Final Images of Paradise

This topic submitted by Abby King and Amanda Swisher on 4/29/03. [ Rivers Team: Abby King and Amanda Swisher-Section: Cummins/Kaufman]

"Paradise- a place of ideal beauty or loveliness." This dictionary.com definition shows that paradise is an interesting concept; one that we believe deserves a closer look. "Hawaii is paradise with a punch!" (Orbitz.com), but hardly anyone would describe the area around Oxford, OH as such. When the state of Ohio describes Hueston Woods to tourists it speaks only of an enormous wealth of natural resources and not of beauty. To begin our research we will first have to figure out exactly what makes a place a "paradise." Is it simply a place that is seemingly exotic and different from the everyday environment that the observer is used to? Or does paradise entail more than just a fresh perspective? Maybe it has to do with the air and water temperature, the presence of vegetation, the presence of a beach, sunny blue skies, perhaps even a rainbow, or the presence of wildlife. We want to know what exactly the components are that make up a "paradise with a punch!" In his book, Longing for Paradise, Mario Jacoby describes a paradise as such: ÒThe longing for freedom from conflict, suffering and deprivation is an eternal human dream of great emotional power. It is the dream of total happiness, embodied in almost all cultures as the myth of Paradise.Ó (Jacoby, vii) Our research team would like to define a clear, interdisciplinary concept of paradise through history, American culture, biology, geomorphology, literature, religion, and art, and apply this knowledge through a comparison of Manoa Stream on the island of Oahu, HI to our very own Four Mile Creek here in Oxford, OH.
Through background research, observations, and water testing we intend to discover if Manoa Stream in Hawaii is really more of a paradise than Four Mile Creek. Rivers and streams are very important to an image or concept of paradise, as they appear in the ÒparadiseÓ stories of the three major book religions. This makes a comparison of two streams and their immediate riparian zones very relevant. The appearance of the stream and the clarity of the waters effects a streamÕs aimage. Given the rock types present in the two regions, we think that Manoa Stream probably carries less sediment. We hypothesize that Manoa may be more of a paradise. We also assume that the same anthropocentric actions taken upon Four Mile Creek and Manoa Stream that detract from Four Mile CreekÕs natural beauty here in Ohio are ignored in Hawaii because of our need to support the fantasy of the paradise. We plan to take photoraphic evidence deep observations of both Four-Mile Creek and Manoa Stream to further illustrate how exactly a paradise is seen visually. For our final product we will use our photographs as our primary tool for conveying our findings about the concept of paradise.
Our process began by looking at cultural and social factors, exploring what is the cultural construction of paradise, what it has meant in the past and what it means today. This delved deeply into religion as a root of this myth, but also involved history, politics, art and literature as displays of this concept as Òa force in human cultureÓ (Heinberg, 131) and the image that it creates. ÒThe desire for happiness that as Aristotle saw, characterizes humanityÓ (Ashton and Whyte, 6) is manifested in the concept of paradise in the Western world, and less consistently in other cultures. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all have stories of paradise, and from this idea evolves into a search for an earthly paradise and a journey towards a heavenly paradise. Most paradise myths include a landscpe of ÒmagicalÓ trees, rivers and mountains, with innocent people, and dieites on Earth (Heinberg, 58). Four sacred rives, running in four directions, that often coincide with the directions of the compass, are found in at least Christian, Navajo, Chinese, Scandinavian, Siberian, and Hindu stories (Heinberg, 58). The Islamic myth is closely tied to the Christian version, except that it is not presented in the historical context that is found in Genesis. Adam and Eve of the Quran are a unified pair, a relationship that contributes to the atmosphere of paradise (Ashton and Whyte, 92, whereas the Christian Eve is made from Adam and there fore is subservient. The Jewish story of Eden is the same as the Christian story, but differ in interpretation. Historically the Jewish culture has believed that people have been shut out of paradise for forever, but retain the idea that Eden exists on Earth (Ashton and Whyte, 74). Given that our culture comes from a Judeo-Christian tradition, examining the story of Genesis is most pertinent.
