i can hardly believe that it is the last day of october. we are officially unofficially entering the holiday season sprint now: halloween, thanksgiving (for us in the states), christmas/hanukkah, and new year’s. and i am super duper excited. but, before we launch head first into all of the frenzy, i’d like to celebrate the month that has just been – october. this glorious, height of the autumn season in the states.
this month, i have been enthralled by the words of a certain naturalist – john muir. his quotes pop up everywhere when you google “trees” or “mountains”. so, he’s always been a familiar go-to person when i need a good nature quote. but, this month he’s taken a bit of a larger role in my life…
when i was camping with my family a few weeks ago, i stumbled upon a book that he had written about a long walk he made from indiana to the gulf of mexico, crossing through the north carolina mountains. now, as a lover of these foot-travel journal/memoir type books, i just had to pick up this one and read about his experiences.
john muir was a botanist and a total lover of all things natural. for him, it was his way of seeing and celebrating his faith. he remarks over and over again at the wonder of creation and how nature inspires us, showing us who the divine one truly is – beautiful, diverse, loving, simple, organic, real, living. his writing (and this journal about his walk south) is simple, neat, and straightforward. but, it is oh so inspiring. he chronicles his days as he wanders through mountains, fields, and swamps, encountering new plants and foliage, and all different sorts of people. his meetings with the people of the south just after the civil war have been fascinating.
but what is really inspiring is how he soaks in every single little thing, paying attention to the smallest details, appreciating the beauty that is surrounding him. in the midst of all of his detailed writing of this plant or that plant and his record-keeping, you find nuggets of wisdom and inspiration.
so, in honor of the amazing october we have had here in north carolina, and inspired by john muir’s love for nature, here are a few photos i took throughout the month. it has been magical, dreamy, gorgeous, and oh so much fun!
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…”
(John Muir)
wow. i have had the pleasure of being immersed in a lot of nature this month. i had no idea until i gathered all of these photos together. and, geez…. the north carolina mountains are so gorgeous. so very grateful to call them one of my homes.
Nice photos! I really enjoyed my time living in North Carolina, but currently enjoying Oregon greatly. Did you recently change your theme? Either way, your blog/site is looking great.
Oh, Oregon is just beautiful! It is a place that I definitely think that I could call home at some point in my life. I’d love to do just that actually. Yes, I did change my theme and the whole look of my blog. I added some more permanent things. Glad you like it! Thanks!!