boardwalk from the beach house to the sound was about a half of a mile long. Between the house and the sound animals of all different sorts were living their life and making all kinds of noises. We would try to name the animals as we heard them, most of the time not being very successful. I never realized how much nature there was around me. i really took it for granted.
I have no such natural story, because I have never been hiking or camping through the woods but from watching movies, friends and neighbors, I prefer indoors. This is because of the warmth, security, calmness, shade, peace and entertainment you could enjoy at home instead of outdoors. When you are in the woods, you get bitten by bugs, get attacked by poison ivy, you don’t get to shower, you sleep in uncomfortable bags, you eat marshmallows and crackers for dinner and u have no where to go to the bathroom, when you would’ve stayed home, you are warm, sleep on your bed, eaten some dissent food and you have somewhere to go to the bathroom. When you are out hiking or climbing mountains, your feet hurt, your bag pack is heavy for you to carry because all items inside are necessary for you survival, you sleep at night hoping ant, and little jungle creatures won’t nest on you or bite for and give you and infectious disease, you get blisters instead of enjoying the comfort of your own home. When you climb on the mountain and you are finally at the top, a storm approaches prompting you to leave, or it gets really cold. When you are on the beach, you burn, the lifeguards don’t let you go deep into the water or even 200 ft into the water and you are stock at the shore with water only reaching you thighs and going away. I love enjoy mother nature from time to time but being in her midst for a very long time or overnight is just not something I would risk doing.
For this blog entry I choose number one-I learned a lesson from this incident with or observing nature. I think I can describe this one best because nature can teach you a lot of things if you pay attention. This is exactly what my story is about, paying attention. Over the summer I went to North Carolina and stayed at a friends house. We did a lot of fun stuff like going to the movies, and the mall, etc. Because I was doing all this stuff I really didn’t get a chance to just relax. So one day when we weren’t doing anything I went outside, and just sat. I could hear the trees blowing and the rustling of the flowers, and it really made me appreciate nature. In other words I was following the well-known phrase, “stop and smell the roses.” This taught me that every once in a while everyone should just take time out of their day to relax or “smell the roses.” And it seems especially hard for people on the East coast because as you may have noticed If you’ve ever been to California, Nevada, etc they are very relaxed. When you are over in New York, Philadelphia, etc it’s very busy. So now if I feel stressed, or overwhelmed with work I just go outside, be very quiet, and listen to nature.
Nature is a beautiful thing. Green trees, bright flowers, the radiant sun glowing down on the world. I love nature, but I love the indoors more. I have no grand story about being attacked by some woodland creature that traumatized me and I therefore must stay inside as a result of the incident, I just enjoy watching nature from behind a glass door. I stay indoors because I can be comfortable, relax, and I will still never be far from nature. I like sitting at my kitchen table and looking out my backdoor and seeing all the animals that run through my yard. I stay inside so I am not to disrupt these animals. When winter comes and we get a couple feet of snow, I refrain from going out immediately because I love the look of fresh, undisturbed snow. Snow with no footprints through it, everything outside just looks still, nothing is moving and all you can hear is the wind blowing getting ready to bring another snowstorm. In the summertime, I love watching the fireflies in my yard; I do not go out after them as I did in my youth, but rather just watch to make sure they stay. In the fall, I watch the wind shake the leaves from the branches of the trees, and in the spring I sit and watch the rain fall, and flowers glisten. I love nature, enough to make sure I do not disturb it.
I see nature as a gateway from our ordinary, fast paste lives. I like to see nature as something that will make you stop and wonder how you could possibly compare a tree or a simple flower to something beautiful in our own lives. My experience of nature sort of shaping my life was this past summer right before school started. I love to go running through the gorgeous trails with my floppy eared golden retriever, Izzi, over in Lums pond, which is in walking distance from my house. Since my dog loves to swim, I decided to a break as soon as we ran to this little abandoned dock; that seemed so far and excluded from civilization. As soon as my spunky little dog saw the bridge she knew was time for a break, Izzi plunges full speed into the water. I sit down letting my feet drape over the waters edge. I sudden glaze of self-realization over came me. I began to notice how pretty the summer trees were, and the log that was way too small for a pack of twelve sun tanning turtles. How beautiful things had looked, and I was simply running right past all of this. I began to think of everything. Being a transfer to a totally new school in a couple of weeks, having a very imaginative mind thinking of all the bad things that could possibly happen. Oh how my nerves had been twisted, but as I sat their, I knew that it would once again come to the relaxation of a leaf falling in the sky; I began to think more positive. I saw that we must take our course just as nature does. We only have one life to live and I want to make a change, because we will not last forever, but nature will.
