John Muir Day

John Muir in Yosemite (YouTube documentary video)

“Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men
listen”

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

 ~ John Muir ~


Roosevelt And Muir in Yosemite (1903)

John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States.

Last Friday, the California Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed April 21, 2013 “John Muir Day”

Brown called the naturalist “a giant of a man" whose "vision of the pristine landscape as a source of spiritual renewal has become central to our understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature."

The wilderness was in fact John Muir's religion.  He worshiped the rocks, the trees, the birds and animals he found there. In the spring of 1868, he came to Yosemite and changed the world. Muir had just turned 30 that year. Here he was talking about his beloved Yosemite Valley:

"No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite. Every rock in its walls seems to glow with life. Some lean back in majestic repose, others absolutely sheer, or nearly so, for thousands of feet, advance beyond their companions in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to storms and calms alike, seemingly conscious, yet heedless of everything going on about them."

We have visited Yosemite (幽森美地) Valley many times since we moved to California in 1978. It is not just an awesome, great valley, but also described as “ a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra”.

Here are some of the photos I took during our family trip to Yosemite in the summer of 2010:













Yeh Tze