Is there a general pattern to how people change as they spend more time in the outdoors? I notice it in myself. But do other people go through the same thing?
At the beginning, people are excited by 'breathtakingly beautiful' tourist scenery, that is, anything freakishly big, vertical, colorful, etc.
And then how do they evolve? Perhaps they become more interested in some activity or skill, be it hiking or fly fishing. But recreation can still smell a bit vacation-ish or touristy.
I am guessing that they lose their obsession with 'pretty' and become more interested in the real and authentic processes of Nature. They want to grow food or raise a litter of puppies, cut firewood or build a cabin.
Maybe that is one reason why I was interested in the local mushroom hunters in this forest. Another group of 'gatherers' is the firewood guys. They too looked so proud and satisfied as they hauled away their quarry. Did they remove the bark from the tree? How did they do that?
The other day when Q.t.Ï€ and I were biking by a spring near the road, a local pulled up and started filling jugs with water from the spring. They had a little black 'schn-oodle' who lay down in the stream to cool off.
Suddenly it hit me how important this was. In fact what could be more important than water? How many times in my life have I drunk (untreated) water right out of the ground?
And Q.t.Ï€ seemed to agree. That little girl is serious about drinking water. If your puppyhood was in Phoenix, you either learn to drink water like you mean it or you die.
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I have no idea how long Erik was on his own as a stray before Animal Control pocked him up. However, from his behavior now I think it was for some time and he too learned to drink water like he means it.
When I start getting ready for our noon and afternoon walks he goes to the water dish and gets a drink.