Two summers ago my family and I went on our first cruise. It was, by far, the best vacation anyone could ever go on. We visited 4 different islands, St. Martin, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Haiti. The atmosphere and nature down there is absolutely beautiful. Delaware, some people may enjoy the nature here, but over all bores me. In the Caribbean I amazed. The oceans were blue and clear! Here in Delaware they are black. I could actually see my feet in the ocean! As my brothers and I were swimming we saw all different types of fish and they were all different colors. The sand was so soft and smooth. The beaches there looked as if it was a picture in a magazine. I never thought any beach really looked like that, but there are some that do. One beach that we visited had rocks surrounding it. There were caves that you could go inside of and explore. While we were touring the islands it was just as pretty. All the different trees and plants were beautiful. In St. Thomas there were iguanas walking around. Usually it that would creep me out, but it was so neat to see. Never have I ever been so taken back by nature. It is gorgeous in the Caribbean and I am so thankful I got to see it. I was so calm and relaxed there. The following summer we went on another cruise and I was able to see and enjoy it all over again. Nature truly is a beautiful thing.
Two summers ago my family and I went on our first cruise. It was, by far, the best vacation anyone could ever go on. We visited 4 different islands, St. Martin, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Haiti. The atmosphere and nature down there is absolutely beautiful. Delaware, some people may enjoy the nature here, but over all bores me. In the Caribbean I amazed. The oceans were blue and clear! Here in Delaware they are black. I could actually see my feet in the ocean! As my brothers and I were swimming we saw all different types of fish and they were all different colors. The sand was so soft and smooth. The beaches there looked as if it was a picture in a magazine. I never thought any beach really looked like that, but there are some that do. One beach that we visited had rocks surrounding it. There were caves that you could go inside of and explore. While we were touring the islands it was just as pretty. All the different trees and plants were beautiful. In St. Thomas there were iguanas walking around. Usually it that would creep me out, but it was so neat to see. Never have I ever been so taken back by nature. It is gorgeous in the Caribbean and I am so thankful I got to see it. I was so calm and relaxed there. The following summer we went on another cruise and I was able to see and enjoy it all over again. Nature truly is a beautiful thing.
I love nature. When you look at it, it just makes you happy. It can help you through pain and just take your breath away sometimes. Throughout every season, nature changes. Not all nature is beautiful, such as the destructing storms, but most of it is. My family has a house in the poconos. We use to go up there a lot but not so much anymore. On the way up when we get closer, all you see is mountains of trees. I love going up there in the fall. I look out of the car window and see beautiful, colorful trees for miles and miles. It is a beautiful sight to see mother nature. With all the colors and mountains, you can see the hills and dips and crevases in the landscape all filled with the beautiful colored trees. Also, in the winter when we go up the trees are bare but still beautiful covered in a sparkling coat of white snow. I love looking at the landscape when we go there. It is simply beautiful to see. Even when we are up there at our house, we are surrounded by trees. There are also a lot of deer that roam around and we see outside out house a lot or when we are just driving around. There are also a lot of other animals too. There are a lot of squirrels and different kinds of birds. There are some bears too that come down off the mountain in the summer. When we wake up in the morning we usually know if one came around since our whole streets trash cans are tipped over and the trash is everywhere. Sometimes the trash cans are even torn apart. A couple of summer ago, we actually did see a bear. We were in out house and my sister pointed it out. My mom was crazy enough to take her camera and go outside and chase it. It just ignored her and went back into the woods across the street. It was amazing to see it in its own habitat though. I love looking at nature and all its beauty.
Nature has many ways in showing its beauty. For me, Nature revealed itself in the Outer Banks. In the summer, my family and I went to North Carolina for two weeks and one of the nights we went to a restaurant called The Millers. The restaurant was on a sound and it was about sunset. We watched the sun set slowly over the sound. The sky turned pink and orange as the sun was descending past the horizon. It seemed, at one point, as if we could reach the sun if we swam across the sound. The sun still lit the sky as it was going down, and many people were outside watching the sunset, listening to the musician playing in the background. Some people were dancing with their children or with their husbands and wives while the sky was filled with the bright light from the sun. My family, including my aunt and uncle, were just sitting and watching this amazing experience. I was so astounded at what was happening. All I could do was quietly listen to the soothing music and gaze at the sun being reflected off the water before it disappeared, sinking beneath the sound. This span of ten to fifteen minutes solaced me because it was so peaceful and quiet and soothing. Everything in my mind vanished and I just relaxed for that moment. It is hard to believe that this natural event happens almost every night and I never took the time to see it. This was my first sunset experience and I am very eager to experience it again.
