Journey to New Zealand Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journey to New Zealand - Personal Statement Example I went ahead passing roads, trees, people, mountains, rivers and many other amazing things. I landed in New Zealand getting residence visa there. I got the help of a local agency who guided me from airport shuttle transfer to finding a standard accommodation at reasonable price. I had been residing there for my new settlement after my mother land. New Zealand was full of myriad attractions which brought a constant delight in the curious eyes. I dived my soul in pulling the fascination through visiting the towns of the Bay of Islands in the north to Dunedin in the south. My moments were flying on the feathers of an anonymous non-muddy bird. I became a human belonged to this whole world which called me here and there. I couldn't stop anywhere forever. I had to move on the calling of the wind for the passion of my mind. It was the mid of Jan, 1998.In the one afternoon, a postman knocked my door, and I greeted a letter of my best friend who lived in another continent, and it was America discovered by Chinese people seventy years before Columbus. It is also said that these people had also discovered Antarctica, and they reached Australia three hundred and fifty years before Cook. I am not an historian, but it was my tribute to them. Making no delay, I sought the help of the agency who introduc... They ensured my air ticket for my destination within 24 hours. I kept the ticket in my hand bag with utmost care before several days of my journey. I was cheered and without any mental stress as I had a belief that my agency had done the perfect job for my trip. I boarded on the air X which continued to be the only North American operator of the A340-300 AND A340-500. It assembled travelers from many destinations of the world. It flew from New Zealand to Stockholm, then to Germany. It allowed the passengers to loiter around the airport for refreshment for the next transit in Canada before reaching the final destination. I was called by the immigration officer, "Please show your Passport." "What! You don't have Canadian Visa Strange! Who let you come here by the wrong flight No body marked you" I was stuck and found no words at that moment. I was observing the attitude of the officer standing as a statue for several minutes. I tried to become easy and tell the fact done by my agency i n New Zealand. I tried to make a clear voice, but it became thinner and thinner by an unexplained fear. First of all, I didn't meet the strict German officer before and the second matter was I was not good in English communication to explain in an organized manner. The German man was speaking British English very fluently as he used to communicate globally. I made a hissing sound, "It is my agency." He gave a slight shout, "Your agency" "Yes, the agency in the New Zealand who arranged my ticket for my trip from New Zealand to Seattle to meet my bosom friend," I told. He replied strictly that my intention was good to meet my friend, but my route was wrong. I asked for a permission to make a phone call to my agency. I was permitted very easily but I was warned that I was not

Charismatic Leader Essay Example for Free

Charismatic Leader Essay This type of leadership holds a lot of power. In both productive and counterproductive respects. The rhetoric employed to effectively carry out charismatic leadership acts as a double edged sword. While it is true that a message delivered in a charismatic manner inspires the followers to implement it with a lot of fervor, but in this same zest, there are a lot of important issues that are overlooked and lots of questions ignored. This entails problems when the charisma delivers its desired results, but they still leave a sour taste in the mouth. In my professional career, I have not encountered charismatic leadership neither in the top echelons of power nor in the middle management slots. However, most of us have been affected, and even wowed, by the charismatic skills of Barack Obama, while running for the US Presidency in 2008. Inspirational rhetoric, exceptional oratory skills and narcissistic excellence were expertly deployed towards millions of people. Perhaps in our lifetimes, it has proven to be a living, breathing example of pure, unadulterated charisma. It was a need of the time and a result of the disillusionment with the last 8 years. But, the cynicism that perhaps was put in the back seat during this process, made a comeback in the last two years, where more and more people have grown disillusioned by the lack of actual, and perceived, objectives being achieved. The overhyped expectations that are, in effect, created by charismatic leadership, eventually end up hampering its own effects, even though the results achieved might be significant. In the spirit of double edged swords, narcissism fits the bill perfectly. Excessive traits of this personality type have officially been diagnosed as a psychological disorder, whereas a good mix of those same qualities supposedly makes a great leader. From my personal experience, there has been a lot more interaction with unproductive narcissists, as compared to the productive ones. Charismatic leadership is an outward focusing theory, but since being confident and thoughtful requires a thorough understanding of one’s own self, unless it is coupled innately with authenticity, there would continue to be major loopholes in its implementation. As is the case with most leadership theories, the situational context of the company or market matter deeply. Charismatic leadership is the need of the hour during turbulent times and thus ends up being encouraged and nurtured. However, during mature and stable market times, charisma tends to be counter-productive and pointless. Also, since narcissistic leaders tend to believe undoubtedly in their vision, not taking into account the ideas put forward by others, it can become self-destructive for companies. This leadership theory, more than others, needs to be deployed with a lot of care and consideration.

Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies Comparison

Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies Comparison ADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADERS: * Economical and easy to set up a new firm. Not much capital is required. * The sole trader has the total control over its firm. The owner has the, hand-on approach over its business; he doesnt need to consult with anyone. * The owner being the sole trader, keeps all the profit. * The business dealings are confidential, competitors cannot look into the accounts of the owner. DISADVANTAGES OF SOLE TRADERS: * Risk of indefinite liability. Incase of any debts, the owner is forced to sell its personal assets. * Sole traders find difficult to enjoy economics of scale. * Since the firms are small, banks will not lend them large sum of money and will be inefficient to use any other long-term finances. * Problem of continuity occurs, if the owner dies or retires. PARTNERSHIPS: a partnership is an agreement between two or more people to form a business. Profits and losses of a business are shared by each person who contributes money, assets, labour and skill. Example, doctors, dentists etc. ADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIPS: * It brings more flexibility as more people can contribute in the capital * Responsibilities are shared between the partners. It allows for specialization, where ones strength can complement anothers. * By introducing new partners, expanding becomes easier. * Reduction in risk of losing money, as costs can be shared among partners. DISADVANTAGES OF PARTNERSHIPS: * Dispute among the partners, can affect the decision-making process. * Partnership duration is always uncertain. * Partners are jointly and individually responsible for the debts of firm. * exploitation of resources can be raised among partners. LIMITED COMPANY: it is a legal entity. All limited companies are incorporated. They can sue or own their assets in their own right. (bbc.co.uk, 2009). It is owned by the shareholders. ADVANTAGES OF LIMITED COMPANY: * It provides limited liability to shareholders. The shareholders are not individually responsible for firms debts. * Despite of deaths, resignations, the company continues. * Name of the company is protected and has supple borrowing powers. * Management interests and obligations are defined. Shareholders and investors are easily assimilated. DISADVANTAGES OF LIMITED COMPANY: * Possibility of takeover or merger as shares can be bought by anyone. * Disputes between, shareholders and board of directors regarding the interests. * Increase in paper work and different rules. A budget is a dominant tool that helps a business to take better decisions. It is most efficient tool to direct the cashflows. A budget is planned to * Manage finances. * Assures continuity of funds for current commitments and for future projects. * Enables to make financial decisions. The basic budget factors that a business should consider are: * Projected cashflow: the cash budget tells about the future cash position on monthly basis. * Projected costs: this includes costs of production, sales and marketing costs, business administration and operation costs, fixed, variable and semi-variable costs. (entrepreneur, 2004) * Projected revenues: sales or revenues calculations are based on amalgamation of businesss sales history. Through this, business can also prepare projected profits for the next 12 months. * Collective profits and losses: each month, profit and losses are added, this total tell when the business will break even and begin earning a profit. (entrepreneur, 2004) TIM O NEIL, the founder of TT vision would also have considered the points mentioned above, when he started his business. KEY SOURCES OF FINANCES ARE: * Bank loans and mortgages: suitable for medium-sized firms. Banks can lend large sum of money for a long period of time. Rate of interest is attached to the loans. * Overdrafts: right to be able to withdraw money you do not presently have. Provides flexibility and interest is paid on the amount withdrawn. * Trade credit: it enables the firm to have access to flexible amount of funds for a short duration. High limits and interest are charged on the amount borrowed. * Venture capital: they are set-up to invest in developing countries. They offer capital to help businesses grow. * Lease: it means businesses are paying for the use of a product but do not own it. ( bized.co.uk, 2009) The Business idea can be cafà © shop can turn into a business proposition. The start-up finance for the business can be sourced out ones personal assets like money held in banks, home equity loan which is quick and inexpensive for borrowers. Finances can also be arranged through banks, credit cards to setup a franchise. Land can be hired through lease. BIBLIOGRAPHY (2009).Budgeting and business planning [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 15 December 2009]. Tracy, B. (2004).Drafting Your Budget [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 15 December 2009]. (2009). Sole traders and partnerships [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).Advantages of a Limited Company [Internet].Available: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).Public and Private Limited Companies [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).sole trader [Internet].Available from: [Last accessed 14 December 2009]. (2009).sources of finance for business [Internet}.Available from: [Last accessed 17 December 2009].

