Staircase is open again
OK, we got that out of the way. A group of us noted that the Park Service has re-opened the road to Staircase and took the opportunity to visit the lovely maple grove at Camp Pleasant. This is a great trail for a 1 mile, 5 mile, 13 mile or 5 day hike.
And I was reminded once again of the astounding quality of people in our hiking group on that hike. We stopped to catch our breath and shed a layer and somehow the conversation turned to philosophy in the time of this pandemic. Wow!
Ed mentioned that he had been thinking of Voltaire's Candide recently, especially the comic Panglossian philosophy that we "live in the best of possible worlds." And the final line of the book: "We must cultivate our own gardens."
Ron mused that the writings and absurdism of Albert Camus ("The Plague") were on his mind these days. People are always reading the tea leaves looking for meaning. But maybe it is just a plague. How we react matters.
I was nervous and hyperventilating at this point. What could I possibly add to this rarified air??? Well, I added that we accidentally tuned in to Monty Python and the Holy Grail a few days ago and it reminded me of our times. You know: "Bring out your dead." "She's a witch." "Brave, brave Sir Robin. He turned and ran away."
Well, we kept hiking.
Here are a few of the great cover recommendations:
Karen (yes THE Karen) gives us Waltzing Matilda by John McDermott
Read recommends This May Be The Last Time by The Blind Brothers of Alabama
Denise found Wish You Were Here by Miley Cyrus!
And one big one from me: Yusuf Cat Stevens has "covered" his own album Tea for the Tillerman on the 50th anniversary of its release. He has re-recorded the entire album. I found it amazing! One more note: check out Sir Richard Attenborough's new movie A Life on our Planet.
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