Thank you John Muir. Adventure Racing. Travel. Hiking. Orienteering. Nature. Animals. The logical personal choices for seeking inspiration for a blog title. It didn't take long, and after a quick google search for "John Muir Quotes" I had plenty of fodder for my blog's appellation. If you have ever perused the works of Mr. Muir, you know he is not one for concise words conducive to a short title, so I have taken liberties with some of his ideas and words for A Universe of Trees. That said, the muse in this case is no singing seraphim, whispering sweet inspiration in my ear. Instead, he is a bearded and wiry mountain man who did far more in the woods and mountains of the majestic west than we mere mortals can possibly ever hope to accomplish (in footwear that makes my feet ache as I think of him rambling through the high sierras or riding out a storm from the crown of towering pine. Boots we modern day outdoors-enthusiasts would cringe at). If you have never read any of Muir's musings on the glorious world so many of us have long forgotten, then I urge you to do so. Muir was Mother Nature's truest ambassador and most loyal scribe.
As for the blog...I still don't carry a cell phone (yes, there is a cell phone in my life that some may say is “mine”...I'd like to point out that I only use it when traveling for a race when unforeseen wrong turns, delays or injuries are actually quite probable, and even then I leave it off, much to the dismay of those who actually have the number and know which weekends of the year I might actually get a message) and I still do not have any "friends" (thanks to my absence from the world of Facebook), but I have been more and more intrigued by the online world of blogging since Abby created a blog to record and share our summer travels in New England a few months back. Some of you may have seen my "guest appearances" on Have Dental Floss, Will Travel, but I developed an itch for my very own online chronicle. While I may devolve into political ravings or philosophical ruminations, I anticipate focusing on the natural world around me and my sometimes misguided adventures in the forests, mountains and rivers at home and afar. So, welcome to my universe…
3 comments:
Horray! Another distraction!
When I made my first post back in January, Tom Dibblee very kindly provided my first comment.
Looking back at the conversation now, I realize that his note is a largely unintelligible rave referencing diabetes, The Wild Turkey Federation, and Ween, but his purpose was clear and appreciated. He wanted to get rid of that little 0 next to the word comments at the foot of my post.
And not only did he do that, but he also inspired me to write a story I'd told only in spoken words, and the transformation of stories, I think, is one of the most fascinating aspects of the user generated internets.
You alter a narrative when you write it down, often bringing new thoughts to it, adding new emphasis, or making new connections. You might even harden it or fasten it in place, limiting its freedom but protecting it from memory drift.
But when you write it down, publish it, and invite response, then things really get crazy.
Anyway, I'm excited that you're writing, and I'll do my best to keep your stories evolving and your 0s minimal.
Even the blog is in earth tones.
My dad will get a kick out of that :)
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