Arriving at Indian Creek with the rest of the group, I find a
nice, almost quiet place in the cool, damp grass. I look down
at a star-shaped leaf and wonder if I'm sitting in poison ivy.
I move slightly out of the way just to be safe. I hear Charlie
messing around, having a blast and laugh. Mr. Geers shows up behind
me and asks if Mr. Bates went all the way down the path. I say
"yeah," and he spots him coming back up the path yelling
at everyone to be quiet.
It's quiet now, almost too quiet. I feel sleepy, but to keep myself
awake,I think of cappucino. I have to stay awake to write a paper
for Field Biology class. I look around at the tall, green trees,
the short, dark green bushes,the yellow daisies swaying in the
wind, and the tall grasses. They're so tall! I could disappear
because I'm sitting down. I lay back and look dreamily up at the
blue sky spotted with a few clouds. It reminds me of my last lazy
summer, watching the clouds creep by.
I close my eyes and listen. Just listen. The tedious buzzing from
tiny crickets is irritating and soothing at the same time. The
startling croaking of a frog reminds me of my cd of frogs I listen
to so I can sleep. Now I'm really getting drowsy, and because
of the gurgling of the creek below, I have anurge to go to the
bathroom.
I take a deep breath. Maybe the fresh, fragrant air will wake
me up. The"fragrant" air smells like dead fish and cut
grass. Now I know why the Mountain Spring air freshener
doesn't smell like the country.
Touch , I think to myself, looking at the paper, given
to me by Mr. Bates. Then I skip down to Taste. Taste? I
hope they don't really expect me to eat grass, do they? Who do
they think I am? A cow?Then I read the part where Taste
is optional. Well, the grass is cool,and damp, but I've
already established that, and I don't think they'll accept just
that. The ground is firm, the leaves are soft . . . . and there
is someone coming up the path.
I turn to look, and it's a woman with two, wet dogs. One dog,
a golden retriever comes up to me, shakes himself, and gets me
all wet. The lady says, "Sorry'bout that. Is it okay if they
swim here?" I shrug and say, "I guess so," and
she leaves, her second dog, a brown mutt, faithfully by her side.
Mr. Bates comes by, again, and tells everyone to pack up. "It's
time to go!"
By: Lacie W
Lisa S
Field Biology
Sensory Writing
I see
green, brown, blue
leaves, blades, stems,
dirt, sand, mud
sky, sky, sky
blue stretches endlessly
I hear
screaming of the insects
whispering of the wind
rustling of the trees
swishing of the cars
man's intrusion upon
nature's seclusion
I smell
the grass, the mud, the fish
the water
like the ocean,
summoning nostalgia
of summers spent on sun-drenched sands
I feel
the mud cooling my heated skin
the ripples of the water
massaging my aching feet
the fish tickling my fingertips
the air brushing my face with
soothing caresses
I am
comforted by nature
by the silence, yet the noise
the singing of the bugs
the laughter of the flowers
the conversing of the trees
telling the secrets of life
to those willing to listen
I am
Emily B
9/14/98
Block 3
Sensory Writing
I was not looking forward to running after school, but as soon
as I steppedon to the Sac and Fox trail, I felt happier. It was
a mild day--sunny witha light breeze. I began to jog and looked
around at my surroundings. Therewere trees everywhere, scattered
in the sea of green plants along the trail.The leaves on the trees
looked shiny in the sun and seemed to sparkle inthe wind. Some
leaves had started to fall, reminding me that it was autumn.I
crossed a bridge, hearing the faint sound of running water, and
I squintedas the bright sun reflected off of the stream. There
was an abundance ofgreen, with an occasional sprinkling of sunshine-yellow
flowers. The forestof trees seemed to go on forever and there
were many different shapes andsizes of plants. There was always
something new to look at.
Everything was peaceful. Yet there were so many sounds I couldn't
identifyall of them. There were birds chirping, bugs buzzing,
and the sound of thewind swishing through the sturdy trees. It
started out as a soft whisper,then gradually gained power and
built up to an almost thunderous roar. Thenit died down again
to being barely audible, only preparing for the nextsurge. I liked
the sound of my feet on the compacted gravel trail. It wasa soft,
satisfying crunching sound. As I continued jogging, I occasionallybrushed
up against a plant, grass, or some leaves. Some of the plants
hada texture like sandpaper, and others like velvet. The grass
was smooth andcool. There were some plants that looked like foxtails.
