Modern Day Distractions

For this project, my friend and I started to go on a walk in the Arboretum. There were many dirt paths to walk on. A few days before we went on a walk it rained, leading the trails to be muddy. The mud was thick, pasty, and hard to walk through. During our walk, we heard birds whistling a beautiful melody. The beautiful melody was soft and sweet. We also heard the rumbling of cars from the road nearby. As we got closer to the road it was harder to hear the animals that surrounded us. This led me to think about how busy our society has become, and it can be distracting. Nature is a beautiful thing that can get destroyed from things such as roads and houses. So often I get distracted by my phone or my headphones, that I miss seeing and hearing all the things that nature has to offer.

Wild Garlic

As we continued walking, she was able to find some wild garlic. Before this walk I would have never known that the plant I was looking at was garlic. The wild garlic was long and thin like a blade of grass. As I was waking, I was not able to smell the aroma of the plant. Once my friend plucked the plant from the ground, we could smell it and make sure it was garlic. When I smelt the wild garlic, I was surprised at how strong and overwhelming the smell was. Looking around at where we were at, I could see an abundant amount of this wild garlic. If she had not shown me this plant, I would have thought they were just normal weeds, and I would have overlooked them. This walk has taught me what they look like in case I ever wanted to find wild garlic again.

Blooming Flowers

While walking we were able to see the juxtaposition of the living and the dead plants. The beginning of spring revealed itself. There were many trees without leaves that have not bloomed yet. However, there were some trees that have blossomed. Many plants and flowers have started to grow, too. There was a cluster of flowers that caught my eye because it made a pop of color in the mist of what seemed to be a forest of dead branches. It is surprising to see some plants growing when the other plants around them are still dead. Walking down the path made me excited about the warm weather to come and the flowers that would follow. I love spring and summer because I allows me to go on more walks.

Appreciation of Nature

Overall, I had I good time taking a walk in nature with my friend. Explored the wild and took in the beautiful scenery. Animals like squirrels climbed up trees and birds flew overhead. There were sounds like the wind and the trees swaying. We touched the plants and the wild garlic that we found. I am glad that we went out on that beautiful day because I missed seeing the plants and animals during the cold winter season. This walk taught me not to overlook the little things and to appreciate the nature around us.

The Use of AI in my Post

For my Blog Post, I did not use any AI to formulate my writing. I did use the spell check on Word to make sure I did not spell anything wrong.

As I found myself wandering in the woods, it came to my attention the effect it has on my body. How often do we experience life without considering its effect on us physically? Every piece of information is input that makes me feel alive. The smells… The sounds… The tectures… Their forces combine to wrap me in the wonders of nature.

I breathe deeply. I am always surprised how the air changes when surrounded by greenery. There is nothing like it, for it is as fresh as the morning dew. It is clean. It is crisp. It is pure. Perhaps the autumnal scent of the leaves creates the pleasing aroma of the air. I never tire of this scent. With every breath it refreshes me.

As I continue to walk through the forest, I notice the sound of the leaves next. Their tune fades in and out. Sometimes a dried pile of them evoke a satisfying crunch under my feet. Other times the dampness of the leaves squashes any hope of the delightful crunch that follows me around, announcing my existence. In the respites of leaves lies the squelching mud. Squish. Squish. Squish. Its sound makes me recoil a bit as I navigate through the mud trap. No matter how carefully I step, it decorates the bottoms and sides of my shoes.

My wandering path takes me past a soft, trickling stream. As the water skips and hops across the sticks and grass, small bubbles appear and pop. I can not help but stop for a moment. There is nothing quite as comforting as the quiet pitter-patter of cascading water. To add to the water’s music, an unidentified bird happily sings in a loopdeloop manner–its voice moving steadily up and down, up and down. I enjoy its cheerful song, wishing it to show itself, but it is hidden in the forest somewhere–the mysterious musician. “Why must the creatures always hide themselves?” I wonder disappointedly. After this unexpected concert I absentmindedly continue without a care in the world until I hear a loud snap. It startles me. I look down. I stepped on a good-sized stick. My orneriness kicks in, and I purposely step on it again to hear the satisfying crack. Farther down the way, I see little tufts of green leaves. They almost look like blades of grass except when you pick them a sharp, strong scent catches your nose immediately. It is wild garlic! I repeatedly smell it, captivated by its intense scent.

