Tuesday Walk 5/24/2011 - Mapping Territory

In terms of environment, Hart, Michigan is very different. In Arizona, I expect to see cactus everywhere, dead plants, thin trees, and lots of dirt and rock. The first thing I noticed when stepping off of the plane at Grand Rapids was GREEN. Everywhere I looked it was green and lush and full and the air smelled different. It was heavy and humid, but it smelled fresh.

The house I was staying at was right in the middle of the country. Acres and Acres of land, a neighbor not to be found. I decided to map the 'Country' while walking around and exploring. As i walked, I realized how self-sustaining the people of this town were. With only 2 grocery stores in the entire city, it was almost expected that you grow your own crop. Gardens frequent the area. I saw a greenhouse, also a gardening method. There was a line where clothes could be dried outside. My first thought was, many people in Arizona just put their clothes in a dryer... Though it would make sense if they hung their clothes outside because of how hot it is.

Many people owned Chickens, of course to lay eggs and own those. My friends that I stayed with had their own bee hive to have their own fresh organic honey. At first I thought to myself, WHEN do these people have time to do all of this? Then I remembered, they are not city folk. Internet, nightlife, CITYLIFE in general did not exist to them. If I took the 5+ hours a day I spent on a computer, and put it towards something non-electronic, I could definitely have my own prospering garden.