Nils Christie: Theory on Causes of Crime

Nils Christie: Theory on Causes of Crime It is postulated that the phenomenon crime does not exist, although we can study its negative consequences of it upon society through acts. Many definitions of crime have been developed, the most simplistic definition of a criminal act being; acts that break legislation outlined in law however this differs from that of a normative perspective; crimes are acts which can offend against a set of norms similar to a moral code. When trying to understand the notion of crime it is paramount to understand what acts are and why certain acts are criminalised but not all. A Utilitarian standpoint would be that laws should be focussed towards achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, a principle known as the greatest happiness principle a theory developed by Philippa Foot (1978). Law under capitalism would be geared to protect property rights and affirm the social order. With this philosophical theory in mind, one can contend that acts are crimes for the reason they hav e negative effects on society. I will use a collection of examples to give explanations to comments from Norwegian criminologist Nils Christie focussing on its implications for explaining crime. In addition to this I will briefly outline what criminology is and its connection with the concept of crime. Crime as a concept is relatively recent. Crime was not known by its name in the 16th and 17th centuries, the word was current but it lacked precise meaning, (Elton 1977:5). However from having no sense of crime, we now have a global sense of the subject. Since the emergence of crime as a concept it has always been a highly contested term which has been debated within studies ever since, with criminologists, sociologists and philosophers all creating new theories for it. As mentioned crime does not exist, law constructs crime for us. In a sense we actually create crime; by producing law we then in turn make crime, without legislation there would be no sense of criminality. A world with no criminal system would mean no courts, prisons or criminals. It important to remember that criminal law is not the only form of law as there is also civil law. Criminal law can be is punitive where as civil law is based on restitution. If crime does not exist some might question what criminology is. My personal favourite and one of the most detailed explanation is that of D. Garland; I take criminology to be a specific genre of discourse and inquiry about crime a genre that has developed in the modern period and that can be distinguished from other ways of talking and thinking about criminal conduct. Thus, for example, criminologys claim to be an empirically grounded, scientific undertaking sets it apart from moral and legal discourses, while its focus upon crime differentiates it from other social scientific genres, such as the sociology of deviance and control, whose objects of study are broader and not defined by the criminal law. Since the middle years of the twentieth century, criminology has also been increasingly marked off from other discourses by the trappings of a distinctive identity, with its own journals, professional associations, professorships, and institutes, (Of Crime and Criminals 2002, p8). Thi s quote affirms what I mentioned earlier regarding the emergence of crime as a concept over the last couple of centuries or so, especially how we have developed new ways to deal with behaviour deemed criminal. He also highlighted the studies unique outlook and strong holds on the studies development of theories concerning criminal deviance. I will now concentrate on the main theme of my essay; using examples to explain the comments of criminologist Nils Christie assessing their implications for explaining crime. The University of Oslo criminologist disliked the term crime, I dont like the term crime-its such a big, fat, imprecise word, there are only unwanted acts. How we perceive them depends on our relationship with those who carry them out. Here Christie is very critical of the term describing it is as in accurate and stating that there is no such object it is merely acts. Nils Christie also believes; how we observe these acts depends on our association with those who have carried the out the act. Furthermore Christie supports D. Garlands view; crime is not a tangible idea, thus it does not exist. Only acts exist, acts often given different meanings within various social frameworks. Acts and the meanings given to them are our data. Our challenge is to follow the destiny of acts through the universe of meanings. Particularly, what are the social conditions that encourage or prevent giving the acts the meaning of being crime? (Christie, 2004: 3). Here he has taken his previous idea I stated earlier; acts do not exist, then added another aspect to it by suggesting the meanings given to them can aid us as social scientists in our research into the phenomenon. He is hinting that the social frameworks within society lead people to commit crime, the reasons for committing a crime can be economical, personal or politically motivated. Christie was mainly concerned with crime control and prison populations. He believed there was an unlimited supply of crime; that crime as a concept would never become extinct in a sense as there would always be motives for individuals to be deviant such as political or financial rewards, this new situation, with an unlimited reservoir of acts which can be defined as crimes, also creates unlimited possibilities for warfare as against all sorts of unwanted acts, (Crime control as industry: towards