The Omnivore’s Backpack

And it sounds like a lot but all of this can be made up into a fairly compact little bundle with a little thought.

New Territory Part 4

We managed to toss out the least desirable quarter of our collection. This was good; we were going to need this space for more rocks.

New Territory Part 3

Something gleamed brightly from the bottom of this pan, something “hot” yellow, a vibrant burst of light in the dim forest understory. “Eureka,” I said to Susan.

New Territory Part 2

The agates weren’t outwardly colorful or attractive but I was starting to develop an eye for their outer texture and translucence. The agates here were also larger than average, with some probably topping three pounds.

New Territory Part 1

Don’t ask me how I started thinking about agates, of all things. These rocks are utterly foreign to me.

Rumors of my Demise Have Been Greatly exaggerated…

Yet, it’s also been a good year and I have much to be thankful for and I improved my own situation in many ways.

Off the Beaten Track

People complain of over-crowding on the hiking trails of the east but that’s only because they’ve sought out crowded times and places.

Wild and wonderful blog post

It’s a place that immediately breaks one from city things and turns the thoughts to one’s surroundings – to the creek that trickles past through red clay banks or to the buzzards circling high overhead.

Back out west

We’d be foolish to go anyway; surely all the summery sights of the tourist season had withered, clouds would be oppressive and rain more the rule than the exception. Maybe better to just stay in western Pennsylvania.