Good Friday Morning!
Autumn in West Virginia is truly a lovely time to be, and see, and experience nature (although I have my own conflicted feelings about it). To some, it’s the start of hunting season, or the cold crisp air makes them think of football, but to me it’s the smell of leaves and water, and the sound of air blowing leaves from the trees.
In this line of work, the “commodification” of these types of experiences and places is pretty rampant - go to instagram and you will find no shortage of pretty girls drinking a cup of steaming something in a hat and sweater looking out at some vantage, all seeking your likes and the hopes of becoming an influencer. Because of that, those same folks will stream to the same places they saw online, and before long tranquil nature looks like the food court at your local shopping center (and yes, I may have dated myself with that reference).
I try not to hate on those folks too much - if even a few of them come away with the true goodness of it all, it will be worth it. There are few things more insta-able than John Muir quotes, so I’ll go with this one:
”Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
Not bad.
Hope folks have a great weekend!