Essays
Philosophical and Political
Thoughts From My Journal – Age and Rapid Change
9-9: The Sierra and Yosemite were never only Nature, beauty, wonderment, and the place I most liked to go. They were experiences of physical engagement, of combining exertion and sweat with the dust of a trail and the sights along them. Now I see how crucial that kind...
Thoughts From My Journal – Beauty Imbued Spirit
8-31-2021: If it were possible to believe that gods created the Universe, the next belief might be that they had decided to use Earth for the indulgence of their artistic talents. To see just how much beauty they could create in, from their perspective, a limited...
Thoughts From My Journal – Dixie Fire
8-7-21: I often write notes to myself when I’m reading, and more often when I’m camping. These used to be called “commonplace books” and have been maintained since antiquity; I’m sorry I’ve not spent more time on mine, both writing in them and rereading, which I...
Thoughts From My Journal – Anticipatory Grief
8-18-21: For many years one of my favorite places to camp has been Warner Valley, a remote area in the southeast corner of Lassen Volcanic N.P. The Pacific Crest Trail runs through, as does a permanent stream, and I’ve hiked both north and south on the PCT as well as...
Thoughts From My Journal – Mutual Benefits
06-28-21 - I read a book a few months ago called Entangled Life. It describes the astonishing activity beneath my feet, especially when those feet carry me through a forest, a place where fungi and roots commingle with lubricious-level abandon, and microbes,...
Non-Attachment
9-13: Since I wrote about non-attachment, I read this: “A certain recluse monk once remarked, ‘I have relinquished all that ties me to the world, but the one thing that still haunts me is the beauty of the sky.’ I can quite see why he would feel this.” The writer...