The Houghton Garden: A Short Story

You decided take a hike through the woods you know the area so you not going to get to lost. You head out the door and head for the woods you find a hike trail and follow it. You hear the crunching of leaves under your feet sounds of nature all around you as you continue to go along the trail. You find a trail going up and up as you go up it finally comes to an abrupt end there's a bench you sit on it and look out and see a huge forest. A lush green forest sprawled out in front of you the sun's rays illuminating certain parts of the forest you see trees swaying back and forth from the breeze. It's quite beautiful you stay there until the sun start setting and you realize you have to head back nothing else you can do so you had back. You see

The essay "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens" by contemporary American novelist Alice Walker is one that, like a flashbulb, burns an afterimage in my mind. It is an essay primarily written to inform the reader about the history of African American women in America and how their vibrant, creative spirit managed to survive in a dismal world filled with many oppressive hardships. This piece can be read, understood, and manage to conjure up many emotions within the hearts and minds of just about any audience that reads it. However, Walker targets African American women in today's society in an effort to make them understand their heritage and appreciate what their mothers and grandmothers endured to

In his essay entitled “Nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson encourages his readers to look around, appreciate, and take nothing for granted. Emerson emphasizes the importance of removing oneself from all distractions, and suggests solitude as a way to truly connect with nature. We need to look at the landscape, and become a part of it. For nature allows one to focus, and become enlightened.

The temperature grew colder the deeper I went into the forest. The smell of damp earth, pollen, and the musky scent of redwood trees, filled the air. I was peaceful, my mind more silent than it had been in weeks. After about twenty minutes of walking, I came to the crest of one of the larger hills on the trail. It opened up to a field full of tall tan weeds and freshly growing grass. Dotted throughout the field were growths of wild poppies and dandelions. I sat down on a bench at the edge of the field; it was nestled under a few small trees and shaded me from the hot sun. I became completely lost in the emptiness of mind. To be honest, I’m still not sure how long I sat there for. I just zoned out completely, my normally chaotic mind at ease in the ocean of nothingness. I probably would have spent more time like that, had it not been for the

My thoughts seem to drift into a void as the apprehension of my spiritual existence becomes more prominent. The reality of my physical presence seems to shift into only an idea, temporarily in the mind of our creator. One must discard the negative influences of present day technology and realize the potential of Nature herself. Human advancements have made it difficult to harness the true comfort of the outdoors. I am quite taken by surprise, the magnificence of everything natural; everything that once shared the same DNA. It can be flattering knowing that I am a part of this undisturbed beauty, breathing the same air that my ancestors, both human and non human, breathed. Once again, the willows and the oaks send to me vibrations of tranquility,

When I am feeling down, just taking a walk into nature brings me to my happy place. The fresh air that gently brushes my face. Or going on a hike listening to the animal’s calls. Even just looking around at the scenery. Mankind’s love for nature has always been a great mystery. Some might say it has it has no purpose, but everything was made to have a cause. I believe that nature’s cause is to bring happiness to everyone and to find their inner piece. That’s why I drew a tree

She passed her mother and father in the living room, as she walked to the front door. They looked up and saw her, smiling and waving at her. She opened the door and took a breathful of fresh air, closing her eyes for a moment. She let it out, opening her eyes once more, and looked towards the forest. As she scanned the the forest line, she thought she saw a shadow flicker and a tall man in a black suit and red tie standing there, but it disappeared as soon as she saw it. She wanted to see what it was, but then she remembered the rumors about the place. How it was dangerous, scary, and dark. How there were creatures and anyone who went in, never came back out. She shook her head and walked down the street, greeting everybody she knew and smiling cheerfully. She skipped to her favorite place, a tall, beautiful tree that stood next to a small, clear blue pond. She climbed up the tree, even though her mother told her many times that a lady never climbs trees, and sat down on a slim, sturdy branch, where she had a view of the entire park. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sunlight reflecting off something. She turned to look and this time, she saw a boy and a dog, standing under the

Eventually I spotted an old bench made of logs which someone had built before my husband and I had bought this property. It was hard to resist taking a break as the bench sat on the edge of a field and the sun was beaming directly on it. Sitting back, I felt immediate comfort. This had become a safe haven for me where I liked to ponder about life. My legs hoisted themselves onto the bench. I laid back closing my eyes listening to the sounds of the forest. Feeling the gentle breeze blowing on my face I closed my eyes and sighed.

