Natures useful offerings

Recently, I started taking everything a step further within my observation process. Rather than sitting around on the footsteps that lead to the edge of the water canal, I Have begun paying closer attention to the things that stand out and catch my attention while walking around the water canal and look into much more than just nature its self out here. Just because it’s a water canal with wonderful nature surroundings, does not mean human interaction hasn’t taken place out here. It’s also a place of homes for creatures and a place where people have found this canal useful. Such as the tunnel created so cars can drive over to get to their homes. Nature isn't always something to observe, it comes with many useful factors such as nutrients, food, homes and even useful for humans in many ways. 

Due to the fact these past couple days I haven’t just been sitting on the footsteps that lead to the water edge of the water canal, I’ve seen much more than just the tunnel that’s always next to me (Image 1).  I’ve discovered many holes that have been about 4 yards away from where I’m normally located (Image2, Image 3) I counted about 12 of these. These holes can come from two different creatures. From past experience and living in the houses behind this area, I have encountered many water snakes while living here the past 12 years. My father always told me that they came from the water canal and shockingly I’ve seen only 2. They slither through the edges of the water, but since they’re water snakes I highly doubt they live in these holes so the only other creature that can be living in these holes that stretch about 7 inches wide must be squirrels. I tend to see those adorable suckers around here a lot. Based on research I made, it fully convinced me that squirrels are the ones that live in these holes.  I found out that these squirrels are called Ground squirrels. They have chosen to dig their homes underground and though they can still climb trees quite well, they don’t live in trees. Ground squirrels can become a problem in the yard and around the home when their burrows lead to flooding. Their presence brings fleas and other insects or even worse, the transmission of disease. Ground squirrels will readily eat our gardens fruit and vegetables as well as our nuts and flowers. If left alone, they will quickly populate to levels which can cause mass destruction in little time.

Another thing that’s gotten my attention out here has been this giant apple tree that always seems to be the spot for birds, squirrels and ducks to meet, greet and eat (Image 4) In the image shown there’s no birds or such creatures around, but you can see why this place is the main hang out spot for the living things out here. One last thing that caught my attention is shown in (Image 5). I noticed there’s many human abandoned pottery and garbage as well. I wonder why people are so selfish and don’t bother to pick up their junk and throw things away in garbage bins rather than neglecting their rubbage in open nature habitat.

Image 1 

Image 2 and 3 

Image 4  

Citation:

"GROUND SQUIRREL CONTROL." PEST CONTROL SUPPLY WHOLESALE WAREHOUSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. http://bugspray.com/article/groundsquirrel.html.

Beauty, so unique within everything.

Behind every element that makes a leaf, a water molecule, a living creature and absolutely EVERYTHING out here at the water canal and everywhere else on this world, every species you’ll encounter on Earth is, near as we can tell, chemically the same inside. We are all descended from a common ancestor. We are shaped by the same forces and factors that influence every other living thing, and yet we emerged as something unique. Like the different types of Birds. Such as the one I ran into the other day out here on a Sunday morning around 8:45 am. I sketched it in my notes while viewing it from a distance.

It was very tall with long legs that would sink to the bottom of the water canal and half of its legs would still be visible above the water. It had a long neck and a long beak. So very white, too white. So white, that it would actually look bright and make my eyes want to look away, due to the sun hitting it and the water reflection below it.                                               

                                I admire the way nature continues to grow out here. Through we destroy it with littering and selfishness. Amongst it, the way this water canal smiles and shows its beauty though leafs with tints of orange. It makes me wonder why people lack the attention towards this place, it fills this part of the neighborhood with colors that vary and change constantly. This is basically the way the earth tells us that beauty is found in ignorance, and that beauty is found in the simplest form.