gulags, western style, Nils Christie). This statement by Christie can be affirmed by examining unwanted acts; those made by the Provisions Irish Republican Army. There are a multitude of factors which create conditions for and exasperate what has come to be interpreted as crime. These are through a number of social frameworks such as class and nationality. These are all social constructs and are integral parts of capitalism and prevailing capitalist ideology. The Norwegians analysis can be applied to many situations; a political example of this is conflict between the Provision Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Government. The issue first started in the 1920s during the Irish war of independence, when the Republican Army launched guerrilla warfare over British rule in Ireland. There was little conflict between the two sides until 30 January 1972 now known as bloody Sunday. On the day mentioned British soldiers shot twenty-seven civil rights protestors, killing thirteen while patrolling, as a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march took place. This created uproar as the civilians whom were shot were Catholics, restarting the tension between Northern Ireland and British Government. Although the Provisional Irish Republican Armys movement against the partition of Ireland in fact started two years previous to the tragic day the intensity and media coverage of the deaths led to member levels of the group rapidly escalating. T o refer back to Christies ideology this example can be described as under the umbrella of nationality and religious social frame works. British Government viewed the IRA as terrorists after several planned attacks within Britain including a Bank robbery on a bank in Belfast in 2004 where they escaped with  £26.5 million. The Provisional Irish Republicans felt they were protecting their nation from British involvement in addition to gaining revenge for oppression they faced during British occupancy of Ireland. This was a crime born of social circumstances, as crime does not exist; only acts they thought of their acts as justifiable. If this is the case then were their acts unlawful? Here is a great example of how implications on explaining crime due to different ideology and theories can create a dilemma. Despite the oppression and hardships the Provisional Irish Republican Army felt they received due to the British Government, I feel it is morally wrong to take the life of another individual so their attacks on Birmingham and various other places in Britain was legally unjust. Christie argues throughout his work that crime is a fluid and shallow notion stating that acts may perhaps be constructed as criminal and unlimited thus making crime an endless concept. This links back to the argument that the concept of crime is socially constructed, we create crime. Crime could not continue to exist without legislation; we tell the legal system what is right and what is wrong, legal, illegal, just and unjust. To further this idea, in a sense we as a society increase and decrease crime rates, by making an act unlawful we are ever-increasing the chances of someone then committing a crime. Capitalism has been another major motivator for people committing crimes or as described by Christie unwanted acts, (A Suitable amount of Crime, P7). Firstly capitalism promotes a false material world in which people feel they must have the finest mobile phones, televisions, cars and housing. This is hypocritical as in actual fact it develops a more unequal society in terms of distribution of power, wealth and resources with a lower chance of social mobility. As a result of this some individuals caught up in the longing for material goods; due to the scarcity they feel they may begin stealing as a means to allow them to afford objects they desire. However Nils Christie believed for all acts including those seen as unwanted, there are dozens of possible alternatives to their understanding; bad, mad, evil, misplaced honour, youth bravado, political heroism or crime, (A Suitable Amount of Crime, P7). Christie demonstrates that an act deemed illegal may be committed due to a variety of r easons. The example where someone feels they have no alternative than to thieve can come under the social frame work of inequality; economically disadvantaged. It would be wrong to say this comment from the criminologist has had a vaster enough affect on how crime is explained however perhaps if a few more social scientists were to entertain this idea there might be a small shift in the way we define the concept. If this were to happen we may see a change in how the legal system deals with acts similar to that capitalism discussed above. The economic system produces inequality which leads to crime. This could have a knock on affect with capitalism; in a capitalist society most laws exist to protect the status quo therefore crimes which do not go against capitalism are normally a by product of it e.g. power crime from the hierarchy which it creates. Labelling theory can be brought into the argument of there not being a concept of crime, only acts. The theory states deviance is not a quality of the act because but; the result of traits associated with committing deviance. References: Philippa Foot, The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect in Virtues and Vices (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1978) (Elton 1977:5). Look up, references on mole.. Crime control as industry: towards gulags, western style, Nils Christie page 23. Page 3. A Suitable Amount of Crime

macbeths descent into evil Essay -- essays research papers