My sister, Bab, and I hiked in the forest in serene silence as small bits of sunlight pierced through the forest foliage. Our whiskey jack flew among the trees as she sang her beautiful song while the whispering wind whistled their own tune that formed a heavenly harmony. She beckoned for us to follow; landing on a branch every now and then for us to catch up to her. We couldn’t dare to lose sight of her, otherwise we would fail our duty; our mission; the only reason for our very existence. We continued to stroll down the dirt path savoring all that nature had to offer.

There once was a seventeen year old boy, who was dealing with constant arguing at home. He had two younger brothers and a little sister but a father that left them when they were young. One of his brothers named Oliver was fifteen, James was twelve about to turn thirteen the next day and Sally his younger sister who was nine. Sally was his favorite and the closest too. This boy name was George Garden. George would take care of the family a lot. The Garden's lived in a small town in Texas called Spicewood. The the streams of water you would hear in the night is now just Crows crying for food. Their was one high school in Spicewood, called Water Streams Cathedral even though it was opposite of what it was now. The roads were so dry that people

No more guide of the path, you walk off with only the trees to guide you. Your feet cut by the path before are cut further by the roots twigs and seeds of the pines. Your eyes are heavy and vision blurry, all you want is rest. But you keep walking, walking into the dark clutches of the woods.

As I left behind the somber forest, I now recognized an appreciation for nature that I did not realize I had. I now knew there was more to nature than just trees and animals, but also I found the

The sun had just kissed the hill, giving warm color to the sky, but I was feeling cold. The excitement in my heart was slowly losing its fire. My group was lost, and I felt alone, in the crowd of trees, a cold crowd perhaps. “Sandhya, did you read all the information? It is two hour long hike. You have hardly ever walked an hour. Take rest at home. You would not be able to walk all the way. ” I remembered the wise words of my mother. However, I was here walking slowly through the dense forest defying my mother’s advice. I along with Nitisha and Puja were making loud noises with our steps, crushing the fallen leaves, and the broken twigs. I could hear the constant buzzing sounds of the mosquitoes and the crickets chirping. I was keeping calm until a little lizard scattered off through the grass. Adrenaline rushed through every vein in my body as I heard a strange, yet terrifying growling sound. At that moment, every instinct in my body told me to run. I looked everywhere; all I could see were my two friends, and the cold quiet forest. Even worse my anxiousness increased as I tried to locate where the sound was coming from. Trees, flowers, and everything else where my eyes reached looked lifeless. I felt as if they had no soul and I was slowly losing mine.

Everyday day just before sunrise I would get up and go on a walk. Everyday a different location. Today I went about 3 miles north of my house. It was chilly today. More so than it has been past days. It sucked that the leaves were starting to fall off of the trees already. It feels like they stay on the trees for all of 2 minutes after they all change color. I don’t pre pick a location or anything. I just keep walking, and walking, and walking until I find somewhere that looks new. Today I found myself in a dark, eerie looking forest. All of the leaves were long gone off of the trees, and scattered on the ground, colorless and dead.

Lunuganga is the country estate of Geoffrey Bawa, a renowned Sri Lankan architect (1919-2003). It is one of his prime projects where he spent most of his later life constructing it bit by bit with the development of his personal intellect and as experimental grounds to test his new ideas. It is sited on the land cutting into the northern and southern halves of the lake Dedduwa, rising and falling across two low hills in the coastal town of Bentota. The estate is set in the wet tropical zone and is warm throughout the year.