Nature Essay, Research Paper

Bill wakes up at about 6:30am on a Saturday morning and drinks his cup of coffee as he decides what do with his day off from work. This is not a decision that normally takes a lot of thinking because Bill loves to spend any and all of his free time in the outdoors. As he is sitting at the table he looks out his kitchen window into his backyard. This backyard is unlike the typical American backyard. There are no fences and no neighbors. Well, mabey one neighbor, but he lives about a mile and a half down the gravel road. This setting where Bill has chosen to live his life and raise his family has turned out to be something that he will never regret.

Growing up in a small city called Scranton, Pennsylvania, he never liked the fact that as children, he and his brothers were only allowed to play in the fenced in little patch of grass in the back of their house. Essentially Bill had no backyard as a child and lived on a street where there were rows of homes. Bill remembered the times when he was trying to fall asleep as boy and couldn’t because of the noises that the little city produced: cars, people, horns, police sirens, and loud neighbors. He didn’t want this kind of lifestyle for his family so he decided to make the move to the country, somewhere where he could enjoy the fresh air and make the most out of his free time in the great outdoors!

When Bill looks out the window he sees his yard an area of grass that he planted just below his porch, but Bill looks to make the most of his day beyond that grassy area. What lies before him is any nature freak’s paradise. Acres and acres of trails that lead up the mountain behind the house. As he looks into his yard there are trees for as far as he can see. These trees are still holding some of their leaves, but are almost barren. About two weeks ago, these trees were filled with the brightest and most vibrant colors known to man. This was foliage that was so beautiful because there was nothing to spoil it. No cars roaming in the background, no buildings, no people, nothing, except your occasional deer running through this beautiful picture. Now, the “Pocono chill” has swept the leaves to the ground and they have turned an earthy brown that cushions the steps of Bill as he embraces the natural wonders that await him.

Its now about 8:00am and Bill leaves a note for his wife telling her that he has gone “up the back” for the day and that he has packed a lunch and will be back around dinnertime. He leaves this note every weekend, although she knows where he is going because it’s a weekend ritual of his! As Bill walks out his back door on to the grass he travels into his paradise. He steps onto the leaves and they cushion his every step as he begins his journey. There is a distinct line between Bill’s grass and the leaf-covered trails that Bill embarks on. To Bill, it is like he is crossing the border. On one side of the border there are man made things that he needs to survive. His house, his car, electricity, running water, etc. On the other side of the border it is just Bill and nature and his nap sack that is filled with water and a lunch to sustain his energy for the day.

As Bill crosses the border he is careful of the terrain. It is mostly leaves, but there are pointy, asphalt colored rocks hiding beneath. There is not much space as the trees are so abundant that they cover much of the surface area. Bill looks up and it appears to him that the barren trees are almost reaching for the sky. They are so much taller than him and are so immense that it seems to him that they have been there for quite some time now. Looking the trunk the tree up close, Bill notices all of the wear and tear that these trees have made it through. Winter after winter, fall after fall, hot summer and spring, these trees have made it! Bill uses these trees as metaphor for his own life and hopes he has the strength and endurance to live his life to the fullest.

Bill then continues to walk up the trail and stops to take a rest. He sits down on rock and begins to eat his lunch. He sits and admires the “natural restaurant” that he has decided to have his lunch at today. Though this little lunch spot changes every weekend, it is always a place that is sure to please his senses. As Bill begins to eat his sandwich, he takes notice of the setting. Directly in front of him is a slow moving stream that is making its way down the mountain. This water, so pure, so untainted, and so calm. The sun is glistening off the water’s every twist and turn as it is met by sediment, rocks, branches, and leaves that causes the direction of the flow to change. At this instant, Bill compares this situation to his life. He believes that his life is like the water. There are always instances in one’s life that come up suddenly and cause a person’s life to change direction for one reason or another, just like the sediment and branches cause the water’s direction to change.

Bill then heads up toward the top part of the mountain where there is a landing that looks out onto the rest of the trail that he has hiked. The view is breathtaking. Bill feels as if he is above everything. He has conquered part of the trail and has reached his goal for that day. The view is one of almost barren trees and a winding trail that leads through the tress. A stream, that so peacefully runs down the mountain and he sees a family of deer just below him. Bill sits on a rock and quietly watches them as they don’t have a view of him yet. Bill knows that he is invading their territory and makes like a statue so he doesn’t startle them. They don’t notice him and they go on their way traveling together as a family. Bill sits for another minute and takes a moment to reflect on the glorious backyard filled with all of nature’s gifts. The family of deer makes him think of his own family and he is happy that he has provided his family with the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of nature that are located right behind their house.

As Bill makes his way down the hill, he doesn’t stop as much to take notice of the intricate details. He knows that it is already getting late and that his wife will not be pleased if he is late for dinner. He is almost at the foot of his grass and realizes that he has to step back into reality and eventually go back to work on Monday. But Bill’s paradise is always waiting for him beyond that grassy patch in the back yard and it will always be there and you can be sure that all of Bill’s spare time will be spent hiking through those trails until the day he dies! He is happy with the decision he has made to move to the county and knows that it is a safe having from all of the annoyances of the city life!