On my way out of the forest, I am careful to navigate around the large clonglomerations of a hanging dead vine. A single shoot reaches toward the earth. I shake it to be polite. Its body shakes and scrapes against each other. Out of curiosity, I tug at it. Every shoot of the vine remains in place, which is preferable since it would have fallen on me if it had been unstable. As if to scold me, I hear a quick, high-pitched tch tch tch tch. I quickly look around. Again, I can not find the creature responsible for the noise. I believe it is an angry squirrel, but alas, I can not confirm it. On the bright side, in trying to find this mysterious creature, I stumble upon some strange-looking seeds. They are white, fluffy snowballs. They are so tempting. I just had to squish them. They feel like the down used for pillows–soft and bouncy.

I sigh, satisfied by the peace the forest has provided me. It has remembered me. It has sung to me. It has touched me.

Material in the Woods

I decided to embark on this nature walk journey with fellow classmate and friend Michael Crowley. Deciding on where to do this walk, we both agreed to try and complete this in the woods behind my falling apart house. After walking back, I quickly realize just how ugly it was back there. Not because of the decaying nature and all the dead plants, but because of the clutter caused from the man made material that was littered back there effected the enviroment. I could not focus on just immersing myself with the moment because of a broken mattress that was just clouding my mind.

It laid there for probably years, melting itself in the fence and melting it’s disturbing image in my mind. Ultimalty deciding to move onto the Geneseo arboretum. What is more fascinating is how strongly the perfectly built brown bench was plopped in the arboretum. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s wooden structure and vibrent color was not pleasent to look at in the nature. I would not typically think twice about a bench, but after seeing the mattress it made me realize just how the bench soon will end up like the mattress and rot eventually. It will ruin the natural beauty of the world one day and have to be disposed of. This little fight between material being left in nature has not gone without a fight from mother nature.

Real Nature

As I walked further into the arboretum with Michael, we come across this slanted branch that covered part of the path.

It forced us to stop, but for the first time in my journey it made my mind stop and indulge in appreciation of what is around me. Giving me the choice to turn back around or follow through under the branch in essence made me feel grateful on how I ended up here at this very moment. One branch slanted because some wind or maybe it grew in the wrong direction, has made me stop on my muddy journey through. Not put there purposefully by anyone. The branch had its own journey. There is something truly magical about that. Just like how it felt magical looking at a lonely tree right after.The tree stood tall and alone, almost like it was social distancing from the rest of the leaves and trees. Still recovering from winter with no leaves on it, its naked and unmanipulated structure gives off a yearning sense of lonliness, but also peace. It was allowed to grow and be by itself. Which reminds me of the traditional college experiance. It can feel lonley, but also a time of peaceful bliss before entering the real world. It is a time to grow on your own, which for some people is the first time that oppertunity presents itself.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Bee Barn

On my trip to the Arboretum,the Bee Barn caught my eye and interested me. I am not sure who made it, but I believe it has stood there for many years and has served many purposes. Currently, some bees are going extinct and others have dwindling numbers. While bees still scare me, I am thankful for the Bee Barn because it gives the bees a safe place to grow their hives and it ensures them safety and protection. The yellow letters have faded from being sun beaten for many years, but the letters are still inviting and telling. Some of the boxes are broken and the wood is rotting in some places, but I think this shows the purpose that the construct has served throughout the years. I am interested to know if anyone will fix it or leave it standing as it is.

Bee Hives

When I see a beehive, I typically run away or become frightened by the life that lives within the construct. But, something changed when I saw the Bee Barn today and thought about the jobs that bees have. Without bees, flowers would not be polinated, the food chain would be thrown off, and humans would not consume honey in teas or in various foods. I started thinking about why bees are so scary when they are performing the job they were destined to do. There were other bee hives in the Arboretum and instead of becoming scared, running away from them or swatting them away, I looked at the few I saw for a second and examined their beauty and purpose.

Bees

However, I did not see many bees in the Bee Barn on this trip and I wonder what happened to them. During the start of the fall semester (the first time I went there), there were hives in a few of the boxes but not anymore. I thought the boxes would provide the bees with protection and I wonder what happened to them. An animal could have gotten to them or maybe the bees decided they were better suited somewhere else. Though the air has been warmer and the sun has shown, it might be too cold for bees to be seen. I hope the bees will come back during the summer months and find protection in the Bee Barn where they can be protected and safe.

Flowers

The trees have no leaves yet and there are no wildflowers to be seen around the grounds. When the plants begin to regrow and bloom, the bees will probably be seen again. Usually bees are seen where blooming flowers are present, so it makes sense that there is no life around the Bee Barn. The Bee Barn was quiet without the hum of bees at work but I hope to hear them again during the summer months. The birds have began to migrate back which is a sign of the summer months headed our way. I wonder if we will see a return of bees during the summer months too?

