As the Round Earth Rolls

“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” – John of the Mountains by John Muir

Muir was a naturalist, author, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States. He loved the natural world and spent a great deal of time living in nature, which is something much of our western culture does not experience. He started out as a student of nature through detailed observation, “to study the inventions of God.” When you read about him or in his writing you will come to understand that he lived each day fully, staying present to the world around him. His way of living was not shared by everyone as he mentioned about his fellow Californians, “The love of Nature among Californians is desperately moderate; consuming enthusiasm is almost wholly unknown.” I think many people enjoy looking at images, still or video, of nature but so few of us venture into that world so close to us. His writings, as well as others, is another reason I will leave my warm bed to spend time in the cold or rain or heat. It’s not so much about the image as just being there “as the round earth rolls.”