Autumn Nears

And nature's beauty comforts us...

Sorry that it has been a while between posts. I spent eight days in Seattle for a family wedding early in the month. I went to grad school there at the University of Washington, and I haven’t been back since I defended my dissertation in anthropology in 1986. It was a wonderful visit, and I had hoped to take plenty of photographs of Seattle’s beauty, but we were tied pretty tight to wedding arrangements. Our immediate family had come from Boston, Denver, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, so there was lots to catch up on and kids and grandkids to keep close. I love chasing the little grandkids and showing them new things.

We did lots of hiking in Seattle’s parks. About half of my hiking was done with my four-year-old grandaughter on my shoulders. One day I got 20,000 steps in, most of it with her on my shoulders. Conversing with her while we walked was so much fun. I think that she taught me more than I taught her. I did teach her to say “Watch your noggin” when we approached lower branches.

“Watch your noggin!” we kept calling to each other as we went under branches. She hadn’t heard the word “noggin” before and I started wondering about its etymology.

noggin (n.)

1620s, "small cup, mug," later of the contents of such a vessel, "small drink" (1690s), a word of unknown origin, possibly related to Norfolk dialectal nog "strong ale." OED considers that the similar Celtic words are "no doubt" from English. Informal meaning "head" is attested by 1866 in American English.

I guess our skull “cups” our brain.

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I love how the mushrooms pop up overnight on the trail. Totally defiant.

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Notice the insect in the center left. The fungus to the right was the size of a loaf of bread.

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I found these glasses on the trail to the left. I picked them up and “curated” them on a post in the parking lot. I think they are children’s glasses, and the brand is Foster Grant. The child could have lost the glasses, or discarded them. They have now been on the post for over a week, and soon I will have to decide if they should remain on the post with the hope the child finds them when and if they return, or decide if they need to go into the trash. While it might sound silly, this is a difficult decision for me.

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One night while we were gone it rained so hard that it brought the logs down on the left and blocked the old course of the stream, driving it to the right, creating a larger and deeper pool.

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What a wonderful, beautiful, crazy world we live in. I’m totally in awe.

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Here are three of my favorite nature Substacks: My friend Larry Stone’s “Listening to the Land,” Diane Porter’s My Gaia, and Al Batt’s Al’s Substack. Please consider subscribing. All three will entertain, educate, and soothe your soul.

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