Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

I am a huge Florida Gator fan! The University of Florida Gators are the ones I’m referring to. However, I have never gotten closer to a gator than when we visited Corkscrew Sanctuary! When we visited ECHO I was sure no future field trip would be interesting enough to top it. Although ECHO was extremely interesting I have to say Corkscrew Sanctuary tops them all. It was a perfect day to be outdoors learning about the ecosystems, wildlife and plants. The reserve was very nicely kept up. I was very surprised at how big it was. I was also taken by surprise by the fact that we only were able to see a very small portion of the animals the swamp really is home to. I thought it was neat to get to learn and watch through binoculars animals we hear and see from far away every day. For example, at home we have a wood pecker in our backyard that’s always there pecking away. When we were at Corkscrew Swamp being able to see the woodpecker through the binoculars was really an eye-opening experience. It changed the way I will look at the woodpecker in y backyard. Instead of just listening to it I can now have a vivid picture of what he looks like.

I have to talk more about the alligator! This was by far the most interesting moment in the whole semester. I felt like Steve Corwin, the man who works with alligators. I grew up boating and swimming on the Suwannee River in North Florida. Gators are very common, being seen on the river banks soaking up the sun. However, I have never been as close to one as I was standing on that bridge with my heart racing with the thought that at any moment the bridge could collapse!

This picture is of that alligator!!

WORD COUNT: 311

Consumer Goods

In a 24 hour time frame the most popular consumer good(s) I purchased was food. As I walked down the aisle at the grocery store, the images on the outside of the packages are alluring. They usually show the product prepared perfectly as if every time you make it at home it will turn out that way. No matter the product that’s being purchased, whether it’s electronics, food or clothing, it normally does not turn out as wonderful as the packaging shows. I have never made a peach cobbler as glamorous as the one on the outside of the peach can.

A tornado exceeding 130 mph swept through an Iowa town on Saturday destroying over 100 homes and leveling more than half the town. By a miracle, the only injury was a broken leg. When I read the headlines about this incident I was shocked! How can a tornado whip through a town at over 130 mph and cause (to the people) only a broken leg. How does this happen? “Storm spotters” were credited for the escape of the town’s people when they gave them a fifteen minute warning that the tornado was coming. “Anytime a tornado hits and you don’t have any serious injuries or deaths, you’re lucky,” said Monona County Sherriff. I completely agree with his statement. On Monday volunteers from all over Iowa gathered in Monona County to help clean up the tornado’s downed trees and rubble. The article went on giving testimonies about the town’s people seeing these volunteers stream in helping with everything. The entire article is very motivating. The weather service said the tornado was on the ground for a total of three miles and measured three quarters of a mile long at one point. I cannot imagine this happening here, to us. However, if it did happen somewhere in Florida… would you be willing to help?

WORD COUNT: 313