Annie Dillard Imitation

Dillard talks a lot about how the human and animal interaction and behaviors are very different, but similar at the same time.

Pg.542

The lady bird lays her eggs, and one by one they begin to hatch. Her baby birds don't feed off of her as much as any type of animal would do. The baby's eggs crack and the mother bird wants no more than to eat them for lunch, but opposite of other animals, she takes one more look at her babies and realizes they are not her food, but one of her own. She cares for them like any typical parent to a child would and keeps them safe from danger.

Buffalo for the Broken Heart

I think O'Brien relates well to his environment. Someone who loves relating to his environment as much as he does, has to have a passion for what his land is all about. In the first chapter O'brien leaves his land for a teaching job in Denver to be taken care of by his renter. His renter does not fulfill his duties to keep up the land, and therefore O'Brien becomes angered at the fact that not only can he be there for his land and cattle at all times, but that he cannot trust even a renter to upkeep it for him. O'Brien is very upset when he returns. O'Brien was the type of outdoors guy where anything in the wildlife would intrigue him. In the book, there is a part where Dan is watching the buffalo herd on top of a plateau. The winds are very strong, 40 mph, he says. He seems astonished that the it doesn't even seem to bother the buffalo while they are up there. As if the wind was nothing to them.

I thought O'Brien used his land very efficiently. I think starting with cattle and converting his land to buffalo was a good idea. I think it will be much more profitable and enjoyable for him since he likes being around the buffalo and how they act. Even now that he is older, should be thinking about retirement, he has a lot on his slate and a lot of things around he enjoys doing so he won't ever stop doing what he loves.