Creator

John Muir

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[Jan.] 30. W. S.E. very high. Clouds .75. One storm cloud blue like tempered steel. Rain in great quantities during last night – also 3 hrs. today. The whole face of the plains is brilliantly mirrored with pondlets and netted with songful silvery rills. A cold bleak day. A good many of my sheep are dying of cold. [Jan.] 31st. W. S. & N.W. Clouds .33. Nature’s fields all fully green from mountain range to mountain range over all the plains. The late rains have made many shallow pools, and this evening they all are noisy with a most musical population. An immense crop of batrachians have come to life more suddenly than mushrooms. Where have all these frogs been during the long dry season. My sheep are long legged and long tailed and come in gallant style from the hillsides when pursued by my two dogs. To-day I observed one of my sheep inquisitively smelling and examining a large hare. The hare allowed the sheep to touch him with his nose. Plants of Jan. in flower 4, viz. 1 of Cruc. 1 of Borrag. 1 of Umb. 1 Erigonium. Musci. Hepaticae and Fungi in full prime. Without question this has been the most enjoyed of all the Januarys of my life. Feb. 1st, ’69. 1st. S.E. 4 Clouds .25. Sheep galloped in gallant style along the rim of Twenty Hill Hollow. Warm grass increasing rapidly. 2nd. S.E. 7 Clouds .75. Dull, even, cool. 3rd. S. to N.W. 6 Clouds large cumulus .50. Cool. Sheep jumped excitedly from bank over creek. The excitement of each appears to be the united excitement of all. Heavy rain last night from S.E. River higher than ever before in the season. 4th. S.E. 7 Clouds .30. Cool. Found fragrant yellow violet near Twenty Hill Hollow, perennial, thick rooted. 5th. S.E. 8 Clouds. Many a plant tasting life now.

Date Original

1869

Source

Original journal dimensions: 14 x 18 cm.

Resource Identifier

MuirReel23Journal03P50-51.tif

Publisher

Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Rights Management

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Keywords

John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist

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