Sitting on a Story

1.
The bench I have chosen is nestled in the heart of a forested trail. The bench I came across is not really like any benches I have seen before it has a rich dark mahogany like colouring and is sort of chunky and has a block like shape. The wood has slight groves in it but has almost a bit of a shiny polished finish. The bench is cemented onto two cement blocks and below it is a dirt covered forest floor. Mainly the reason for the choice for the bench was the location over all I love the forest and the area surrounding my bench, it is comforting and welcoming. When some people enter a forest there first thought might be scared or frightened or even just unsure, but when I enter a forest it’s just like a playground and I feel like the possibilities are endless.

2.
As I sit on my bench I observe my surroundings there are trees all around me, my bench is cemented to the top of a dirt mound cliff below me is a rushing rumbling river followed by a limpid pool of glistening water. There are all sorts of little bugs zipping by my head and the faint buzz surrounds my ears as they fly by, when they hit the light coming through the trees they seem to glow. There are all sorts of plants and shrubbery around the forest floor green ferns spewing out of no where in large bunches, vine maples that dangle all over the place. I am hot from the hike but now that I am closer to the river I am cooler now and the air seems less dry and very fresh. The heat around me is still a bit bothersome and I want to dive into the river below but the thrashing and rumbling of the falls below is was to strong. I am also very thirsty and a nice cool glass of water is what I really want.

3.
If a bench were dedicated to me I would very much appreciate a bench in a forested area, the forest is one of my favorite places to be and to know that there is a bench there would be very nice. The forest is so full of life and has so much diversity I think the forest is somewhere where you can be disconnected from the world for a period of time and there is no one there to nag you or irritate you. The hustle and bustle of the city can be stressful but when you enter a forest this all seems to disappear and gives you a sense of peace and serenity. I think if my friends or family were to dedicate a bench to me this is they would do it because I love every aspect of the forest including nature. I think I would like the inscription to say something meaningful and something that portrays attributes in my life. For instance I am a pretty good friend and I am usually very caring… so something along those lines. Anything meaningful would be generally a smart inscription in the bench. It would be up to my family and friends to decide what they think of me and what they think was

4. If I were to dedicate a bench it would probably be on the beach or somewhere it can be seen and enjoyed by many other people. The bench dedication really all depends on who I am dedicating it to for instance if I was dedicating it to my mother I would probably get my bench placed along the ambleside dog walk because we go there almost every weekend to walk the dog. Memories of all kinds are shared there and I find that most people who walk along that area would seem to have a sort of appreciation for the benches along the wall. The inscription would say something like “for all the memories spent” love your family and friends etc something that shows I care and my family cares. If I were getting one for my Dad I would have to put my bench along a lake or river because we usually go camping together a lot and I think it is important to have a bench somewhere with a strong significance to the person who you are dedicating it too. If the bench were dedicated to my sister I would have it sitting on the green grassy hill in deep cove here we spend countless hours just sitting and looking at the beautiful mountains that seem to protect the cove, here there are so many memories spent there would be no question as to were I would place her bench. Everyone of the people I love would have a significant spot for there bench along with a special inscription and a story to go with it.

5.
My bench isn’t in a central area so in order for me to get there I had to take a drive then take a hike. The day was hot, very hot, the temperature rose to a high 30 degrees which seems unusual for a June day in Vancouver. Once there at my destination I walked along the wobbly Lynn canyon suspension bridge not really fearing it at all. I came to a fork in the trail and decided upon the trail that was less crowded I was not heading to the pools today. The trail was rough all sorts of uprooted roots and crevices in the ground. Jagged rocks protruded from the ground like mini volcanos. I kept my eyes down at my feet watching my every step in order to stay upright. Soon I heard the rushing rumbling of Twin Falls I felt relieved. When I arrived I ran to the bridge that lay across the rushing falls, one side of the bridge was so violent and powerful and the other completely tranquil and calm. After observing the water for a while I kept along the trail where I found my bench, I kept along my hike and decided to return to it on my way back. I kept going along jumping up onto mini board walks to seek protection of the dense thick dark looking mud below. The smell of skunk cabbage kept entering and exiting my nose and came and left as I walked. After a while I came across a pebbly beach along the river there were stones of all sorts’ big ones, small ones, different colours, shapes, sizes. Here I sat for a while soaking in the beauty and green forest around me, and I soon decided to turn back to my bench. Once there I wrote in fine details about the area and of course my bench I sat there on my bench for quite some time. It started to get late so I headed back the way I came pass the falls and the and up the hill of jagged rocks and debris. I went over the canyon along the bridge once more and headed home for the night. Hopefully I will return to my bench soon for it is a wonderful place to be!

6.