If I had the choice of being inside or outside I would choose inside. To me the indoor are more inviting then the outdoors. I think the indoor have more pros than cons than the outside. I prefer the indoors because of many reasons. Reason number one; there are no bugs, creepy crawlies, spiders, or snakes. All of those animals scare me and I really do not like them. Yes there are some interesting animals outside to look at like the American bald eagles, deer and their families, monarch butterflies and wild rabbits but you find more animals that I personally don’t like outdoors. Reasons number two; you can control the temperature indoors. Yes that may sound dumb and idiotic but I like being in control and I cant be in control of the weather outside because Mother Nature is in control of that. Inside you can keep the temperatures how you like and you don’t have to worry about the wind or rain messing up your hair or if you’re going to be warm enough. Reasons number three; when I am outside I feel vulnerable, I do not feel safe at all. But while I am in my house I feel safe and secure and I don’t have to worry about watching my back and checking my surroundings. I like the feeling of not worrying about my safety and I cannot feel that while I am outside. Yes there are many good things about the outdoors, and do not get me wrong I don’t not like the outdoors I just must rather be inside than out.
This past summer, my youth group took a camping trip to Lake Anna in Virginia. We were staying in a group of log cabins and the girls got the cabins closest to the lake (first pick). The first three days were beautiful, 80degree weather and sunny skys. The last night we were there, it started to thunderstorm. The leaders got very scared because we were on a cabin only 100feet or so from the lake. Luckily, the lightning, thunder, and rain only lasted a half hour. When it was all over, we all went outside the cabin and ran down to the lake. The haze and just the calmness that was over the lake was so amazing looking. Rain was dripping off the trees into the lake and the sky still had faint sounds of thunder. The air was warm yet a cool summer breeze was blowing all around us. By far, it was the most beautiful thing i have ever experienced.
A natural experience that exhilarated me was the trip I took to Florida about five years ago with my family to go visit my aunt, uncle, and two cousins who are around my age. We were spending a full week there so we had a bunch of fun activities planned out to do. It was a bright and sunny day out, like it usually is in Florida, so we all rented a pontoon boat and cruised around the ocean for awhile. There were many random islands in the middle of the ocean that we thought would be interesting to stop at. The first island we came to was nice but the further my cousins, sister, and I ventured we discovered less than beautiful sites. First we came across a dead seagull and bunch of rusted beach chairs and an old grill that looked as if it had been there for a very long time. We continued down the island and what we discovered caused us to beg my parents to go to a different island, let’s just say someone must have been cruising the ocean for quite a long time and couldn’t hold their bowels any longer. So we ventured to a different island, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. As soon as we stepped off the boat and onto the golden sand I looked down and noticed thousands of beautiful shells. They were the shells that swirl at the top, and they came in a variety of vibrant colors. We then stepped into the clear blue ocean in which you could see right through to the bottom, and noticed schools of fish. The further you ventured out the more creatures you noticed, there were stingrays and dolphins; and the sky was the most beautiful color of blue I had ever seen in my life. It was the most exhilarating experience with nature I had ever had and I hope to do it again one day!
My father loves the woods. I never really knew why. I used to think the woods were just full of ticks and animals that could harm me. One day in the summer my dad asked me to come along with him on a walk through the woods on my neighborhood. I told him I would because I had nothing better to do that day. When we first arrived at the entrance of the woods I hesitated. I wasn't sure why I agreed to go. But my dad and I continued on and I found my self at peace. The woods truly is beautiful. You can hear the sound of birds and the swaying of the trees. You could also hear a streaming lake that was located in the heart of the woods. I felt such a calmness within me because of how beautiful the scenery was and just being with my dad made me feel happy. I just saw so many different trees and plants that I had never seen before and many animals and their homes. It was so cool just to see many new things that I have never sent eyes upon. Ive learned that we should truly appreciate God's gift that he has given to us and absorb its beauty as much as possible.
