Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tea in the Sahara Sierra


I love it when life does this. PBS has been running a series of programs about the national parks, which we've been eating up because (a) we love the nature shows and (b) a few visits to some of the parks have made us believers in their importance and unparalleled grandeur. Last night we caught up on one about Yosemite, and its history with Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir. Reminded of my love of Muir's writings, I snatched my Library of America volume off the shelf to relish once again his "Flood-Storm in the Sierra." I opened the book randomly, and my eye fell immediately on this bit I'd underlined many years ago in My First Summer in the Sierra. He's hiking around and stops to write about food, then mentions:

Drank tea until half intoxicated. Man seems to crave a stimulant when anything extraordinary is going on, and this is the only one I use.

1 comment:

  1. I too approve of this guy because he says tea is the only stimulant he uses. I consider this to be spiritually correct. Tea is the only appropriate stimulant out of many choices for anyone unless they have a prescription from a doctor. --Teaternity

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