ÒA river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Eupharates.Ó (Genesis 2:10-14) This description of the rivers of the paradise of Genesis shows the importance of the rivers in the garden, but also gives a geographical account of the location of the garden. This part of the Bible gives a fairly detailed description of the garden of delights, but the equivilant of the word paradise was not used until the Greek translation around 200 B.C.E. (Ashton and Whyte, 58). The word paradeisos was most closely related to the meaning conveyed by the name Eden, which Òis linguistically related with other words meaning luxury or blissÓ (Ashton and Whyte, 59). Adam and Eve lived in a rich land, sustained by flowing waters, but all was lost with the bite of an apple. These events, and the description of Eden, contribute to the storyÕs influence over the ages.
We looked beyond the story, to its meaning in culture over parts of history. In the Middle Ages, a Christian belief was revived that Eden still existed on Earth and could be sought out. This in turn translated into the behavior of later explorers. Having read scholars that religiously motivated him to venture to the west, Christopher Columbus Òbelieved that the islands he found were in close proximity to the very gates of EdenÓ (Heinberg, 141). Later, American settlers shared a portion of that attitude, not really believing that the land they found was Eden, but that in that landscape, they could create Eden. ÒUlrich Hugwald, a sixteenth century utopian humanist, prophesied that following the colonization of America, humanity would return Ôto Christ, to Nature, to ParadiseÕ Ð to a state without war, want or luxuryÓ (Heinberg, 142). The land appeared pristine yet rugged. The people hadnÕt created much of a civilization, in the eyes of the Europeans, furthering those ideals. ÒAmerica was a paradise, a new world ordained by God, the golden land in a golden ageÓ (Ashton and Whyte, 150). War was not inevitable and though the land was gorgeous, it held no special powers over its people. Eventually, after a violent birth, the United States thrived and industry and urbanism grew and paradise failed. But Americans pushed further and further into the frontier, having developed a special relationship with the land.
We used interpretations of the concept of paradise as well as direct cultural artifacts that point to a contemporary American understanding of paradise. In his essay, ÒWalkingÓ , Thoreau equated his landscape to the fabled garden. ÒAs a true patriot, I should be ashamed to think that Adam in paradise was more favorably than the backwoodsman in this countryÓ (Asthon and Whyte, 151). The American Eden was an expanding frontier, but was occupied by people without the innocence of Adam and Eve. In many ways, parts of this fueled both the American Dream and, more importantly, the concept of wilderness that characterizes the current American relationship with nature. As people historically sought an uninhabited garden, Americans look for places in nature where they can man has not gone. ÒSeen as the original garden, [wilderness] is a place outside of time, from which human beings had to be ejected before the fallen world of history could properly beginÓ (Cronon, 79). Through our construction of wilderness, we have been chasing Eden. We seek out our garden, but try to enjoy it without responsibilty.
Literature, art and academic articles allowed us to understand a historical context and basis for these social and cultural constructions. Paradise has inspired authors from Milton to Dante. D. H. Lawrence took the concept to the next level by attempting a utopia on Earth, only to have it fail in the practicalities of human nature (Ashton and Whyte, 135). SteinbeckÕs East of Eden is the essential story of American paradise, dealling with the land and innocence. ÒThe fictional character Adam has no Eden but is determined to buy oneÓ (Ashton and Whyte, 151). The visual arts have also dealt with this theme. The Christian Creation story was painted by renaissance master Michealangelo, but continued to appear for generations. Massacio painted a soulful portrait of the fallen couple, whereas Hieronymous Bosch painted Adam and Eve but is most known for his Garden of Delights, the sinful version of paradise on Earth. Henri Rousseau placed Adam and Eve in his typical jungle in his Happy Quartet. Poetry and other images and readings from the course were helpful in deciphering these images. Heinberg even argues that ÒIn their detailed and scholarly studies, mythic critics have shown that much of the greatest and most profoundly moving literature in history owes its inspirational power to the paradise mythÓ (Heinberg, 132). Gathering information led to even more questions and ideas to pursue.. Is the construction related to our beginnings as a nation? Perhaps, this land was once a paradise that others sought out. Do our social constructions, our institutions, laws support this concept, or are they so far from it that they make this concept a fantasy and escape from our society? These types of questions led us to a balanced concept to use to develop the rest of the research.
