I begin to inhabit the planet.

Concord River

July 3.

P. M. — To Hubbard Bridge by boat.

The river and shores, with their pads and weeds, are now in their midsummer and hot-weather condition, now when the upright phalanx of dark-green pontederias have just begun to bloom. The seething river is confined within two burnished borders of pads, gleaming in the sun for a mile.  

When I leave the boat a short time the seats become intolerably hot. 

What a luxury to bathe now! It is gloriously hot, — the first of this weather. I cannot get wet enough. I must let the water soak into me. I begin to inhabit the planet, and see how I may be naturalized at last.

As I return down the river, the sun westering, I admire the silvery light on the tops and extremities of the now densely leaved golden willows and swamp white oaks and maples from the under sides of the leaves. The leaves have so multiplied that you cannot see through the trees; these are solid depths of shade, on the surface of which the light is variously reflected.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, July 3, 1854

What a luxury to bathe now! See July 8, 1854 ("The 4th and 5th were the hot bathing days thus far; thermometer at 98 and 96 respectively. ")See also July 8, 1852 (" I am inclined to think bathing almost one of the necessaries of life,"):July 9, 1852 ("Bathing is an undescribed luxury. To feel the wind blow on your body, the water flow on you and lave you, is a rare physical enjoyment this hot day.“) and A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Luxury of Bathing

*****

July 3, 2013

It's the night before Fourth of July. I have work and come up late. Jane is ready to go for a walk. It is Muggy and has been raining steadily for two months -- both record months. We walk to the view via the Undercliff Trail over the log that I cut but could not move and bushwhack to the "living room". I slip on some moss and I hope I did not kill it.

It is just past sunset. We sit. The dog sit. We watch the fog and mist rise in the valley below. The sunset changes imperceptibly except in our photos. There is a second sunset and then a pastel sunset.The mosquitoes are bothersome and we decide to hike down. At the lower view through an opening in the trees we can see the Burlington fireworks. In the distance are the Plattsburgh fireworks. The dogs watch the fireworks. Mosquitoes are bothersome and we walk home tired and happy.

We sit. The dogs sit.
We watch the fog and mist rise
in the valley below.
July 3, 2013

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