They felt very fuzzyand delicate.
There was a definite temperature change from the sun to the shade.
It wasvery warm in the sun, and the shade was a nice relief from
the heat. Therewere no distinct odors that I could pick out. The
air was very fresh andclean. In the shade the air had a cooler,
crisp scent to it. The sunny airhad a "freshly baked"
smell. I was deep into thinking about allthese things when I realized
I was done with my run. I felt very exhilaratedand content. Nature
completely changed my mood around.
One day, I decided to go for a walk down the Sac and Fox Trail
at Indian Creek. As I was walking, I noticed the beautiful sight
around me. All around me I saw trees and woods. To the right,
if I looked down, I saw the creek. There were some sand mounds
around it. To my left, I saw some pretty little yellow flowers
sticking up out of the grass. In front of me the rest of the trail
was awaiting me, but there was something kind of unusual. I looked
above, and there was a huge branch hanging over like it was about
to fall.
As I kept walking, I noticed the nature. I heard the gurgle of
the water that was a ways below me. I heard the loud chirp crickets
in the grass.At times I heard the soft breeze whisper as it blew
my hair. Also, once in a while I heard the buzzing of gnats and
bees flying around my head.
About five minutes later, my ribbon fell out of my hair. As I
went to pick it up, I noticed what the ground I was walking on
felt like. It was kind of rocky, yet a little bit sandy. There
was also some litter on the trail, probably from some little kids
running by, kids that don't care about the environment.
As the wind blew a little more, I could smell the freshness of
it and a little bit of the sweet smell of some flowers. It was
a relaxing smell.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a bee landed on my arm and stung
me. I felt a little sting at first, but then it just felt kind
of hot. I decided that I had had enough of nature for one day,
so I turned around and walked back to go home.
Cassie G
Crystal Clear Thoughts
by Kate Baumert
Walking down the dirt path,
the freshly dampened earth clinging to my shoes,
I look towards the forest, which seems to whisper
"Come in and share my secrets! I have much to give!"
I resist though, and continue on my path around the
outskirts of the mysterious trees.
A gust of wind catches me off guard,
making wisps of hair dance across my face.
As I brush them away, an earthy smell,
emanating from my palm, confronts my
nostrils and sends the fresh odor soaring
through my entire body. Feeling exhilarated,
I moved on.
I stop to rest in between two trees, both
alike as much as they are different. One
leans precariously to the right, it's bark
old and dry, crumbling to the grass below
it. It bears no leaves or fruit of any kind,
making it a dull object in the rich landscape.
The other tree stands tall and majestic
before me. It's bark, instead of exhibiting dryness,
is covered with a thick layer of velvety moss.
The tree's branches, looking like spiny fingers
reaching to the sky, harbor a few leaves, creating
a bright spot in the dark world that surrounds them.
Another strong gust of wind rips off one of the last
few leaves and sends it sailing down
to my feet; a resting spot before its next journey.
It is a small leaf, of a deep brown hue, and
shimmers with the fresh water droplets that
lay upon it. The wind prepares
to rip the leaf from my grasp and carry it to a
new destination, but I am not ready to relinquish
my treasure just yet, and hold onto it tightly so as
to savor its worth one last time.
At last, I allow the leaf to flutter away on the path
the wind makes for it, and watch, as it is joined by many
other leaves, all of different hues, gliding and intertwining
together. I smile slowly, realizing that nature had created a
rainbow
just for me.
Let Me Take You Home Tonight
by Tim Busse
Yellow lucky flower, planted in the ground
so fortunate are you that it was I who found
your vulnerable figure stemming up below,
frightened I would pick you, but little did you know.
I had with me pencil and paper for a picture,
but I could never capture your color, that creamy-yellow mixture.
I drew your face and healthy stalk, though the weather beg I go,
but I decided, stay I must, beside your barren row.
Your petals droop, with dew from morning, the sun has not yet shone,
to guide you through your infancy, for now, you bloom alone.
Nature
by Gina Grissom
cool
dry
leaves
crunch
Fall
cold
snow
frozen
icesicles
Winter
warm
sunny
buds
leaves
Spring
hot
green
water
dry
Summer
cool
dry
leaves
crunch
Fall
Frozen in the Winter,
covered in snow.
You melt in the Spring,
when the sun starts to glow.
You bloom through the Summer,
as you continue to grow.
In the middle of Autum,
your leaves fall so slow.
How long will this cycle continue?
I guess we'll never know.