In order to use all of this information to compare Four mile Crrek and Manoa Stream, we synthesized our information to create standards to work with. Our working definition of paradise is a pristine landscape that includes a stream with a healthy and diverse riparian zone, settled into a greater scene, most likely including mountains. People would probably not be present but if they were, their impact would be extremely minimal. James Michener intentionally includes Òthe ability to sustain lifeÓ (17) and Òa crucible for exploration and developmentÓ (10) in his discussion of paradise in the novel Hawaii. Michener acknowledges the role people play in paradise, and what it means. He alludes not only to a wildness experience ], but also to a domination of the landscape. Additionally, a paradise must breed life, but it can also be relative. ÒHere we were in the center of paradise--and we were leaving it behind-by choice! --for a land that was about as close to hell as any highland Ethiopian could imagineÓ (Morell,116). Virginia Morell recognizes here that perception of a place often has to do with familiarity. We will try to set aside our bias against Ohio that comes from having lived here all our lives.
We used the streams in Hawaii and Ohio as a case study comparison to evaluate whether or not the concept of paradise is based on the physical characteristics of a place or the social construction of our perception of the place. Geography helped us to critically apply this theory to two regions, allowing us to consider both cultural factors and physical characteristics of the regions. Is paradise status really based on how similar to a lush garden the area is? Does the water quality of a stream, the biodiversity of the riparian zone, and the biodiversity of the stream effect how we think of the stream? It must, because these factors affect appearance, and the image of the region, but to what extent does the objective ecological quality of a stream and its region impact how we think about it? We used observations, data from other sources and data we have collected to draw these conclusions. We tested sediment load, using the data as a reference for how each stream relates to paradise. Because image is so important to the concept of paradise, the result of this study will be a photo essay supported by a paper; an interdisciplinary approach to conveying the synthesis of this information.
In comparing the two streams, we began with geologic and cultural history and moved onto the physical characteristics of streams in the region. ÒIn violence it was born, and in violence it would dieÓ (Day, 10). The Hawaiian islands were built from an underwater volcano, rising above the ocean to sit, with no resources to speak of, until sediments built up. ManoaÕs watershed is now filled with Òpleistocene and Pilocene KoÕolau basalts, Holocene sediments, and coastal-plain deposits locally known as ÔcaprockÕ and consisting of marine and terrestial sdeimnets, limestone and reef depositsÓ (Tomlinson, 2). People first arrived around 300-500 A.D., but did not always live happily.
ÒKamehameha the Conquerer , who after fierce fighting and much ruthless destruction of human life united the island sovereignties in his own person, routed the forces of the king of Oahu in the Nuuanu Valley and drove them in hundreds up the precipice from which they leaped in despair and madnessÓ (Day, 163-164).
This may have been the truth, but it is not how the people of the pacific islands were always perceived. Margaret Mead incorrectly reported on the nature of the people in Samoa, saying that they were completely friendly, peaceful and harmonious, contributing to paradisical ideas about pacific islands (Ashton and Whyte, 136). The weather is much more pleasant and constant than the history. The average temperature is seventy-five degrees, and doesnÕt vary much seasonally, but across the islands, rain varies quite a bit. The wettest spot on Kuaui receives almost five hundred inches of rain per year and the driest spot on the Big Island only gets about five inches of rain per year. Currently, parts of the islands have been heavily impacted by development and the presence of people. Oahu supports on of the top twenty five largest cities in the nation. According to the United States Geological Society, the upper sixty percent of the Manoa watershed is largely conservation land, while the lower portion is dense urban land. These factors result in unique streams and watersheds.