Macbeth’s Decent Into Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character Macbeth in the story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth faces decisions that affect his morals. He begins as an innocent soul, dedicated to serve his kingdom and its king, Duncan. As time passes and opportunities present themselves combined with the deception of the evil witches, Macbeth begins his descent into madness. Macbeth’s innocence and loyalty are completely corrupted due to his over confidence, guilty conscience, and the inevitability of human nature. Macbeth looses sight of what is morally right to do in life because his logical choices are changed by these factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth was capable of achieving his place as king but his path to greatness would not have occurred without his ability to be overconfident. This ability was responsible for his overall position as being blind to the possibility of failure. The witches assured him that he would be essentially invincible and that only in what seemed to be impossible situations, would his life be threatened. Macbeth explains:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"With thy keen sword impress as make me bleed:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let fall thy blade of vulnerable crests;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I bear a charmed life, which must not yield   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To one of woman born† (5.8. 13-16). Macbeth was so confident that the idea of someone not being born of a woman was impossible in itself and therefore he had nothing to fear. However, it was this overconfidence that the witches depended on. They wanted the overconfidence to prevent Macbeth from understanding the consequences of his actions, and to do so they overwhelmed him with security:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His hopes’bove wisdom, grace, and fear:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And you all know security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is mortals’ chiefest enemy† (3.5.29-33).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor resulting in the inevitability of Macbeth’s evil was his Guilty conscience. Macbeth knows his actions are wrong a... ...lp of Lady Macbeth the deed is done. She is unmoral and changes Macbeth’s decision with intimidation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have given suck, and know   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How tender’tis love the babe that milks me:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would, while it was smiling in my face,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you have done to this†(1.7.59-64).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth’s life is a tragic story about how he was deceived and molded into an evil man. His evil, sparked by lady Macbeth, began with the murder of king Duncan. Macbeth’s heart couldn’t handle the sin but Lady Macbeth forced him to change his mind. Macbeth’s evil was a result of his overconfidence, guilty conscience, and his human nature, all of which are traits that could be seen in any person in search of power. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. : , .

Save the Animals :: Wildlife Essays

Save the Animals Ever heard the call of the wild? What about the wolf howling in the distant mountains? For most people the answer is no. This is because the wolf was eradicated from most areas of our country when the white man decided that he wanted to settle the west. Most of the extermination was because ranchers and farmers lost a good deal of livestock to wolves. Wolves were selected for extermination by the US government untill1976 when the government declared the Mexican gray wolf endangered in the lower 48 states. The trapping and killing of wolves was done by private trappers, hunters, or ranchers. After wolves were declared endangered, several private enterprises sought to give the wolf a chance to come back from almost extinction. One of these groups, P.A.W.S., petitioned, debated, and fought for the reestablishment of the wolf into the southwest and other areas of the country where they once roamed freely. These private enterprises achieved their goals, but they still need the su pport of the everyday American. Without their support, the wolf could still become extinct, and then the children of America would never know what it was like to hear the call of the wild. People need to understand that to balance nature, wolves need to be reintroduced into areas where they were once abundant. To claim ownership of this fight, one must understand our planet and its animals. What would our world be like if there were no animals? Animals on this planet are disappearing at an alarming rate. If we do not do something about it, our world will become a barren landscape. A common thread among scientists and naturalists is that we need to preserve animals in their natural habitats. Why? Because they preserve the natural habitats that people love going to. By keeping predators around, they balance out each other. Someone said in regards to cougars coming back into Arizona, â€Å"That’s just too many predators.† Well there is no such thing as too much of anything when it is applied to nature. In this case, â€Å"too many predators† means that the numbers of predators will increase, but nature will balance them out. The predators will have to fight for territory, meaning they will be more spread out; also, they will use each other as prey, and they wil l keep the number of prey animals under control.