The Forestby Leonard C. Mayer
The trees stand tall and stately,surveying their domain-----The first to glimpse the sunrise;the first to feel the rain.The flowers add some colorto mostly brown and green.Their fragrance bathes the airand makes it smell pristine.The wind sets all in motionand makes things come alive.It brings the rain and pollenthat lets this world survive.The sun lends warmth and comfortto all the things that grow.It's perfect for their needs,high noon or evening glow.The earth provides nutritionand serves the mother role-----Even the air that's neededcomes from her heart and soul.


This poem isn’t about a bench at all but it has a strong connection with the surroundings of my bench choice. The fine details that the speaker goes into reminds me of all the things I experience when I am in a forest, from simply describing the way the trees “stand tall and stately” or the “The earth provides nutrition” These sayings all relate to my bench and the area around my bench. Over all I think this poem suits my bench well and the poem helps to get an image across of what my bench represents altogether.



7.
The poem I choose connects to my own philosophy of life, I feel that the earth and nature in general mean a lot to me and I feel have a big part in everybody’s lives whether they know it or not. I mean after all without trees we couldn’t breath and without pollen we couldn’t eat!. A few things that were stated within the poem have a lot of truth and I really believe in everything that is stated. For example different facts about nature are incorporated throughout the poem and I like the pure truth that comes out of the poem and the realism that is perceived. “Brings the rain and pollen that lets this world survive.” It really is nature after all that keeps everyone alive and up to date in life. The poem’s truthfulness and honesty connects with me because I really think that in order to live in your own good environment you have to be honest with everyone and everything around you. I know that everyone lies now and then but when it becomes excessive is when you run into problems it really doesn’t get you anywhere in life but in the deep end. Each and every line seems to fit into the philosophy of my life and that’s what I love so much about this poem.

8.
A parks purpose really all depends on the park, a park can be a Childs playing ground where they can connect with other children and have a chance to experience the different obstacles of a playground. A park can be a plain space simply to enjoy a nice leisurely stroll or a picnic. Whether you want to be alone or you want to connect a park is a really great place to do it. Parks range in all sizes and can be placed, well, basically anywhere! Parks can be somebody’s home whether it is the home to an animal or a human or even just a place to hangout; the possibilities of a park are everlasting. Personally I like parks they are relaxing and can be a great place to go with friends or family. I like the way parks have so much diversity they can be as small as a bedroom or something much larger like central park. They can be covered in trees or a barren landscape; they can have benches or special architectural art forms. I also find that parks can be a bit overrated a lot of the time they aren’t used properly and become a dumping ground they become dirty and un-kept and just don’t get treated correctly. A park can be a place for animals too usually a home to a bird or squirrel. Even our own furry friend the dog, love parks they get to run around and have a sense of freedom. Parks aren’t just for show they really are useful to everyone in the world! Whether you are two years old or whether you are ninety-nine years old, everyone can use a park for there own personal desire.




9.
Walking along the forest floor
It brings me a sense of peace once more
I trek along to find something new
Each tree is different and so are you
The rushing river fills my ears
As I lay and listen on a bench
Of a thousand years
I gaze up to the sky
Which is blocked by a sea of green
The light shines through very slightly
I decide to return home once more
And leave this forest till next time.

Get ready for hurricanes, Environment Canada warns

Canadians directed to the east coast of Canada should start preparing for hurricane season, the us hurricane season will either be average or above average for storms say the Canadian hurricane center. An average of nine to fourteen tropical storms along with four to seven hurricanes is what to be expected this years claims the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration out of these three of them will be major storms. Environment Canada's Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax reminded Canadians that "last year, all of eastern Canada felt the impacts of the hurricane season as five post-tropical storms entered Canada or its waters." With this warning it reminds people that hurricane Hanna that entered the saint john area discarded a large 140 millimetres of rain. The people of new Brunswick had a wakeup call and didn’t realize they could have such violent storms. Hurricane season starts June 1st and runs right all the way through to November, for Canadian waters it normally occurs near the end of the season. Last year in the USA alone there was an amount of 16 storms 8 of them which were actually hurricanes. Environmental Canada really wants to warn Canadians about such a disaster hopes everyone will be prepared and ready to go when this problem occurs. Us officials are thinking the same way after Katrina people should be prepared and warned about how damaging a storm really is. “Have a plan and follow it, he said. Waiting to see if the forecast changes can mean life or death.” claims Bill Read director of U.S. National Hurricane Center. People in a hurricane prone areas really should have a set out emergency plan it only takes one bad storm to make it a very bad season!

