The writings found in this section result from observations made during years in the field, scattered through numerous notebooks, scraps of paper, and cocktail napkins. I began consolidating and typing them in 2016, as I realized how much of the eventual book I wanted to publish I had already written. I present them here in installments, much as they were originally written. Once a week, I will provide another entry, to be found here.
These dispatches have been edited and organized largely as a result of how I organized my notebooks when I consolidated them from my notes. They are roughly in chronological order; however, there will be many deviations, revisiting of topics, and tangential relationships of entries. For when I write, I pull from my life experiences, sitting in the woods underneath a tree, on a scree slope, or on a boat in the river. The constant with these writings is their thematic structure. I do not necessarily write of the subject while I am in that environment; I revisit when the mood strikes.
The working title of the overall document was, “For the Study and Enjoyment of the First National Park and Surrounding Ecosystems”. This title is cumbersome, if not descriptive. Thrift in language will come eventually, and an elegant title might, in the future, manifest. I read far too many unimaginative texts, reports of exploration and etc., which tend not to exhibit creativity in their titles. Their influence will be felt in these writings, as will many others.
These writings are deeply personal. They sat in notebooks for a very long time, as I wrote them for myself, and myself alone. I did not anticipate doing anything with them, aside from letting them rot in notebooks, only revisited to allow my reminiscing in old age. As I typed them up, I realized I was not completely satisfied with the language and style used. My initial draft was typed verbatim from my notebooks, however, what is presented here is edited. The original lives in my bookcase, tucked safely away, while my working copy with handwritten edits forms the basis of the entries here found.
Thank you for your readership, and I hope you enjoy.
JFL