Tag: John Muir

  • Silent Soul Stirrings

    Deep early morning’s shadows draping the river valley, and mystical mountain mists silently stirred tranquility in my soul. A hen turkey suddenly peering in the kitchen window silently stirred a smile in my soul, and “The mountains are calling and I must go” yearning … so I went … up the trail to Castle Mt.…

  • Planting Restoration

    The emergence of fireweed blooms heralds the beginning of summer’s exit and the impending entrance of fall in the Last Frontier.  Much like the ubiquitous dandelion ‘Wonder Weed’, fireweed is edible and nutritious, possessing medicinal qualities attributed to mitigating migraine headaches, insomnia, anemia, delirium tremens, infections and colds. Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is also one of…

  • Wapiti Wanderings

    The Cherokee National Forest borders our Great Smoky Mountains environs. Except for sections lying within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, it comprises the border area between eastern Tennessee western North Carolina. A pristine retreat John Muir once described  . . . “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my…

  • Bird in Hand

    “In every walk nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir Such was my wander today as this trusting little feathered friend brought to mind some comforting passages: “For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you,…

  • The Call

    I heeded John Muir’s motto today … “The mountains are calling and I must go”… across the lake, Castle Mountain whispered my name. The trek up took a tad longer than usual. Yes, I’m a year older since my last climb, but I suspect sampling the ripening blueberries along the trail accounted for some extra…

  • “The Manuscripts of God”

    A ½” of virgin, unmarked snow . . . a cool, gentle breeze . . . a pinking hour sunset brushed across distant snowcaps  – the wilderness wonder postcard God created for me to glide through before hanging up my skis and heading off to rejoin my life partner in the Great Smoky Mountains tomorrow.…

  • Peace . . . Hope . . . Joy . . . Love

    Clouds abated today and sunshine peeked through, a welcome respite from a lengthy stretch of stormy weather . . . and I heard the mountains calling. John Muir once said, “You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you” . . . and today they moved in. High among mountain cathedrals’ majesty, blanketed…

  • Prince William Sound

    Three days of rainy weather tends to dampen one’s spirits. Three days of rainy weather aboard a friend’s boat, rocked to sleep each night on gentle waves, encircled by the magnificent wonders of Prince William Sound’s lifts one’s spirits. Top it off with a stringer of sockeye salmon, and  . . . Life is Good!…

  • John Muir Quote

    John Muir described my Greatland front yard with 5 words . . . “Nature –  the manuscripts of God” I M Blessed . . . May U B 2 Keep Looking Up . . . His best is yet to come!