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/05/21/tech-hurricanes-tropical-storms-united-states-forecast.html

Lighthouse Park killing was homicide

A frightening discovery of a forty year old Caucasian woman in are very own west Vancouver park on Monday may 19th was confirmed a homicide . Investigators believe it could have been the link to the murdering of Wendy Ladner-Beaudry who was also killed in a forested park. Corp. Fred Harding a spokes man for the west Vancouver police says that an autopsy was done on Wednesday but has not been released for the cause of death. Investigators are really not sure yet whether or not this was a random act of violence or if it was deliberate. Light house park has been closed for the week to do a intense investigation there is a large team and they are not sure when they will re open. The women was found near juniper point looking toward Howe sound, Harding thinks maybe the woman was living in the park "Maybe this was a dispute between people who live there," he said. The fact that there has been in a murder in the park is very unusual normally the only suspicious activity that would go on is the breaking into cars. Nothing ever this serious has ever even happened in this park states Murray Newman who has lived in the park for over forty years.

http://www2.canada.com/northshorenews/news/story.html?id=59c623fb-8bc3-4845-9ba8-5883e97a9172

Green Day lashes out at Wal-Mart policy; chain refused to stock CD in U.S.

Green day a popular American boy band is infuriated with the fact that their new album "21st Century Breakdown,"
will not be released at Wal-Mart. The Band claims that the giant chain refuses to stock there CD, Reasons for this is that Wal-Mart wanted them to edit the album for language and content but green day rejected. "Wal-Mart's become the biggest retail outlet in the country, but they won't carry our record because they wanted us to censor it," claims one of the band member Billy Joe Armstrong. A Wal-Mart representative from Canada says that the albums will be sold in this country. Wal-Mart does have a policy that they will sell explicit albums there is a offer to the customers for the “clean” version but what Armstrong says is that "There's nothing dirty about our record." Simply the band says no they wont have there album censored I would feel like I’m in “1953 or something." States Armstrong. Wal-Mart is standing strong against its policy the fact to always have a parental advisory sticker on a more explicit album. The fact that the band didn’t get there album sold at the number one record store in America didn’t stop them, They start there summer tour on July 3rd in Seattle. With the added 215,000 copies sold from their new album 21st century breakdown. Although the band is still the top seller in America at this present time there are still losing a large percentage of record sales, since Wal-Mart is dominate of smaller record companies.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/entertainment/090521/e052151A.html

Drain rice fields to cut methane

Scientist Yan Xiaoyuan of the Chinese Academy of science has found new and improved ways to cut down methane in rice fields globally 30 per cent . If the fields are drained at least once every growing season and rice crop waste is applied once every off season. Methane is a large contributor to the subject of global warming and is produced by certain types of bacteria in oxygen disadvantaged areas. "Draining allows organic material to decompose aerobically as it is not covered by standing water," says Yan. A combination of draining and applying rice straw will decrease the methane levels dramatically a large amount of 7.6 million tons this is very helpful to the earth’s environment. The option of either burning the rice straw and adding this to the soil for nutrients or allowing the rice straw to simply decompose in the open flooded field are both effective for the globe. These two new creations have been adopted around the world and have been useful and effective. American scientist Stanley Tyler says that "Flooded and rain-fed rice paddies are one of the few wholly man-made methane sources and potentially one of the best chances for humans to control methane emissions." The new form of methane eliminators is going to be very helpful do reduce methane emissions, considering that the rice paddie fields are one of the number one creators of methane.

http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/39949

Stanford scientists find heat-tolerant coral reefs that may resist climate change

Experts say that within the next 50 years our planets coral reefs could completely disappear because of the high climate temperatures. New studies by Stanford university scientist are saying the opposite, there is actually evidence that our oceans reefs are now adapting to the warm climate temperatures "Corals are certainly threatened by environmental change, but this research has really sparked the notion that corals may be tougher than we thought," says a professor of biology Stephen Palumbi. This has become a big project by palumbi and other researchers they found in the year of 2006 that the reef temperatures were assumed to be as hot as they will be in 100 years from now. In different coral reefs some can resist the bleaching by accommodating algae that can survive in the heat of the reefs. Palumbi and his team of researchers have tracked down coral reefs across the globe to see how many are abundant to the hot temperatures. They are learning how the biological process allows them to adapt to the high climate and hoping this will make a difference in the future with the whole warming of the oceans problem.

http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/39942

Safe to wait for angiogram for most heart attacks, Canadian doctors find

Anyone who feels heart attack symptoms can now feel more relaxed and at ease, a new Canadian led study is saying that there is no need to rush for an angiogram test when having symptoms of a heart attack.( An angiogram is an x-ray test that uses a special dye and camera fluoroscopy to take pictures of the blood flow in an artery.)"If you take a hundred individuals presenting to hospital with chest pain or something that suggests a heart attack, about 25 of them we know straight up have an electrocardiogram that qualifies them for a different emergency kind of heart attack," says Cardiologist Dr. Paul Armstrong, New found studies suggest that you can wait up to 2 or 3 days before having to receive an angiogram, this is one of the first steps leading into bypass surgery. About one third of the patients did need the help right away but other wise there was no need to rush for the testing for any of the other patients they were able to wait. This scientific research is very good news for those who live out in more remote areas, they are not having to rush to hospital as fast as necessary and can feel more relaxed about living with a heart condition. On the other hand people with a more serious condition will need to be air lifted for immediate help.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/05/20/heart-attack-angiogram-delay.html