Reading and Sugaring

As my legendary computer teacher Mrs. Butler (known to any graduate of Martin Kellogg Middle School) once said, "technology is a marvel of society...when it works." Or something to that extent. Tablet- check, keyboard-check, camera-check, car, my feet, the dog Jay's feet- check, check and check. I've been on some beautiful hikes this week but unfortunately the missing link is getting my pictures from the camera to the tablet. As we speak, the technological marvel known as Amazon is shipping me a micro-SD card. Once the capability arrives, who knows how many hikes will be documented on this page- with color photos to boot. But for now, we are limited to good old fashioned text and perhaps some images procured from my webcam or the Creative Commons.

I've been getting back into reading, thank goodness. Its something that comes in waves. I'll read two and a half books in January, start Chapter 7 in February, then put it down and not come back to finish it until March, when of course I end up reading two more books afterward. Who can relate? (woo!)

I compare it to sugaring maple trees, something I've always wanted to have a go at. Reading to me is a state of mind that takes concerted effort (or an exceptional book or subject) to tap into. Once you've tapped it, the words and chapters flow like sap in March. And your brain is the tin pail that collects it. The key is making use of that sap, staying in the right mindframe to receive, filter, and distill it down to usable information, perspectives, and relatable experiences (the Grade A maple syrup if you will).

Collecting sap and processing it takes a lot effort, and it is possible- even easier- to go about life without tapping your sugar maples. If you do make the proper effort, however, it is amazing what you can produce out of the trees around you- for free! I've been amazed at the maples I've found in my sugarbush. Some are major producers, some are more modest, and occasionally I come across a trickler (don't we all?)

I guess reading- and maple syrup- make life a bit sweeter.

The latest book I have been reading, The World Ending Fire, was given to me by a friend. It is a collection of essays by farmer and environmentalist Wendell Berry. The book is a producer. I continue to appreciate how a dozen or so pages a day keeps my mind engaged with the world around me as I process what I read. There will certainly be room in this blog for a post or two about specific essays.

For now, I'll end with some evidence of the 15 (!!!) mile hike I completed with the dog Jay on Wednesday. We were in some fantastic open space on Bradley Mountain near Shuttle Meadow Reservoir. Here is a feather I took from a the remains of a predator's lunch. Any ideas of the bird? They are a dime-a-dozen at my backyard feeder...

What bird am I? Comment if you know or want to take a guess!