Donkey basketball

 I went to a donkey basketball game last night. It was something I didn't know I needed in my life lol

Grandmother Willow

 Murdered.

Older than me.

One of my constants,

a steadying factor.

A symbol:

Hope,

not the end.

Hard things

lead to blessings,

By experience.

Live and

let

    go.

Grow above.

Sitting with the animals,

pondering life:

hope,

peace,

freedom

The future.

Excitement,

followed by

plans,

dread,

worry,

imperfections.

“A tale as old as time”

Changing directions,

hiding in plain sight.

This guide post,

this big tree

symbolizes so many things.

The decision to cut you down:

so sudden,

so final.

They didn’t tell me.

I still forget you’re gone.

I sit on your stump,

explaining my

imperfections,

discomforts,

and misdeeds.

Never expressing

my sadness

or wishing

you were still there.

I accepted your fate;

the finality of it.

I won’t replace you.

Even now,

so many miles away.

I see your cousins,

your friends,

and teachers.

All so kind,

just like you.

It’s not the same, though.

Picnicking,

never sitting too close.

They’d never know,

but I would.

10 years gone by.

I never wrote down the date,

but I know it’s soon.

You never knew my secrets,

but you’re the only one that

I would have told.

Because you’re my Grandmother Willow.

Study Abroad

South Africa.
May 2020.

I was going to get outside my comfort zone. And I was so excited to tell y'all.

I drafted this email back in November, but for some reason never published it?

So, obviously it was cancelled. And now I'm trying to figure out what's next.

Mission Statement & Table of Contents

Hey hey hey y'all,

I decided it was about time to create an extension of my first blog. This one will be dedicated to nature and my relationship with it. Although I grew up near the blue mountains of Alaska I have come to love the red rock of St. George.

I'm looking forward to sharing some of my thoughts on nature with y'all!

- Denali

Tables of Contents

1. ·         Mission Statement & Table of Contents
2. ·         Field trip (amphitheater): Poems
3. ·         What Traveling Has Taught Me About Nature
4. ·         Nature’s Beauty
5. ·         Freewrite: Feb. 11, 2019
6. ·         Reflection: Hike
7. ·         HW: Mary Oliver
8. ·         HW: Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior:
9. ·         Ecocomposition and Self-reflection: Overlooking the City
10. ·         HW: Thoreau
11. ·         Freewrite: Tohono Oodham
12. ·         Community Engagement 1: Clean Air Forum
13. ·         Poem: Answers
14. ·         Freewrite: A Night in Nature
15. ·         Poem: Tree
16. ·         HW: N. Scott Momaday’s Poem ‘Sun Dance Shield’
17. ·         Community Engagement 2: Crimson Cowboys
18. ·         Research Paper: The Road That Ends… For Now
19. ·         Poems: Lizard Whispering

Field trip (amphitheater): Poems

Sun shining
with-holding the wind.
Aftermath of last night's storm
still present.
Scooter's collapsed.
Nature's standing still.
Others respecting
the natural beauty.
Construction and music don't distract.

Clouds creeping over the hills.
A brighter beam
now hits my face.
The forecast was wrong:
no high winds this hour.

A solitary soul
in the field,
wrapped in a plaid blanket.
This weather won't stop her connection
with nature.

Green against the red rocks.
Here it's Christmas
every day.

----

Million strands of grass
Working
Growing
Creating
something beautiful.

We trample it,
never noticing
the beauty;
the miracle
we don't acknowledge.

Home to many,
appreciated by few.
"Don't pull the grass!"

I make a mud pie instead.

What Traveling Has Taught Me About Nature

Last November I participated in an Environmental Science lab which was a 4-day field trip to Catalina Island. We drove from Saint George, Utah to Long Beach, California. We visited the Aquarium of the Pacific and then boarded a ferry that took us to Catalina Island. The experiences there were amazing! I thought I was connected to nature before, but that trip changed everything for me. (A few of my earlier entries were about my time there.)

I gained a greater appreciation for the ocean and the animals that it is home to.

In February I was able to visit Arizona. I had previously lived there, so it was fun to go back. This is one of my favorite pictures of Arizona! It's on the border of Chandler, looking out towards Gilbert. The beautiful soil and cacti are some of my favorite parts of Arizona.

I honestly don't remember where this is, but it was taking while driving up to Salt Lake City. Utah's hills aren't as green as Alaska's but there is something about them that is absolutely beautiful!

For as long as I can remember I've loved capturing pictures of how the sun interacts with plants.

Diamond Valley has lots of good places to go hiking!

Everyone in Saint George knows about Dixie Rock and Pioneer Park. There are many beautiful hiking opportunities out there.

The Grand Canyon is close by, an easy day trip. The views don't disappoint!

My first time going to a beach was a few years ago, in Hawaii. My sister and I visited 6 or 7 beaches in less than a week. The crashing of the waves and excitement of the other people made us eager to get in the water and join them! My sister later decided to take surf lessons and enjoyed becoming a part of the ocean for a few hours.

The Dole Plantation was not only a fun "must-see" site; it also taught us a lot about how pineapples and other plants are grown. A tour of the plantation helped me to see how much effort goes into caring for each type of plant and the reward that comes with a plentiful crop (I'm not talking about the money, but the satisfaction that comes from hard work).

Nature's Beauty

This is the view from my room back home in Alaska. I have not been there since Christmas of 2017. I grew up with the views of mountains and greenery not far away. Moving to Saint George was a struggle at first, because this is what I left behind.

In the summer we would travel to Denali National Park, Wasilla, Anchorage, and other cities in the southern parts of Alaska. We would hike, hunt, fish, camp, enjoy time together, but most of all, we'd take the time to be one with nature.

I only went to Canada once. We lived about 6 hours from the Alaskan-Canadian border, near Dawson City. One weekend my dad and I left work early and camped near the border. The next morning we spent the day in Dawson City. We learned about the people there and their history. I rode a ferry for the first time. We spent a lot of time out in nature and learning about how to use the natural resources of the land.

This pond is less than a mile from our house. I don't know if it has a real name, but we call it Bathin' Beauty pond. In the summers we swim and canoe it. Some people come here to fish. During the winters we drive by and enjoy the beautiful sunsets. People ice fish here and, if they're adventurous enough, they snow-machine across it. A few Sasquatch sightings have been reported here.

This is near my parents' first home in Alaska. Although we live about 45 minutes away from there we tried to make it back every summer. We come to pick blueberries. The book "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey reminds of us this area. Sometimes we each bring a bucket and take the blueberries home to top our pancakes with. Other times we just eat the blueberries and make fun memories. Over the years we've introduced friends to this prime blueberry picking spot.

Although I will always hold Alaska dear in my heart I have learned to also appreciate the beauty of other places. Next up, a post about Arizona, Hawaii, and Utah!