If you can remember back a couple of years ago, There was a huge ice storm that hit us during February. At first to me it seemed to be nothing but, a relatively normal snow storm that passes by in most winters. So I went to bed not suspecting a thing. However overnight it started sleeting with a little bit of freezing rain mixed in. I had no idea this had even happened until I woke up the next morning. Well when I woke up the next morning my Mom had told me that school had been cancelled on account of the accumulations overnight. I naturally just figured that there was going to be a lot of snow on the ground. When I looked outside though, much to my surprise I didn't see that everything was covered in snow but, that everything trees, cars, and eveything else outside had been frozen by the ice. When I say this I mean just about everything was encased in ice. When I looked at some of the frozen trees I was in awe and amazement. Everything was sparkling and it was dead silent outside. It was almost creepy. I had never seen something like this before and it was the most incredible thing I had ever seen. The way I figured things it would be about 10 or more years later until something like this ever happened again.
I don't really have any out door, mother nature stories. I don't really like being outside. I try to stay indoors whenever possible. I don't prefer to be outside because I can not stand bugs. When it's summer. It's sticky and hot and there are bugs everywhere. However, I don't mind being outside during the summer if I'm at the beach, or the pool. I prefer to stay inside during the winter because it's slippery and there are so much more things to do and be comfortable indoors. Really, the only time I don't mind being outdoors is when I'm actually doing something. One reason for this is because I have to be doing something when I'm outside because I don't mind being there if I am distracted. I can't just stand there and be outside. I just prefer being in control of the temperature and climate. When your inside, you can make the temperature hotter or cooler. You can choose to be hot or cold, if you wanted to. That's why I prefer being indoors rater than being outdoors.
In nature, there are many gifts. These gifts not only refresh us, but they can heal us and soothe us. I remember back in 2005, my family and i took a trip to virginia. The suprising part was, we saw a bulk of the beauty of nature on our way up there. There were beautiful green trees, gushing sparkling rivers flowing,and mountains dominating the skies. It was breathtaking because id never seen anything like it, cause i lived in philadelphia. When we got there, we were just overtaken by the endless acres of trees, how beautifully sculpted the mountains were, and how fresh and clear the water was. The best part was when we were on Mount Shenandoah, and the view was amazing. It made me appreciate the outdoors, and made me realize what it was all about.It wasn’t just bugs and nasty little creatures running around, or creepy crawlers climbing on you, it was sheer beauty. Even the cabin we stayed in was amazing. It was built completely out of wood, and there was a hot tub outside, and I remember laying in it at 12 at night and just looking up at the endless glowing stars. It was really awesome. That’s my connection with nature.
In 7th grade my family and I went up to Poconos Mountains in the fall to go rock climbing and to overall have a small vacation for a long weekend. On the last day of our vacation, on Sunday, my dad and I wanted to go rock climbing on this trail that was my personal favorite. My mom refused to go because she’s really soft and too afraid of heights. Well were having a lot of fun hiking along the trail when my dad decided it would be more fun to go rock climb down the side of the mountain. This was a huge mistake. There was a reason that this wasn’t part of the trail and I wasn’t as experienced as my dad, as big as him, and as gutsy as he was, and most important we didn’t have any equipment. I still don’t know why I even followed him. My dad went first don the side and I followed close behind. The whole side was probably only 100 yards long and we seemed fine at first. But then we got to this really tricky point where my dad was able to overcome it only because he had much longer legs then I did. Well when I got to the point I just couldn’t do it. And I couldn’t go back up. I sat there for 20 min just being really scared until finally my dad talked me into to attempting it. I had to hold on with one hand and just let myself fall for a second while my legs would hopefully hit and catch my self on this ridge. I was able to actually do it, and that one incident made me appreciate my life a whole lot more.
One thing that can really get me pumped is doing photography. So when I get the chance I love to go crazy with it. One of my favorite things to focus on in photography is the natural things in life. Which could mean just the way people naturally live and showing the way things really are or to take pictures of the great outdoors.
This year, the first snowfall to really stick to the ground was great for me. I was exhilarated immediately watching the snow flakes come down, knowing that this was a great chance for the snow to stick. I was also feeling very artsy and creative that day. So I decided to go out and do some photography on this light coating of snow we had just received. I found myself wandering around in awe of the whole thing. Everything was just coated in this white blanket. Everything looked so pure, natural, and just peaceful. To be honest, it felt like a place I might never leave if I didn’t have to. The cold 1 hour later changed my mind, as I lost all dexterity in my fingers. The shoot was pretty good with about 4 or 5 pictures that I was very happy with. I was just glad to get out there and capture the beauty of the moment. Anyway, this was one time where nature just totally exhilarated me and drove my spirit.
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