Preview
Circa Date
circa 1887
Transcription
29
Weather Yo [Yosemite] Winter
Three days rainy
Three " cloudy
Two " snowy
Ten " Solid undimmed brightness
These 18 days may be compared to one of our large pine trees. A tall ten days trunk of sunshine with branches of bright sunny hours foliage of clouds, flowers of snow & dew of gentle rain
Mar [March] 27, 1872
In winter the sun seems to rise in the west & set in the east. While the east is yet dim many degrees of the eastern sky being hidden by the lofty Half Dome & Glacier Point, Eagle Cliff suddenly glows with morning light while all the valley beside is in shade. The light does not seem to lie only on the surface but seems fairly to saturate & make the whole cliff glow to its center as if the light came from within. Eagle Cliff is therefore the winter Orient of Yosemite. From it as a source apparently the light gradually creeps eastward down the mountainside, rosily touching the highest pines, arousing [all] the groves about Indian Canon. Thence stealing outward over the meadows to the river banks. About four o’clock
30
the valley grows dim like a half lighted room
You may see no cloud nor well marked shadows but cold thin twilight gathers nevertheless. You judge that it must be [sunset] sundown & look west down the valley for the sunset but it is not visible nor can you see any sky on which a sunset might be. The turning to look up the valley to the eastward you discover your missing sunset on [the] Half Dome.
Birds Yo. [Yosemite] Winter
Mar. [March] 27, 1872
Our winter birds cheerily sweeten these shadowy days with their faithful hopeful song. They are not many but a happier set never sang in snow. First & best we have the water thrush, a little dusky dainty bird that sings deliciously all winter. No matter how frosty or stormy, go to the riverside & you will hear him, no icy chittering cheeping but rich whole-souled enthusiastic music that despite [your] cold frostnipped toes & the cutting wind about your ears will make you fancy you are in a flowery grove [in spring time]. He sings the best songs of the brown thrasher & the bluebird & robin & he has borrowed from the streams [tinkling rills & the humming bees] to make the most delightful melody. This one bird makes a summer any time of year.
Date Occurred
1871-1874
Resource Identifier
MuirReel31 Notebook11 Img018.jpg
Contributing Institution
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
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