Cactus

another vision comes upon him, in which two men instruct him to craft specific holy shirts. Again, Black Elk’s historical account differs from that of the whites. They claim that the dances and visions were heavily guided by use of the hallucinogenic cactus peyote, yet Black Elk does not even hint towards the use of any substance when he discusses the Ghost Dance. Then comes more trouble with the whites, who are intimidated by the rapidly growing and somewhat fanatic movement. Black Elk also…

Eliot says the dead land is a cactus land, which is the place where the hollow men live. By using this image, Eliot is trying to convey that the hollow men live in a world which looks much like a desert. In this desert like world, nothing can survive besides cacti that do not need much…

When I hiked up Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo, I enjoyed it so much I wrote it up for California Explorer (May/June 2014). Since then I’ve wondered about the other ancient volcanic plugs that make up the nine sisters, a group that starts with Morro Rock and ends at Islay Hill in the southeast corner of San Luis Obispo. I decided to trek down to the area with the idea of exploring the other morros, or at least the ones open to exploration. Morro Rock is environmentally sensitive and closed to…

The Karankawa were speculated to be descendants of the “Carib” indians who according to Wikipedia, arrived by sea from the Caribbean basin in the seventeenth century. They were observed to be taller than any of the other indians in the region, and resembled the Caribs. The Karankawa Indians lived in the Coastal Plains region, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Their territory extended from the west end of present day Galveston down to Corpus Christi. We know that there were several tribes or…

Is there ever a time to give up? At what circumstance is giving up a justifiable act? How do you find the strength to persevere? The book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir focusing on her childhood and how grew up with dysfunctional parents. Her mother, Rose Mary, was almost always focused solely on her art career- art was such a huge part of her mother’s life that, at times, the maternal duties were of no concern. Rose Mary justified her withdrawal from her children’s life by…

In today’s society, school curriculums are filled with a variety of topics, from the Math’s to the Sciences, English’s to the Foreign Languages. One of the many items contained in school curriculums includes evolution. Evolution is a highly controversial subject in science that typically starts many debates with differing views on the subject. Some are for the teaching of evolution in public schools while others do not agree with evolution and does not want it taught to their children on the…

Tortugas islands, lies some of North America's healthiest and most magnificent coral reefs. Some of the corals under Dry Tortugas are under the Endangered Marine Life Act, such as, the Boulder Star Coral, Elkhorn Coral, Lobed Coral, and the Rough Cactus Coral. There are over 120 plant species on Dry Tortugas and thirty-eight percent of it is underwater. The common plant seen on Dry Tortugas is Seagrass and it makes up most of the vegetation (National Park…

Drugs, music, and sex, Oh My! The 1960s were some of the most turbulent years in American history. Vietnam conflict, Civil Rights, and the counterculture were all coursing through the nation, all of which contributed to modern American culture and society. From Woodstock to LSD to psychedelic rock, the counterculture produced some of the most iconic elements of the decade. The counterculture movement of the 1960s had a significant impact on American society and culture. Evidence of this impact…

Narrative Essay Rough Draft Ever feel like you need to pack up your bags and leave? Or need a change of scenery? Need to meet new people? Do you ever feel like you just need to leave? I know I do. My mindset about leaving has yet to change, although many said it would by the time things start getting “real.” I never understood what people meant by that. Is being “real” staying 30 miles from home in the same place you have lived your whole life? If so, that’s not what I want. Why can’t doing…

stowed them into his satchel. Pepe lumbered out of his room pushing through the golden purple curtains draped over the entrance. Stumbling down the front steps he galloped through the marketplace in which he stopped at the sight of a delicious looking cactus. Pepe simply picked it up in his teeth and continued on route to the palace, there was no currency in Camel Topia. Anything a Camel could ever want, that Camel could have. This was the reward for working so hard everyday, everyone shared the…