Not far away from the road, but nicely still tucked into campus, is the Gazebo, a spot that Geneseo students and community famously use to watch the Sunset. It’s not too noisy throughout the day, other than the intermittent foot traffic at 9:45 AM, 10:10 AM, 12:20 PM, etc. I can’t get too far away from campus because I don’t have a car, so my interactions with nature are quite limited to what’s within reasonable walking distance. Each morning, I take the same route to class, leaving from Ward down to Main, then either Across to Bank Street and down to the Union. Sometimes, I sneak down University Drive, into Newton, into Milne, and then through Blake’s outdoor hallway. Whichever route I take, to get to the Union, I have to walk by the Gazebo.

When I was walking up to class this morning, I paid a little extra attention to the green space, the plant life, trees that surrounded the Gazebo. There’s this patch of dark mulch surrounding the gazebo that makes up a bed of bushes and mid-sized trees. Relying just on memory, I might have estimated that there was one tree and about a foot or two of space, but when I counted today and when I looked back at the picture, I saw at least four trees and double that space. I wonder if something about the large presence of brick and concrete around the gazebo have anything to do with the minimization of the presence of green space in my memory.

When I walk up from the Union to the gazebo, it looks like its bushes are peering above the brick wall that contains them. They’re a nice and vivid shade of green and seemed to be a little damp because this morning it had rained a bit. The rain slightly saturated the concrete too, but it was clear the rain had lightened up and that some of it was drying up because I saw some patches of lighter concrete peeking out. I thought to myself today that it’s strange the leaves havent grown back on the trees. I know we’re only approaching the peak of springtime, but the trees looked as dead as they did in the winter time. Maybe just some more patience is required.

I like this space on campus a lot, but its green space seems to be negated by the overwhelming and domineering presence of concrete and brick, and unique to the past couple of and next couple of years, the construction fences, surrounding it. While the physical structure of the gazebo is limited in green space, I think it is one of the best places on campus to realize the beauty and vastness of the valley. I enjoy the sunset at the gazebo, but even more than that, I enjoy looking out at the valley when it’s completely dark and all you can see is the patches of light from probably what is York. Between small patches of light of neighboring towns are large stretches of darkness, where I like to imagine there are deer grazing.

*Note: No AI was used in the making of this Blog Post.

Natural Phenomena

• In my time, I’ve found that I’m rather limited in my abilities to experience the outdoors and consequentially I end up missing out on the delightful phenomena nature oft provides to us. It’s peculiar to write in the eyes of someone else and thus this feels almost obligatory to say, but I digress.
• I took a comforting, albeit short, walk to experience some of nature’s strongest features, with a focus on the fauna we so often neglect. My observations of which will be described in greater detail below. The standout was the squirrel I watched and followed for quite some time.

The Fast and the Fluffy Squirrel

• On my walk I noticed this squirrel wandering about nearby and decided to take a seat and observe it. It was nimbly hopping about and foraging in the trees and the dirt I walked nearby to. I dared to get closer to get a better look at exactly what it was looking for, but each time I did, it ended up running further away again!

• It seemed delicately aware of my presence- as most animals tend to be, but it curiously approached and bounded around as I sat and watched. In hindsight I wished I took a video of it rather than just a few photos. It jumped up onto a brick wall and sprinted around in this picture- then it immediately jumped off off it, eccentric little thing.

  

• I noted a particular instance of the squirrel climbing up a tree for a moment only to immediately climb back down and sprint off. I didn’t see the squirrel again after that and merely focused on continuing my walk to see if I noted anything else that was interesting.

• The squirrel didn’t stick around beyond these two pictures, but it stood out to me due to just how eccentric and rapid its movements were- it reminded me of someone sprinting around seeking to find something they lost, only much fluffier and smaller.

Following the Clouds

• The other included image is of the rainy road I encountered on my route back to my dorm. You’ll note the location almost immediately if you’ve been around campus- that’s right, it’s right outside Monroe Hall.
• The rain had started quite soon after my walk had started, so I spent some time in it. I listened to the drops on the pavement, felt the water gently stream into my shoes and onto my hands, taking in the tears of the environment. It was comforting and cooling after a hot walk and I certainly don’t mind that.
• I sat in the rain for a while wondering why I was given the limitations I was given- I’m someone who loves the outdoors but has grown to hate the experience due to my allergies and my other physical constraints- It’s frustrating.