A day in a Cave in the Rocky Mountains Essay

The soft morning breeze blew over the peaks and through the tall fragrant evergreen forest. Just outside the small mountain town of Idaho Springs, Colorado on a warm mid-summer morning back in 1991 I stood on my porch watching the wildlife busily starting the day. I stepped back into my little trailer house and picked up the land line and dialed the Hunt brothers’ number. Dan picked up the phone with a cheery â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Hey bud† I said, â€Å"are you and Devan ready to head out on this weeks spelunking adventure?† He laughed loudly and replied â€Å"We’ve been waiting for you. Let’s go.† â€Å"Okay,† I stated â€Å"I will meet you two at the bottom of the hill in fifteen minuets† and we hung up. I got my things together and hustled out the front door. I heard barking up the hill behind the house and called â€Å"Coda come.† And my four-legged Chow-mix buddy came charging down the hill full of vibrancy and joy. Coda and I walked on down the road and met up with Dan and Devan at a clearing on the other side of Clear Creek, which was the local river that eventually furnished the Coors brewery in Golden. The four of us headed up the hill through a valley to a tailing pile that laid in front of the entrance that awaited us. See more:  Perseverance essay The entrance beckoned our arrival with a musty damp scent from years of still life in darkness. We had explored this mine a few times before and found it to be the biggest one accessible to adventurers like us needing to fulfill our desire of adrenalin brought on by the many aspects of danger that lie within. Coda led the way and I carefully ducted through the low overhead opening of rock and stone that was the entry to the bowels of this mountain. The feeling of the cool damp air on my exposed skin ran a shiver down my spine as I moved forward leaving the morning sun and safety of the outside world behind. The sound of crushed rocks under our feet echoed off the solid stone walls stretching far into the distance before fading away in silence. After about 200 feet the passageway turned to the left and the day light from the outside was lost. With the flick of a switch my three-cell Mag-Light broke the darkness and the sparkle of mica and pyrite reflected off the narrow walls and ceiling. In previous journeys through this mine we had found and traveled several levels and what seemed like miles of tunnels. Coda  was leading the way and every once in awhile I would call him, â€Å"Coda come.† And a moment later his soft brown eyes would reflect in the glow of our flashlights. After about 30 minutes of travel we came to the main shaft that led to the upper levels, It was about fifteen feet in diameter and had an old wooden ladder on the left side with its rugs full of crushed rock from years of deteriation and on the right side was a chute that ore from the upper levels was dropped down and loaded into the ore cars then taken out of the mine. We decided to take a water and smoke break here and sat ourselves down on the cool rocky floor in a small circle. Dan pulled out the water bottle, took a drink and passed it around while following our traditions I lit a candle and placed it in the middle of our circle. Devan then pulled out a joint and Dan’s Bic-lighter flicked as he lit up the joint and we passed it around heightening our experience with the mind altering effects of natures own. We absorbed the stillness hearing only our own breathing and the rustle of Coda’s feet investigating the tunnel around the next corner ahead. It wasn’t long and I became aware that I could no longer hear the noises of Coda up ahead. I called out his name, â€Å"Coda† waited a moment for the sound of his paws coming down the tunnel but in return all we heard was the sound of a few stones falling and a splash. We all looked at each other in the glimmer of the candle light with the same thought. Ahead in that tunnel there was a large hole in the stone floor going down too far to see with a light. It was one of the few spots we had not ventured yet because on a previous tunnel quest we had tossed some rocks down and after watching them bounce their way down beyond the reach of the lights we heard the splash of water from below. The light of the candle was overwhelmed then extinguished as our flashlights came to life and we moved toward the hole to a lower un-traveled existence. I called for Coda again after we rounded the second corner where the cavern opened up wider, about twenty feet wide by ten feet high and there was merely a two foot wide ledge that gave access to the tunnel ahead. The rest of the ground gave way to what looked liked the throat of Hell ready to swallow its victims. What I feared was true and we could hear from below the whimpering of a  scared friend. I shined my light down the hole and to my hearts