How to make a pond...?

Michael Pollan's "How to Make a Pond" is about Pollan building a manmade pond in his backyard, and seeing all the wildlife that was drawn to it. In my opinion, it seems like Pollan's argument was that life can grow anywhere in the world, even in the most unlikely places. Mentioning the Pacific Island of Krakatau, he talks about the island being completely rejuvenated after it had been “literally sterilized” by a volcanic eruption. He also spoke of his manmade pond that started off with no life at all. His answer to making a pond is that one can’t just dig a hole and fill it in with water, that it needs to be maintained.  He is a gardener, so he compares the pond to a garden, saying that both need attention to stay alive.

How To Make A Fireball

         I used to always be afraid of fire. It was something that I avoided at all costs. One day my best friend at the time decided that lighters were fun to play with, and would light them when his parents weren’t around, and I always yelled at him to put it away. But one day, I let him teach me how to light it, and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with fire. My fear slowly evanesced from my mind, and was immediately replaced with an undying love for the dancing yellow flame.

In order to make a fireball that I can actually hold in my hand, I need a few things. First I need a t-shirt or an article of clothing that is 100% cotton, nothing synthetic, because as I’ve found, they tend to melt and burn up. I cut this article of clothing into strips, depending on how many fireballs I want to make, usually only one or two strips are necessary. I have to wrap this strip into a tight ball, and with 100% cotton thread, I thread a needle that pierces through the center of the ball. Once through, I have to wrap the thread around the ball over and over in a random pattern like a ball of yarn, and pierce the thread through the ball once more, and cut off any extra. After the ball is tightly wound, I have to soak the cotton in lighter fluid; I’ve found that the best kind to use is kerosene. I have to be very careful not to get any lighter fluid on my hands while I’m doing this, so I don’t light my fingers on fire. I then place the kerosene soaked cotton ball in my palm, and light it on fire. The top of the flame is clearly too hot to touch, but I am able to hold the sides of the fireball without burning my fingers. Putting out the ball of fire is fairly simple; I just cup my hands, cutting the oxygen supply from the fire. Making the fireball is quite simple, and it’s fun to play with, but I always take proper precautions whenever I’m playing with fire.

i found some rabbit tracks.

Usually after English class, I go directly to res to eat lunch. But on Monday, January 31, I forgot my UMass Pass, so I had to walk back to my room to get it. While walking back from the freshman quad, I saw some tracks in the freshly fallen snow. At first I thought nothing of it, I often see tracks while walking to class, but then I remembered the assignment that I had received just a few hours before. I didn’t have my camera with me, so I took out my phone to take a picture.

My first instinct was that the tracks belonged to a rabbit, and upon further investigation, I found that they were undoubtedly those of a rabbit. Rabbit tracks are very distinct, having two prints in the back close together, and two in the front farther apart. These tracks were heading away from Sentential Way toward the Residential Dining Facility.

            Rabbits are very common in Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, there are eight different kinds of rabbits. Rabbits are recognizable because of their long ears, which can grow up to 10 centimeters long. Their front paws have five toes while their more powerful hind paws have four. Rabbits are animals that are commonly preyed upon, making them always aware of movement in their environment. If threatened, a rabbit will warn others by stomping the ground, and escape in many different ways, like burrowing and hopping away in a quick zig zag pattern. If captured, they kick with their powerful hind legs, or bite with their strong teeth.

            Rabbits are notorious for their breeding habits. They can have a litter from four to twelve babies. According to Wikipedia, “a single female rabbit can produce as many as 800 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.” A female is ready to breed at about six months, and a male is ready to breed at about seven months. So it is easy to see how they obtained their reputation. Baby rabbits are born naked, and within a few days form a base coat of fur. Rabbits live approximately nine to twelve years. The European Rabbit is the most common and best-known species of rabbit, and live burrows underground. More than half of the world’s population of rabbits lives in North America, but the European Rabbit is now found all over the world, including North Dartmouth.