John Muir deserves his fame--

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Muir-Twenty-Two-Greatest-Adventures/dp/1930238371

I bought this book on my recent trip to Yosemite National Park.

I found that my dear friend does not have so many books after all, just her Bible and religious studies shelves, women's studies and cook books.

Nothing compared to my personal library of art, pol, sci, Burma, Russia, China, literary books.

She did not go into the book store, but her son and I did, and I am so happy I bought this volume.

Muir was the true naturalist, working his way as sheep herder and the guide, to earn his keep as he "botanized" and studied nature.

He also wrote like a dream.

These excerpts were chosen by an actor who makes his living doing Muir portrayals, and most likely read the Muir excerpts in the Ken Burn's video we saw at the Center.

--I wondered what was that burly accent--now I know it is Scottish.

I have only one Scots friend, the daughter of my father's friend, is it not amazing.

--
Today I had a consumer experience, which stands in sharp contrast to Muir climbing up ice cones and getting a ride on an avalanche.

It is amazing how he kept his head.

My consumer experience.

Yesterday, I arrived at the movie theater at 3.48 and thinking I was only 3 minutes late, I asked the atttendant who finally appeared, "Can I still get in and see 'Snowden?"

He said, "It's not here.  Yesterday was the last day."

So I saved $10, but was not too happy.  Will have to read a book.

So I took the elevators all the way down to the basement, where I have found some good night shirts before.  Let's call it Moderately Priced not Upscale or MPNU.

I looked for shirts first in the women's section, but though I took 5 items into the dressing rooms, I could not fit my arm into even one of the rather frowsy looking shirts.  Lett oh or armhole too small.

So I wandered around, not too happy, handbags--useless

too pink too shiny too heavy too glitzy.

Don't need shoes, don't need bras.

Finally I found a man's shirt and a woman's jacket.

The flannel shirt was $15 and the jacket was $24, not bad.

But when I got home, I found the attendant or cashier had not taken off the big security plastic clamp, and I was unable to get it off with a knife, so again back to store with my receipt.

There, I got a big shock.

So many shoppers due to its being a Saturday.

For the last 3 decades, I have always been amazed at the amounts of food (usually bad food--like processed foods)  and clothes that Americans buy.

I took my cart as I had $18 in coins, which I wanted to change for notes in the bank, but the bank was closed.  The coins were very heavy.

I wandered around twice, lost in the store, trying to find "Checkout and returns"--I hate the smell of clothes.

Finally found it and bought another shirt and a scarf, which I thought would match the light mauve hat I bought in LA.

So that is so different from John Muir climbing on a ledge behind a waterfall.

Of course I am too old now to strike out like Muir into the wild, and also we should remember the romantic who tried to winter in an old bus in Alaska and died.  (Into the Wild)

One needs serious survival skills, as Muir taught himself, it seems.

However, I can still read so long as my eyes and my brain hold out.

In conclusion, this book The Wild Muir cannot be bought for one cent + postage, and I consider this a good sign.

It's an instant classic and I know where I will put it, right next to Travels with Charlie, by John Steinbeck.

Steinbeck wanted to prove to himself he could still do it, so after the Nobel Prize, he refurbished a truck and went out on the road with his poodle Charlie, once mistaken for a black man sitting next to him.

That was not quite Blue Highways, by William Least Heat Moon, but close enough.

Besides, who cannot not love someone's writing who is named Least Heat Moon?

Copyright Kyi May Kaung.