You see, May last year, I scrambled to finish grading papers and exams for my final semester at the college. The very next day my 4-month-long, grueling professional genealogy course began--and I had not a free moment until Labor Day in early September.
So this year I have found that I am literally going wild with excitement observing all the spring wildflowers again, I'm fascinated taking stock of the state of my forest in different habitats, and also am thrilled to construct new, interesting trails to take advantage of the beauty on our land. Of course I still have to work, so I limit these activities on weekdays to 90 minutes. And weekends, I allow myself much more time still. So it's probably no surprise that I'm not reading as much as I was in March--a stellar reading month--11 books without a single dud.
So, it's no wonder that right now I'm enjoying the forest ecologist Bernd Heinrich's The Trees in My Forest. He writes about his personal studies on his 100+ acres in northwestern Maine, and his land is very similar to our land in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. He is probably the best-known and most widely read nature writer in the Northeastern U.S.
I'm still reading L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton, but am eager to finish it so I can strike out and claim some new bookish terrain.
Unfortunately, it's going to be very, very hot this weekend--high 80s!! And still our air conditioner men have not arrived. You will never hear me complain about our winter cold, but the heat does wilt me. The cure: Take a cold shower. Dig deep into a mesmerizing book in a darkened room. Don't come out, unless there's an invitation to an air-conditioned venue.
I will get out very, very early to enjoy nature before the heat hits in earnest.
Where you live sounds utterly wonderful. I must look into that nature writer you mention.
ReplyDeleteI too loathe the heat. Luckily we don't get it like you do very often. We were over there in the late summer of 2005 and stuggled a bit with the high 80s low 90s heat in Baltimore.
Oh, Cath!
DeleteBaltimore in the high 80s and low 90s is brutal because of the excessively oppressive humidity. You experienced East Coast heat at its most abominable.
Heinrich has written on all sorts of topics. He does have a northeastern U.S. slant, but several of his books are cross-overs.
I hope your summer warmth is reasonable!
So glad you're able to enjoy spring in the Adirondacks this year... such a beautiful, time! The books will wait :)
ReplyDeleteJoAnn,
DeleteThanks for your thoughts.
We're trying to deal with no a.c. at the moment, not by choice, but by happenstance.
I was out early this morning in the woods and down by the creek and all over. Took many photos. It's all too amazing. Very, very hot here today. I hope you plunge into your lake or have lake breezes or awesome air-conditioning!
It's so beautiful up there. New York state doesn't get the credit it deserves for natural beauty. And your dog is sure loving it.
ReplyDeleteI have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and heat intolerance is a big problem for me. Have my a/c on but going outside is awful and three months of this is not much to look forward to.
I agree that many people don't realize the beauty and the variety of beautiful landscapes we have in New York State.
DeleteAnd my dog does indeed love it, although she HATES the heat and loves the cold. I don't mind the cold a bit either.
My husband has MS and MS symptoms are worse in heat. He can exert himself for brief periods on hot days, but then he needs to cool down.
The Adirondacks sound lovely. I need to read more about that area. Living in Santa Barbara, CA, we don't have high temperatures too much, although last summer we had 2-3 weeks where we really suffered. I grew up in Alabama with the oppressive heat due to the humidity, although I never really noticed the heaviness of it until I came back on visits.
ReplyDeleteHi Tracy,
DeleteI'm glad to hear you don't have to deal with the devastating summer heat and humidity anymore.
The Adirondacks is? are? a special place. The entire Adirondack State Park, a mix of private and public land, includes 6.3 million acres, about 3 million acres of which is private land. The Adirondacks is larger than the state of Vermont. A book I believe you would love is the adventure thriller Cold River by William Judson. Another great book is the first memoir written by Anne LaBastille, Woodswoman. Both books capture the vastness of the wilderness here and the adventure of the rugged life and the harsh winters, much harsher than anywhere else in the Northeastern U.S.
That woodland of yours looks so like the woods just behind our house, it's amazing considering the temperatures are so different.
ReplyDeleteKatrina,
DeleteI've noticed that some of your woodsy areas look very much like ours and have wondered at it myself. Some day I want to see it for myself.
I do know about the heat intolerance of MS. I actually learned about this by reading Stephen White's mystery series. He has MS and a main character also had the disease, so he writes about the symptoms and difficulties with the disease.
ReplyDeleteI just run my a/c nearly all the time. I limit my time outside in the summer and try to avoid the times when the sun is the strongest, like mid-day. I am thankful that I live in a big city. If I go outside and feel awful after 20 minutes, I can quickly go into a fast food place with a/c and get a cold drink and then go home fast.
Yes, I agree avoiding mid-day sun and heat is an excellent measure to take. I make a habit of staying clear of mid-day heat!
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