Mad River Musings

 I read a verse by Tolkien today, and suddenly was gripped with gratitude for all the things I'd ever had. His verse was about fire and sunswept fields, beauty and stark relief, and I could not help, with his refrain from feeling my own journey there. He sat by his fire, and I by mine, Thinking of the seasons I've seen, the reflection and the time we have, to sit and think, far from our screens. The things that make me grateful, many and varied are the dry heat emanating from my fire, the austere beauty of the stars. The friends I have, the friends I keep, The women I have loved, important to my journey are, thought fleeting some may be. Life's seasons come, as fall and spring and with winter upon us now, it falls to me to let it break as waves upon the bow Of summer's hayfields, hot and dry, the green hint of new spring, fall's foliage picturesque, and winter's biting sting Through all the seasons of my life,  one thing has e'er been true Entwined must our

 This morning, I saw a shooting star where does it come from?   Where does it want to go? (where does it come from, cotton eye joe?) Either way, it made a long way and it felt like it was just for me. At 4:21 am, when no one else is awake,  blazing through the sky to greet me. before the rooster crows, before anyone wakes across a moonlit sky with starts twinkling.

How, when faced with the stars in the sky, can we help but be overwhelmed by their beauty, their stark crisp light on a chilly fall morning by the grandeur of their pure unblinking light and the knowledge that we, of stardust are made and we, to stardust shall return while undeterred their light will shine on whatever our atoms someday become

 Good morning, I've often thought about what it would be like to just disappear into the woods for a while.  This is not a new idea - Thoreau at the very least, but also lots of people fed up with Covid, society, social media, etc. - have opted for homesteading or off the grid living.  I keep watching youtube videos about it, thinking about how I'd do it and how I'd adapt and make things better.   After reading a few articles about the Winsted Wild Man, I really think I ought to give it a go.  I have a few forests I'd like to try disappearing in, love hammock camping and work mostly online these days.  All I need is a few bars of cell service to do my job, so even the deeply wooded areas around here would probably do.  I don't think I'll go naked like he/she/they purportedly did.  I'm not THAT hairy after all.  But I really think I could live for a while this way.  Maybe I should start with a weekend. So, I only  need a few things.  I'll start with my pa