Happy Birthday, John Muir! (And a documentary recommendation)

By Francis M. Fritz
Public Domain

Fortunately, Facebook actually put something relevant and timely on my timeline from one of the many Parks Service or National Parks pages I follow - or I'd have missed that today is John Muir's Birthday! He would have been 182 years old. 

This is interesting timing as well because we just started watching a series on Amazon Prime called "Ken Burns: The National Parks - America's Best Idea." Of course, it is about the development of the National Parks system and the first two episodes focus very much on Muir's involvement in that and other efforts to protect the land; some successful, some not and the politics and economic interests that very much affected those efforts. I quite related to that part of his story - some of which I was not aware of. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll leave it at that. 

I had been intending to write a recommendation for that here so this provides a timely opportunity to do so. We are only on the third episode of the six but it is beautifully filmed - as you'd expect - and incredibly informative. We love documentaries here and we have an appreciation for PBS especially in this context. If you love the National Parks system and nature, I think you'd enjoy this.

The timing is even greater for these two things I wanted to blog about because I also just learned that this is National Parks Week! Somehow even with all the pages I follow for the parks, I never saw this until I was tagging a post on Twitter for this very blog. Who knew? 

Don't forget also that John Muir was quite a gifted writer. His ability to describe his surroundings is unparalleled. Perhaps just as interesting - if not more so - are his keen insights into human nature, ambition, and motives. I plan to share more excerpts in time as I have quite a few marked in my books. I find few things more relaxing than reading a few of his passages before bed. I only wish I made more time to read like that. 

I've blogged about him a good bit. I listed a few of his quotes and books that I've purchased here. I was pleasantly surprised to see him represented in one of our favorite areas to walk locally. A local art show had this great sculpture of him and Teddy Roosevelt that I have very much wanted. (Having learned about how Roosevelt deeply disappointed Muir in the end of his life, I'm not so sure now; but you'll have to watch the documentary to find out why.) His description of ferns really went after my heart. And, this narrative gold, where he describes a shepherd companion, is just classic. 

So, happy birthday to a man to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude and learn a bit more about him as we continue the lockdown (now extended to May 15 in Dallas County). 

Thanks for reading!