Four Mile CreekÕs watershed could hardly be more different, though its history is in part, just as violent. An astonishing ninety-one percent of the Four Mile watershed is agricultural land, with another forested eight percent and about half a percent of the land is considered urban (Vanni, 89). The land is much more conducive to farming than Hawaii is, as the fertile soil includes Òhigh-lime glacial tillÉ[and] highly productive silt loessÓ dominated by Ò Crosby, Brookstone, Miami and Celina soilsÓ (Vanni, 89). All of these rich deposits are the result of OhioÕs glacial history (West, 3) and promote a variety of natural resources, including trees, salt, minerals, oil, clay and coal (West, 6-7). The weather is Ohio is extremely seasonal, with temperatures ranging from below freezing to above ninety degrees fahrenheit, and averaging around fifty degrees fahrenheit. Preciptation depends on the seasons and averages about thirty eight niches a year. The history of people in the area starts very differently than HawaiiÕs, but ends just as violently. The first people settled in Ohio thousands of years before anyone set foot upon a Hawaiian island, around thirteen thousand B.C. Regardless of this difference, OhioÕs people still fought violently at times, earning the Ohio River the nickname ÒThe River of Blood.Ó ÒAll the French dead were scalped, and Washington gave JumonvilleÕs scalp to Monakaduto to take to the Delawares as an encouragement for them to side with the BritishÓ (Eckert, lvi-lvii). Misconceptions about the natives in the area were not as prevalent, and usually erred to the side of violence. These differences are significant, but are only the beginning of the important differences in the landscapes we are considering.
We interviewed Joseph Shacat at the University of Hawaii for background information on the character of the Hawaiian landscape, the largest significant difference being the nature of Hawaiian streams compared to Midwestern streams. In Hawaii, the storms are orographic, rising off of the mountains. These rains come suddenly and end suddenly but vary greatly from one part of the island to another and can bring large amounts of rain. In addition, Òall streams are short and their watersheds small and, for the most part, steepÓ (Tomlinson, 1). This combination of factors results in ÒflashyÓ streamsÑa small stream with low flow can suddenly be inundated with large amounts of water and flow much higher, only to soon return to its normal level. This makes HawaiiÕs streams unusual, especially in comparison to streams in Ohio. We consider streams in the Midwest, though always changing, to have some stability that is lacking in Hawaiian streams. When it takes an Ohio stream many hours to days to peak from a storm event, a Hawaiian stream can peak in a few hours. Flash flooding can be a problem in Ohio, but it is not that nearly as common as in Hawaii. In Ohio, we are used to seeing relatively constant water cut across a fairly flat landscape, a very different picture than that of a Hawaiian stream. We used all this information to compare the nature of both areas through our definition of paradise.
To carry out our research we measured some water quality ourselves, but due to the restriction of our travel, we kept it simple. We were able to bring back water samples from Manoa Stream that we then tested in the lab for sediment load. We also collected water from Four Mile in the same fashion. To do this, we began by measuring the area of the cross section of the stream that we plan to measure. First, we measured the width of the stream, and at certain intervals about a sixth of the way across, measured the varying depths. This gave us a series of measurements that can be used to construct a series of rectangles that represent the cross section. We multiplied the measurements to give us a surface area. Next we measured the velocity of the water. We dropped an object on the surface and timed how long it takes the object to travel a specific number of meters. This was reduced to meters per second and multiplied by the area we found to give us a volume. Then, we took water samples across the stream. We took five samples from the surface, evenly spaced, and five samples near the bottom, also evenly spaced. We did all of this in the field, at each stream. Then we brought back the samples and filtered them. Before ran the water through the filter, we took the dry mass. We poured the water through and let it dry overnight. Then we massed the ÒfullÓ filter and subtracted the mass of the ÒemptyÓ filter. That gave us the mass of the sediment per one thousand milliliters of water. This will be set up with in a ratio with the volume of water we found earlier to determine the sediment load. This procedure requires minimal equipment: a tape measure, meter stick, stop watch, containers, filters, a scale and pen and paper. We did this entire procedure for the two streams separately.
