The Bride by Hallie Crawford Stillwell

http://www.texasheroes.net/stillwell.html

As I read through this short story I found Hallie Crawford Stillwell to be a very admirable person/character. She is not afraid to take chances in her life. She moved to Presidio, Texas which, at the time Stillwell was there, was a very dangerous place to go. But she went anyway to teach children. She loved her kids and teaching them.

Hallie Crawford Stillwell was not afraid to take charge of her own life. Like I stated above, she moved to one the more dangerous cities in Texas to teach children who had taken refuge in Presidio with their families from Mexico. Not only were they not the "safe white kids" they did not have the same common language in common. Hallie Crawford Stillwell took a leap of faith, even after her father asked her not to, and did something wild and something that she was passionate about.

I found the story of "The Bride" very enjoyable to read. Part of the reason I enjoyed it was because I knew the area she was talking about. Being from Texas it is great to be reading stories by Texas authors about areas of Texas. I could picture West Texas and the Big Bend area as I was reading the story.

 http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/fieldguides/bigbendgeology.html

http://gardenhoseadaptor.com/big-bend-national-park

I love how she has an answer for every inappropriate or crass question and comment the three cowboys have for her as she moves to her new home with Roy Stillwell. When Lee mentions that he thinks Hallie will spend most of her time in town, because of the thought that the ranch was "no place for a woman," Hallie responds with "No, I expect to live here with Roy, or I wouldn't have married him." Although she does not really enjoy having to put up with the three cowboys she is not going to let them push her around. 

I love that Hallie Crawford Stillwell takes risks. I envy her because she is not afraid to live her life and take those risks even if they are scary or dangerous. I dream of conquering my fears of risk and change and being able to live the life I am truly meant to live. Hallie lived her life. She was 99 years old when she died and she lived a full life. Even marring a man that her parents were not found of but, making him apart of her family anyway. She has courage and stamina. When she was living in Presidio she had a few scary encounters but she did not leave because she loved what she did and where she lived. She completely picked up her life and created a new one. That takes a whole lot of courage and I wish I had that much courage to do that. I feel like my life would have more purpose and meaning if I actually did what I loved instead of stayed where I am because it is comfortable and safe. I have a job, a roof over my head, and a safe place to lay my head. But I could pack up my stuff, move to LA, live out of my car, learn to produce music, try to find an artist or band to give me a chance to produce their album, and work my way up in the music business. But I could never do that because I love my bed to much and my comfortable lifestyle. I'm going to try and by more like Hallie Crawford Stillweel and follow my dreams where ever they may take me.

Work Cited:

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/24/us/hallie-c-stillwell-a-rancher-and-texas-legend-dies-at-99.html

http://gardenhoseadaptor.com/big-bend-national-park

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/fieldguides/bigbendgeology.html

http://www.texasheroes.net/stillwell.html

Jack London, Alaska

Jack London's story "To Build A Fire" caught my attention because over the summer I got the opportunity to go up the inside passage to Skagway, Alaska where Jack London went during the gold rush. (Also I know several members of George Carmack's, the man who claimed the Yukon territory, family members.)

Even though I went to Skagway during the summer months we went on the White Pass and Yukon Route train which was built during the gold rush to help miners get up to the Yukon. The trip was a three hour long train ride twisting and turning up a mountain side and even going over the US/Canadian border for a brief moment to switch the engine from the front to the back to go back down the mountain. Although I was taken on the scenic route on a nice train made specifically for tourism I could not imagine having to trek up or down that mountain at anytime of the year.

this is how the White Pass and Yukon Route looked when I got to take it over the summer. Absolutely drop dead gorgeous. A view that I feel this picture cannot even begin to capture and a beauty that could only be created by a higher power and not by chance or a cosmic boom or whatever you would like to call it. Mountains as far as the eye can see with trees soaring to the heavens, giant granite boulders sliding down the mountains, waterfalls, snow, clear sky and air. There are no words to fully describe the beauty of Alaska. Breathtaking, is the closest word I can think of to describe it all. 

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003 

These pictures depict what the Yukon Territory was like when Jack London and the gold rush was like. Although the pictures are still breathtaking and beautiful the terrain is harsh with frigged temperatures. There were 100,000 men that started off on the journey up to seek gold but only 30,000 actually got to complete the trip. Not only did men not make it through the entire journey but more than 3,000 pack animals died on the White Pass trail. Once the miners got up to where the gold was they had to dig ten feet or more down below the surface through frozen ground that had to be thawed to get to the gold. All the mining had to be done during the summer because during winter it could get to -60 degrees.

The men who took the journey up the White Pass and Yukon Route had to be strong men. There is no way in the world that I could have done that. Their stamina and courage to keep on through some of the harshest terrain and temperatures mother nature can throw out at anyone is to be admired. And Jack London's writings about it make it easier to try and understand how truly traitorous it truly was. 

Work Cited:

http://questconnect.org/ak_klondike.htm

http://www.arcticwebsite.com/LondonJackKlond.html

http://wpyr.com/history/johnhenderson/index.php?RollID=Winter&FrameID=JH04317APR8003