Rainy Mountain

What is the method of development in the first paragraph? How does the introduction, with its focus on Rainy Mountain, serve as a vehicle for the central meanings in the essay?

After reading the very first paragraph, the reader can vividly see how Rainy Mountain may appear to an outsider; although, there is much more to it than that. The descriptive examples Momaday uses such as "...grass turns brittle and brown..groves of hickory and pecan, willow...green and yellow grasshoppers are everywhere.." profoundly give the reader a distinct physical picture of the Kiowas and where this nomadic tribe lived during their time in Oklahoma.

The opening paragraph also gives off a major sense of solitude and loneliness. Momaday has returned to Rainy Mountain to pay his respect and to say his goodbyes to his dead grandmother. The reader can easily feel how much he appreciated her as a person and also as a Kiowa Indian by the way he talks about her accomplishments during her lifetime. The author explains a few of the historical events this tribe had to go through in order to obtain there land. Whether it was various tribes pushing the Kiowas further from their previous settlements through an act of war or the deteriorating buffalo (a major food source for this particular tribe) they experienced it all. His grandmother was along for this intense journey of survival. Another example of how this essay represents loneliness is near the closing of the story. Momaday recalls visiting his grandmother when he was young. Now looking back after the funeral, and cherishing distant memories, he is hit hard with reality. He learns that there is no going back and life will go on no matter what.

Numero Tres

Throughout my lifetime I have vividly seen how the earth and all its offerings are often taken advantage of. It saddens me when I think about how my future generations will not have some of the valuable resources that we currently have and are taking for granted. Resources such as the water we drink, the trees that manufacture numerous items in our everyday lives, and even the air we breathe, will soon vanish. Historical sites that teach us about our ancestors such as the "Red Man" (also known as Indians) are also quickly disappearing. Man is often taking over the land in order to build a new shopping mall without even hesitating. If this continues to go on, what will our future behold? There will be no other way to learn about one's culture unless it is done through a textbook. I do appreciate how some landmarks around the world are being preserved for this very reason; however, many such as the Battleship in Wilmington are often overlooked due to our weak American system of values. Although this one in particular is very accessible and nearby, there are many natives that have never actually visited this historical site. One of our main goals should be to express the importance of these historical sights and structures in order to carry our countries past into the future.

Car Trouble

So this weekend was a success for the most part...I made it to Chapel Hill on Friday night! I got to spend time with my best friend Kelsey, as well as some other people that are very close to me. I thought that it was cold here in Wilmington but after being up there for the long weekend, I realize that I should not complain at all. My boyfriend also goes to the University North Carolina at Chapel Hill so I got to meet a lot of his school friends, which was also very exciting.

I came home around four o'clock Monday afternoon. There was absolutely no traffic, which was amazing. As soon as I entered the Wilmington area, I decided to make a pit stop at the grocery store. After I finished my errand and got back into my car to start the ignition, it wouldn't start...you can imagine how upset I was. The only good thing from this experience was that I was able to make it back home safely. Hopefully nothing major is wrong with my car...but we will have to see.

After hearing the news of a possible snowstorm I was very happy! I always get my hopes up though because whenever the weatherman says there is a chance of snow, it almost never happens here in town. That is one of the faults of living in Wilmington because you never know what the weather will actually be like on a daily basis. This time they were correct; I woke up around ten this morning and sure enough there was white everywhere! My friend Anna and I went down to Wrightsville Beach around noon today to check out the scenery. Unbelievably, there were a handful of surfers out in the water acting as if they didn't know how cold it was. We both found this quite ridiculous.

A Little Bit About Me

I was born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina my entire life. I believe there is no place like home; although it is occasionally nice to get away and travel. I love warm weather and relaxing at the beach all day. This largely contributes to the reasons why I love this town so much. I am about to turn 19 years old in February and I cannot wait! I am currently still living at home with my family. Having two younger brothers that drive me up the wall the majority of the time is very difficult at my age. I often wonder how nice it will be to have a place of my own and live that new adventure of freedom. My best friend in the entire world goes to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We have been close ever since we were in the eighth grade together. I am actually going to visit her this weekend (as well as some other close friends) since we have an exceptionally long weekend due to Martin Luther King Day. I am so ready for classes to be over tomorrow so that I can just get on the road!

Blog Evaluation

I have wanted to become a nurse for about three years now. I cannot see myself doing anything other than providing care for others who greatly require or seek medical attention. When we were given the assignment to search for a blog that interests you, of course I immediately began looking for one that would relate to my future. I found a great blog that can be found at this website address: http://www.codeblog.com/.

This particular blog was written by a nurse involved with the CCU (Critical Care Unit). She has been a nurse for eleven years, and just wanted an easily accessible way to share some of her experiences she has come across. This nurse discusses everything from her difficulties to the rewards such a job as nursing provides. Whether she is learning about new medications that come into the hospital on a regular basis or she is focusing on her multiple patients around the clock, there is always something that needs to be done.

This blog really helped me to further visualize how this career might take a tole on me when I am in her position. I know that I will have to dedicate my life to this profession; however, I believe with the appropriate time in school, I will be completely prepared. This blog also had several links that took the viewer to see further conversations about relating topics. I found this very helpful, for it answered a few more of my questions, and cleared up some of my curiosity.