At both places, we wrote down deep observations, very similar to Annie DilliardÕs observations in her book, Pilgrim on Tinker Creek. We spent a significant amount of time at both Manoa Stream in Hawaii and Four Mile Creek. We gathered information relating to the sounds that we heard the scents in the air, the colors around us, and other observable information that is not quantifiable in data. This information is as important as any quantifiable data, and is very much related to the environment. In doing so, we began to understand how biased both observations and photography can be. What we chose to notice, write down, and photograph could hugely alter the image of the stream. We tried to be as balanced and objective as possible, but there is certainly some unconscious bias in our findings.
The data that we came up with was hardly what we were expecting. We were quite surprised to see that Manoa stream actually had a larger sediment load than Four Mile Creek. Since we had tested Manoa first we tried to find a stretch along Four Mile Creek that was comparable in size to the stretch on Manoa that we had previously tested. Despite all of our efforts, in the end, the area that we ended up testing on Four Mile Creed was significantly larger. The total surface area in our designated cross section at one second was .92234 square meters. On Four Mile it was 3.0465 square meters. The velocity of Manoa was .463 meter per second. The velocity on Four Mile Creek was .878 meter per second. The volume of water moving through Manoa at one second was 427 liters. On Four Mile it was 2,674 liters. Quite a bit more water flowing through Four Mile Creek at the time of our testing than through Manoa. This was obvious to us during our testing because you could physically hear the water flowing along on Four Mile whereas the water flow on Manoa was much calmer and not nearly as noticeable. Once we had established the surface area, velocity and volume we could then determine what the sediment load was for each stream. Up until this point we still believed that Four Mile Creek would have a significantly higher sediment load than Manoa. This belief was furthered by Bill Green when we told him that we had only taken less than 1 L of water samples from Manoa and had about 2 L from Four Mile Creek. Bill did not think the samples from Manoa would be enough for us to gather any quantifiable data from. This made sense, and we were pretty bummed thinking that we werenÕt going to get any kind of comprehensive data. But, in the end, all three of us were wrong. Together we filtered the Four Mile water samples and didnÕt notice much visible sediment in the filter, but when we filtered the Manoa water samples we could very easily see all kinds of sediment trapped in the filter. After many calculations the sediment load in Four Mile Creek on the particular day we tested it was 41.447grams of sediment in 2,674 liters of water flowing through the stream per second. On Manoa it was 51.13grams of sediment in 427 liters of water flowing through the stream per second. Once we figured out each amount per liter it became obvious which stream was carrying more sediment; Four Mile Creek carried .0155 grams per liter and Manoa carried .121grams per liter. We were shocked to find that Manoa Stream in Hawaii actually had a higher sediment load.
Coupled with our scientific endeavors were our creative endeavors. Abby used her photographic abilities to capture the character of both streams. And yes the artistÕs eye is biased, but itÕs a lens none the less that we chose to use for our project. As well as photography we used deep thoughts as another way to express what we saw and felt while spending time along the banks of both streams. This was AmandaÕs creative lens. Her inspiration for this was of course Annie Dillard. During our many adventures to both streams she was never without pen and notebook. For much of the observations she made lists and for others she gave detailed descriptions. Here are her observations (unabridged):
Manoa Stream:
Sounds
*Gurgle gurgle gurgle: The sound of water flowing over rocks to a lower depth below.
*Caw caw, tweet tweet: Lots of birds.
*Honk! Vroom! Cars not too far away.
*Kids playing in the near by park just above on one side of the 6ft wall along one side of ManoaÕs banks.
*Adam giggling at the crawdads (AmandaÕs boyfriend accompanied us on our Manoa Stream adventure)

