End Pavement

Today would have been John Muir’s 169th birthday, but considering all he did in his life, he lived every year like two. From Wikipedia:

John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was one of the first modern conservationists. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, and wildlife, especially in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, were read by millions and are still popular today. His direct activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. His writings and philosophy strongly influenced the formation of the modern environmental movement.

The Sierra Club website has a John Muir Exhibit which includes Google Earth tie-ins to follow along with his adventures.

John Muir led a life that mixed high adventure and heartfelt advocacy for the protection of wilderness — an approach to living summed up in the Sierra Club motto: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet.

Now, you can explore some of the important places and moments in Muir’s life with Google Earth, powerful mapping software you can download for free.

Give the nearest patch of dirt a friendly pat tomorrow and wish the planet a happy Earth Day while you’re at it. ;)

And then on Monday, wish my wife Denyse a Happy Birthday! ;D

It was three months ago, on December 21st, that I wrote a post called “Winter Solstice”, the first post on the site, save one. It’s funny looking back, since the weather was quite similar to today’s, though we’ve had at least one heat wave since then.

The last paragraph talked about the importance of Winter to the other seasons:

Spring would not mean anything if there were no winter. No matter what your particular religious beliefs (or lack thereof), no matter what festivals or feasts or traditions you celebrate this time of year, don’t you think it’s also important to recognize this amazing astronomical event? To celebrate these short hours of light, because they are so precious?

As I write this, the Vernal Equinox is arriving officially, marking the boundary between Winter and Spring. That is exciting to me for a number of reasons, but perhaps most of all because what I was looking forward to in December is again what I’m yearning for:

While I’m looking forward longingly to a season or so from now — to warmer hiking, to baseball games, to the bike training — it’s a good thing to appreciate what’s here already.

I haven’t been on a bike since the accident, nor on a trail. My physical therapy is going well, though, with weight lifting that is slowly increasing. Last week I felt for the first time real progress — feeling stronger rather than just less weak, an important distinction. So those things I was (and am again) looking forward to are closer than ever.

I can’t wait.

Thanks to Commute by Bike for pointing to an article and new guide on the Guardian website.

“The world’s greatest invention” is a lovely article by Matt Seaton on one of the greatest gifts of the 19th Century to the 21st.

It seems a paradox in the age of consumer electronics and ever more gorgeously refined designer “black goods”, but it’s this sturdy piece of Victorian technology - the good old bike - that we love most. But why does the bicycle occupy this special place in our affections?

Writers such as Henry Miller and Iris Murdoch preach the joy of cycling, as much a symbol of freedom as a means of transportation.

This is just one introductory article in the Guardian’s impressive Cycling Guide, most of which is applicable outside the UK, and just got bookmarked by me for lots of later reading. That will be the limit of my cycling-related activities until my shoulder heals enough.

If my calculations are correct, and if Wikipedia’s article on the topic is correct, then today at 16:22 Pacific time will mark the official Winter Solstice. The daylight hours will slowly begin to increase again in the inexorable march toward spring.

While I’m looking forward longingly to a season or so from now — to warmer hiking, to baseball games, to the bike training — it’s a good thing to appreciate what’s here already.

As winter weather goes, Southern California isn’t exactly the most wintery place in the world. In fact, as I write this, it’s partly sunny with the temperature in the low 50s and an expected high of 66°F. The “Winter Hike” means something very different than what folks in most of the country are used to.

You can see our gorgeous mountains clearly. A bit sobering that they always used to be that way, but never mind that for the moment — it would be a crime not to enjoy the amazing vistas. Stop and take a breath.

I’ll be writing occasionally about Breathing on this site, both as a physical act and as a philosophical statement: Breathing on Purpose, which is still vital no matter what time of year it is. That air you suck in climbing up a hill is colder than the spring or summer variety, but it’s just as good for you. Better, probably. Cleaner.

Spring would not mean anything if there were no winter. No matter what your particular religious beliefs (or lack thereof), no matter what festivals or feasts or traditions you celebrate this time of year, don’t you think it’s also important to recognize this amazing astronomical event? To celebrate these short hours of light, because they are so precious?

Happy Solstice, everyone.