Geography: A Piece Of The Manistee River

I have lived in only one location my entire life: Edwardsville, Illinois. A peripheral suburb of St. Louis, it stands as the rare oasis of people in a desert of corn, pinned in its own personal bubble. Due to this blend of time and isolation, I developed a natural familiarity with my hometown. But, throughout my childhood, I longed to break free from the confines of the bubble and venture outward. However, this changed last summer, as I walked through Richards Brickyard, our family heirloom, that my great-grandfather, Benjamin Richards, founded over 120 years ago. I felt these childlike sentiments slip away. The bubble that had surrounded me for so long began to vanish, and the picture that it had been obscuring was slowly revealed.

As you walk down the streets of Arcadia, Nebraska, you look from side to side and see nothing more than a quiet little town. What you probably aren’t aware of is the history behind this “little town”. Arcadia is built off of determination, character, and distinctiveness. As you make your way down Main Street, you start to grasp a glimpse of the past. Arcadia, Nebraska is a village with quite a story to tell. Not many people know how Arcadia was founded or even how it came to be. Arcadia has dealt with struggles and overcome tragedies, whereas most towns simply would have died away. In addition to the charm of Arcadia’s perseverance, there are also many fun

“In the 1960s, for the folks in and around Ellsworth, [Indiana,] living life decades behind the time was just the way it was. Manpower over technology. The comfort of tradition over the anxiety of change,” stated Jason Recker, a journalist for The Herald. Patoka Reservoir, an economic center for recreation and flood control, encompasses 8,800 acres of land. Before its construction, a thriving community inhabited the fertile terrain along the Patoka River. Towns of this former neighborhood included Elon, Newton-Stewart, and Ellsworth. (Recker 1) Families lived their everyday lives as farmers, with an occasional visit from a local peddler. One day, though, a new kind of visit altered their peaceful ways. A government-sent official arrived

Geography is the study of the world, how it works, and how people use and change the world as they live in it.

“Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future”. This is a quote by one of the most successful and innovative men to ever live, Walt Disney. He was successful because he constantly kept looking to make a better future for himself and others. He did this through interactions with the world and everything around him. Interactions such as these can push mankind forward. They lead to innovations that revolutionize the world we live in. It only takes one great idea to change the world and make it a better place for everyone. Human geography deals with how human actions influence and impact other humans and the world’s environment.

Arriving in the overgrown drive way trees start to crowd your vision, in the middle of all the trees I see an old beach house; that has stayed the same over the 18 years I have been going up there. Grandma is waiting outside on the front porch we all run up to give her a hug, then we go and start unpacking for a week’s worth of relaxing. First thing we do when were done unpacking is go to the old but new play structure. We sit on the swings and look out towards the big blue Michigan Lake. White caps cover most of the water along with passing boats, and some kayakers. Right over the horizon I can see the lights from the town, reaching into the sky. The sun is starting to set; the sky is painted with pink, orange, and yellow.

This semester I learned that there are four different branches of human geography. First to define the different geographies: social, has to do with society and what that regions society values. An example of this would be school systems. Cultural geographies has to do with symbolic practices and shared sets of meaning, a simple example of this could be in Italy, most people are Roman Catholic, and share those values. Political, is the type of government that county has, for example North Korea is communist. Lastly, economic, is that countries economy, for example Greece, currently is in an economic crisis.

Through reading How the States Got Their Shapes and Guns, Germs, and Steel I would define human geography as the study of how different factors such as culture, lifestyle, geography, and environment dictate where humans live and migrate. Both books are able to connect how the latter factors influence the pattern of human activity and movement.

The Au Gres River drains approximately 245 square miles. The river starts in Ogemaw County and flows south to its discharge into Lake Huron, similar to the Rifle River. The upper sections of the river flows through forested land; and agricultural land becomes more apparent as you reach Iosco County.

Geology is the study of earth surface. Geology deals with the outdoors, which attracts most people. Geology deals with learning about the planets and satellites in the Solar System.

From the Riverside Park in Easton, PA, the Delaware River looks serene and uninhabited. There are lots of trees around; the water is flowing gently. I see a few ducks swimming in the water and some birds flying overhead. I listen to the sounds: the birds chirping, the water flowing, the wind blowing, and then I hear the cars passing by on the road nearby. I look up and am suddenly reminded that I am not alone with nature. Still, the only indications of human civilization are the two bridges, the road, and the scattering of buildings on the other side. Despite the natural scape being surrounded by human development, it still looked peaceful and harmless. One would have never guessed that this seemingly innocuous waterscape was once the source

As an intellectual discipline, geography is divided into the sub-fields of physical geography and human geography, the latter concentrating upon the study of human activities, by the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

At the end of the dock is a sign that reads; "No Fishing, No Swimming, No Dumping"; a sign that is quite often recognized by all visitors of parks and lakes and as big as the windshield. Around the lake there a hills and valleys around Lake Lavon. $200,00 home are springing up like mad. Retirees, former airline pilots, and people generally burned out on big cities are discovering Lake Lavon. The small lake but the perfect weather, and the safe-quiet atmosphere are drawing people like a cover-up draws Ed Bradly. Without thought or hesitation we smiled and warmly held ourselves in each other arms and slowly sat down together at the end of the dock, put out feet in the water and the water was so cool like melted water from snow (to eat the strawberries we brought). The strawberries were delicious; red, ripped, and plumped; sweetness caressed our mouth with very bite. Some were quite sour, but was washed it away by an ocean of water every time. As supplies ran short she decided to play lazy and had me carry her to watch the people fishing by the dock. Although very distinctive and precise, I was like a bear; very step was heavy and short. To the left side of the dock about 200ft people ware fishing and kid's playing soccer on the field near the lake. By watching them play I remember my childhood, that my mother always took me to the Lake Lavon every weekend to fishing, and now I'm with my girlfriend holding her hand and watching people fishing and

My fingers drummed along the steering wheel as my jeep made its way down the road. Soft country music poured out of the radio, and my head bobbed along with it. I could see my parent’s car trailing behind me when I looked in the rearview mirror. My mom was sitting in the passenger seat, talking with her hands, and my dad acknowledged whatever she said. When I turned, a large lake came into view, the setting Saturday sun reflecting perfectly on the still water. Pine trees with the occasional red and yellow-leaved tree surrounded it. The crisp, fall wind rustled some branches, causing some leaves to flutter to the ground.

Geography is a science that looks into the description, distribution, and interactions of the physical, biological, and cultural aspects of the world. We study geography because it helps us to better understand our history as well as our current situations. It allows us to see how the world is laid out, however, geography is not just limited to maps. There are many other purposes of geography than just showing us where things are in the world. For example, it tells us about culture in different regions and how people interact with their environment.