November 2023

November 30, 2023

It’s five degrees warmer than yesterday, but still only 28 degrees. Today’s walk into the woods should be chilly. This morning, I came across a passage from Henry David Thoreau ‘s piece titled Walking that spoke to me. It said, “I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit. In my afternoon walk I would fain forget all my morning occupations and my obligations to society. But it sometimes happens that I cannot easily shake off the village.” Thoreau then asks, “What business have I in the woods, if I am thinking of something outside of the woods?”

November 29, 2023

I thought it would be a great day to start a journal on my website. A cold front blew in last night, dropping the temperature to 23 degrees. That made my morning walk brisk in the biting wind. This evening, I stalked a small herd of whitetail deer in the forest, coming within 60 yards before a doe detected me, sounding the alarm. The herd didn’t move far though, as they circled back to the south side of my property, right after the sun set. I drove to the nearest grocery store, a Piggly Wiggly in the next county, to pick up a ribeye for the Traeger grill. All in all, it was a good night. I’m currently listening to Henry David Thoreau - A Life, authored by Laura Dassow Walls. So far, it’s great; highly recommended.