content I could see the small figure of Coda just at the last reach of my light. Behind me I heard the sound of a zipper as Devan got into the back-pack and pulled out a rope that was always kept in our survival bag. One end of the rope was tossed to Dan and he quickly tied it to one of the ore car tracks running along the floor. We all knew that this time in this mine we would see what lied beyond our view. Devan tossed the other end down the shaft and when it reached Coda he tried to catch it like a bone, lol. I called down to Coda to ensure him I was on my way down. Then I grabbed the rope in my hands turned around and began a decent down the hole as Dan shown his light below me so I could see where I was stepping. After the first hundred feet the degree of decent decreased and I was able to release one hand off the rope without slipping down to join Coda. I turned my light back on and shown it in Codas direction and another 30 feet away he was excitingly hopping up and down like a lottery winner. I moved closer towards him and when I reached the 3 foot ledge that kept him at bay from jumping on me I hopped down and praised, and cuddled him in a loving nurturing way â€Å"You are such a brave dog† I told him. Devan called down inquiring as to the plan and I hollered back that everything was ok but I would need some help getting Coda back up. Devan started carefully back stepping down the shaft and I decided I would take a quick look around. This was the level we never seen so no since in wasting the trip. The tunnel was about three feet wide by six foot tall. The walls were very damp and the splash we heard was a stream of orange rusty water running right down the middle of the floor. Devan reached the bottom and I directed his attention toward the liquid rust flowing on the floor and the view of the unexplored tunnels in both directions. Our thoughts were on the same path as usual and we called up to Dan telling him to grab the bag, he had to see this! Upon his arrival we made a mutual decision to travel to the right, the direction the flow was coming from. We followed the flow about 70 feet till the tunnel ended abruptly. The sight at the end was something we had never seen before. The whole back wall was covered with an orange, brown and black buildup that looked like it was oozing out of the wall. From the  ceiling there were stalagtites of iron rust hanging down, some of them all the way to the floor. Water dripped from the ends of each of them and a stream came from out of the wall and flowed evenly over the rusty buildup there. We took a couple pictures of this unique and different scene that was in front of us. We poked around there for a few and turned down the other way to see where this flow of water was headed. As we passed our rope leading back up the shaft the flow path of water widened on the cavern floor gradually from the 12 inches to 18 inches and 50 feet further it covered the entire floor. We stood there a moment looking down at our boots submerged in the water past our toes. The decline was gradual and within another 100 feet the water was up to our ankles and rising. Coda stayed behind not wanting to get in the water, and 50 feet further we were knee deep in water. Again we all thought the same and decided that we wouldn’t go any further with out our inflatable raft and it was time to conclude our adventure and return ourselves to the reality of the outside world and allow the sun to shine upon our skin again. When we got back to the rope and Coda was anxiously waiting to get out so we daisy chained our way back up the shaft, pushing and pulling on him till we crested the top and pulled our little friend over the edge. After a short rest and the re-coiling of the rope I led the way back toward the outside world. We halted at the main shaft going to the upper levels were there was another opening on the side of the mountain but with careful consideration the decision was made that we had had enough adventure for one day and we should just head out the way we came. Around the last bend the afternoon sun burst into view and Coda was making a break for it. I stepped out into the hot afternoon sun and looked to the clear blue sky. I thanked God for keeping us all safe one more time. When Dan and Devan came out we headed down the hillside trailing behind Coda till he spotted a rabbit and took off after it. We never made it back down to that lower level to sail forward and see where it led because soon after that trip something happened in that cave and the county department had blocked off both entrances and posted no trespassing signs on them. It’s been awhile now since I’ve made the opportunity to travel back to that community and indulge in a spelunking  adventure, but I to keep in touch with the Hunt brothers via land line and again someday soon, I will make the time to experience that thrill again.