My Perspective on Nature

• If I may be reflective for a moment, my perspective on the natural world has always been very warped- I cannot experience something I care deeply about, and something I would have put forth in my life so much more had I not been limited by what I have. I love nature, especially marine biology, and have always been fascinated by it. But I wonder if my fascination with it comes from my lack of being able to spend time in it…

Being Inside

My first thought, when presented with the opportunity to focus on something outside, was rain. And more importantly, how present it is even when I’m inside and dry. It is comforting to listen to when you’re inside working, it’s calming, and has found its way into a lot of people’s study culture and general work settings. I won’t lie, I do in fact also listen to “studying in an old library in the melancholic rain (dark academia playlist).” It is a type of serene calm I don’t think can be found elsewhere, and has been vastly important to my own work. I included the exact video I’ve frequented during my studies below. Example

Being Inside (2)

Though, being inside my own dorm isn’t exactly the point of this sort of assignment. So, to fit within the spirit of enclosed spaces and comfort, I’m hoping to focus on a past visit of mine’s to Howe Caverns, truly a place I wish to never return to. To provide a brief description of the location before you analyze the picture I’ve included below, it is a tight, colorfully lit and wet piece of space. To be away from natural lighting was, for a short period of time, beyond terrifying of course. At one point during the tour they take you on, the guide will call for the crew to shut off the lights, and leave those in attendance in both uncomfortable silence and darkness. I have this very distinct memory of the event though, not of the quiet or the dark, but of the water slowly shifting as the awkward small shuffles of the people on board rocked the row boats. Each small movement causing a ripple that was just about all you could hear, underneath the breathing of most every other person on the same boat as me. It in a very similar sense to the rain and music I discussed above, felt beyond comforting. To sit amongst so many peers, yet feel alone in such a meaningful way was an experience without comparison. The waves were slow, pushing against only the rocks holding us. It is a calm I hope to reach again, and have actively sought out via noise-cancelled headphones. Yes, this is the incredible reveal that the things I wear around my head, sometimes referred to as headphones, do tend to have sound coming out of them as I find it calming.

Being

Sound, from the rain hitting windows, to waves launching into each other, means so much to me. My appreciation for sound isn’t something I see going away anytime soon, and though not mentioned, this love extends beyond the water you can find underground. Thoreau shares this love as well, within the section of Walden dedicated to the bodies of water surrounding him, he shows it the same care. We certainly get rain here, but it certainly feels like bodies of water have a much more subtle presence up here. Though that doesn’t make them any less deserving of appreciation. And yes, the title is a reference to that one movie I have not watched.

“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.”

I got the picture working! It is now here.

Was I totally digital? (How much did I come here with?)

No, not really. Somewhere deep in a closet back home my medal for “excellence in Computer Science” has been gathering dust. Though I’ve never really lost my love for seeing code come together into an end-product. My AP Computer Science Principles course in highschool was of course, not the most in-depth guide to coding or putting together my own projects outside of the class, but I’d be lying if I denied that it didn’t set me up to explore further. A short bit of exploration into HTML and Python, plus a few subsections within the latter, was really all it took to set up the smallest seed of hope that I’d return to coding in the future. And now, in my second semester at SUNY Geneseo, I’ve found a class that mixes my primary interest of English, with something I hadn’t properly thought of since leaving highschool!

Am I a little more digital now? (Where am I now?)

Yeah, actually. Through this course I’ve moved past using websites with built in tips as a mediator between me and my attempts at making a button produce music, and started to actually explore my computer as a system I’m able to make use of. My hope moving forward both through this class, and once I’m past it, is to take this information and use it as a path to explore further. Whereas my highschool’s application of coding and similar topics felt closed off and even just confined to random websites I wouldn’t have a subscription to by the end of the year, but what I’ve gained here isn’t something I can lose access to unless by my own choice, and I truly appreciate that. I won’t leave a list of commands we learned here, but even those are just a starting point for exploring and understanding what I’ve got going on, a strong point to build upon. And I kind of just love that a lot.

What about the non-digital? (Did I read?)

Of course. Through our reading of Broad Band I got to learn about a very important section of the history of something I’ve made use of all my life. Without this context, I miss out on the importance of my ability to access and make use of my own computer. Through being treated as little more than a throwaway project, these women provided us with more than just a starting point for a concept so important to what we do BEYOND this class. It is a history that cannot be avoided, one that requires the willingness to express respect no matter how far ago it was. This applies to so many things, history isn’t something that we can EVER sotp exploring. There is also, and yes this is an excuse to take us back to my starting section, a history medal up in the same closet. And that is a combo I am genuinely proud of, and that I will not let go of even if the medals were plastic and worthless. I cannot, at any point and especially as an English major, ever stop paying attention to both techonology and the history surrounding me and anyone else.

I wasn’t reading can you recap in two sentences? (Why?)

I love technology, history, and reading. I love where they meet up even more.