Sights
*Telephone poles
*Pedestrian bridge above the stream that connects that park to the UH dormitory on the other side of Manoa
*USGS testing station
*Lots of rocks
*Trees on either side of stream, but not on the bank of the side with the wall, the trees on the side without the wall had roots that had been undercut by the stream
*UH dormitory on side of stream without wall, park (complete with baseball field) on side with wall
*Liter! Such things as broken glass galore, plastic bottles, paper and plastic wrappers, clothing, baseball, cans, and Styrofoam containers.
*Animals: Crawdads and small fish (Abby saw one as big as 3-4in.) as well as birds above the stream in the trees and flies that kept getting in our faces and red ants on the rocks.
*Tree limbs and twigs floating along in the stream
*A motor scooter parked by a tree near streamÕs banks
*People crossing the bridge
*High rises were visible from where we stood in the stream

Experiences
*Adam played with the Crawdads while Abby and I took measurements and samples. He kept poking them with a stick so that they would then latch on to the stick so he could try to pull them out of the water. Inevitably he pulled too hard one time and ripped off a CrawdadÕs claw. I yelled at him for murdering an innocent Crawdad and he stopped.

*I had to cross the stream to take measurements and while standing in the water small fish were nibbling at my luscious feet, I did not like this one bit.

*I sustained 2 injuries from Manoa Stream. I tripped on some rocks on the bottom of the stream because they were uneven and I cut my ankle on a rock. (I might add that later on that day Joseph Shacat informed me that you could actually get a bad bacterial infection from untreated water in Hawaii through open wounds, I could have died!). After my ankle got all bloody it seemed like the fish were even more attracted to my feet. Again, this did not make me happy. While the fish were nibbling at my foot, Abby had a giant Crawdad lurking near her feet on her side of the stream. This made her a bit nervous. As I sit and write this flies are landing on my bleeding, throbbing ankle trying to suck my blood but I swat them away and they lose. The breeze is blowing calmly and steadily. It is mostly cloudy and looks like rain. But there are blue skies in the distance so no worries. ThereÕs a beautiful rainbow looking tree near the dormitory. Oh yes, my second injury. I scraped my arm while trying to keep my balance along the uneven rocks.

Four Mile Creek:

Experiences:

*Four Mile Creek seems a lot different, more fishy and much more muddy. The mud is very sticky and both of us keep sinking into and losing our flip flops to it. IÕm wet up to my mid-thigh. The water is much deeper than Manoa was. The water is also much colder, I would guess itÕs in the mid 50Õs. There is a very strong current on my side of the stream. It is much shallower on AbbyÕs side of the stream and the water is flowing much slower. There are also a lot of mossy rocks here.

*It is a beautiful day today, blue skies, very sunny, breezy; itÕs a very pleasant afternoon.

*There is a drive way behind my side of the stream where we parked, another road behind AbbyÕs side of the stream, and a bridge directly down stream from us. On the other side of the bridge is the marina and Acton Lake. I can see the marina from where I stand.

*There are a lot of trees along both sides of the stream. A lot of these trees had exposed roots that had been undercut by the creek. There arenÕt any leaves yet, but soon. There were many buds floating along in the creek. Grass is beginning to grow on some of the flatter banks near the creek. There is also a lot of tall straw like grass along the banks. Some as tall as me.

*I can see power lines from where I stand at the edge of the creek.

*I can simultaneously hear (and see) cars going by while listening to the flow of the water and the lapping sound it makes near me as it hits the rocks. You could also hear the tree limbs creaking in the wind.

*Four Mile Creek is not visibly polluted. We donÕt encounter any trash during our adventure. The only animal life that we saw while we were there was a Òcrazy jumping bugÓ that Abby saw. We are unsure of what exactly it was, perhaps a grasshopper? She also saw a spider and a butterfly.

Through our experiences and our data, we have determined Four Mile Creek to be more of a paradise than Manoa Stream. Manoa Stream was heavily impacted by people and urbanization, with channeling, garbage, and a practically non-existent riparian zone. Four Mile Creek was much cleaner and was comparatively allowed to flow free. The land use around Four Mile Creek allows for paradise more than Manoa. Four Mile is basically surrounded by either forest or farmland. In the middle of a pasture, someparts of the creek had a healthy riparian zone and decent bacnks. This emptiness found in farmland and forest helps people to separate themselves from the surrounding development. It is much harder to do so at the spot we visitied on Manoa Stream. The tops of the banks cannot even be seen from the creek bed. Concrete walls, six to eight feet high hold back the banks. On one side, a dorm rose behind the trees, and from the other side noises from the park drifted down toward the stream. There was no place where we could escape the surrounding development. The feeling of remoteness, isolation and freedom from society could not even be manufactured at Manoa as it could be along Four Mile. Parts of Manoa surely feel more remote, as the stream comes down from the mountains and through the forest, but we were unable to access these parts of the stream. That portion wouldnÕt be enough to compensate for the urban feeling in the lower stream that is felt no where along Four Mile. You could probably classify both places as paradises through any given interpretation of the idea of paradise, but given the qualities that we deemed necessary to classify an area as a paradise, Four Mile Creek right here in Southern Ohio is more of a paradise than Manoa Stream in Honolulu, Hawaii.
During our presentation we were asked which location we personally enjoyed more despite our conclusion that Four Mile Creek is more of a paradise than Manoa Stream. We are in agreement that we thoroughly enjoyed being in Hawaii more than here in Ohio. Ohio is familiar and Hawaii is fresh and new. Ohio offers us work and school, while Hawaii offers us a break. The climate of Hawaii offered a refreshing break from below freezing temperatures and of course Amanda got to see Adam.
Because Hawaii is perceived as paradise, regardless of how it resembles the garden of Eden, people often overlook the glaring truths that not everywhere on the Island is wonderful and pristine. In Ohio with farms surrounding much of Four Mile Creek the health and beauty of that particular little stream stands out from the ordinary landscape,

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