Allie's Nature Blog

Saturday, Jan 31, 2026 This journal entry will be a reflection of my reading of our first two chapters of Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, “The First Morning” and “A Serpent’s Paradise”. To me, they were two completely different chapters that evoked different reactions. “The First Morning” made me think and reflect about myself more, while “A Serpent’s Paradise” made me sort of chuckle and felt more like a tale, and less like a non-fiction writing.  On the first page of “The First Morning”, Abbey talks about the idea of a “one true home’. This made me reflect a lot, because my mind went to multiple places that feel like a true home to me. I thought about sitting out on the dock at my grandmother’s lake house, I thought about walking through the pine trees in the Bitterroot Forest, and I thought about listening to the waves while sitting on a beach in southern California. Maybe this means that I have not found my actual true home, but I feel lucky that I love so many places my heart...

Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 For my nature walk after class, I decided to go on my walk along the Trinity River. Growing up in the Seattle area, I enjoy being around water. While the Trinity does not quite compare to Lake Washington or the Puget Sound, I find it familiar and comforting. During my walk, I noticed ducks floating in the water, the strong winds rustling through the trees, and the clouds parting in just the right way to allow beautiful sun beams to peak through. I do not often think of the clouds as a large element of nature, however on Tuesday, they were the main character of my walk. They seemed moody, almost indecisive whether or not they were going to create a storm or if they would pass and let the sun shine down below. I was enthralled watching them on my walk. To say the least, I thoroughly enjoyed the assignment. In terms of the environment and issues surrounding it, I would say I am opinionated on issues. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, we went camping, hiking, fishi...