Thoreau..

-Though I am old enough to have discovered that the dreams of youth are not to be realized in this state of existence yet i think it would be the next greated happiness always to be allowed to look under the eyelids of time and contemplate the perfect steadily with the clear understanding that i do not attain to it.

-A writer who does not speak out of a full experience uses torpid words, wooden or lifeless words, such words as "humanitary" which have a paralysis in their tails.

*Thoreau is one of my favorite writers up till this point. I would have never thought the day would come, where i would actually be willing to take nature this serious. Ive always been the type that enjoyed the outdoors, but was never really sensitive to certain issues such as (cutting down trees in the rainforest etc..) He's made me realize that a tree might just be a tree to me, but to people who appreciate it, its a whole world itslef. I agree with him in a lot of areas, and the main are would be that he takes nature as is comes, and is against people who damage it.Taking this class has really open my mind up to a lot of new things. I find myself looking at things very differently now, even the smallest things such as a leaf. Today i was observing a leaf that was on the ground for a long time, just to see what it really looked like. Ive learned a lot from Thoreau's writing and he has such a powerful impact and love for nature that hes still number one in my book {:

My First Summer in the Sierra

-Nature as a poet, an enthusiastic workingman, becomes more and more visible the farther and higher we go. -July 27

-The horizon is bounded and adorned by a spiry wall of pines, every tree harmoniously related to every other; definite symbols, divine hieroglyphics written with the sunbeams. Would i could understand them!

_ We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kinding enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. our flesh and bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees, streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun--a part of all nature, neither old nor young, sick nor well, but immortal.

*These are some of the many quotes Muir has stated throughout his book that made me think twice about nature in general. I truly enjoyed these simply because the choice of words Muir uses to explains the gravity of love he has for nature amazes me. As an outsider looking in, i can simply note that Muir takes nature very seriously and is enraged when others harm it. I liked the way he basically said that nature is beautiful no matter how old or young.. beautiful or young.. etc..