Yesterday, I received The Book of Forest and Thicket – Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of Eastern North America by John Eastman and illustrations by Amelia Hansen.
So, this means that I am now beginning my independent study into the forest and thicket. This is in an effort to better enjoy the outdoors and to gain the ability to impress women on the trail.
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“Look darling – that’s a sassafras.”
I crush it’s leaves between my fingers
“Smell.”
“Ohhhh ahhhh, it smells like fruit loops! Jeff Prater you’re so amazing and wonderful”
Jeff Prater and woman on the trail trade butterfly kisses
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Well, really, its more so I can enjoy the outdoors and be more aware of the environment that I trample in.
Beware! This blog will be littered with plant information soon.
Did you know that a globular mass of leaves and other plant material in a high-hangning grapevine is probably the summer nest of a red squirrel? Cool huh?
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This weekend I visited a huge hole in the ground – the Tullulah Gorge. The most exciting thing to happen at the gorge (minus the thousands of years it took for the Tallulah River to gut through the Tullulah dome rock formation creating the gorge) is the Great Wallenda’s tightrope walk in 1970.
The Great Wallenda came from a long line of German tightrope walkers. His family had an act where they formed human pyramids and rode across wires on bicycles. (Please picture early 20th century – black and white – daredevil romanticism/adventurism/side showism) The Great Wallenda continued tightrope walking even after numerous tightrope tragedies that claimed many of his family members.
While he did successfully complete the Tallulah Gorge tightrope walk, he later died attempting a walk in San Jose 9 years later at 73 years old. He claimed he knew he would make each walk successfully after his third step. I don’t know at what step in San Jose became his last.
Its easy to write off tightrope walking as imprudent and risky. GW certainly walked the fine tightrope between idiocy and adventurous living, but at least he was walking.
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