Leopold poses the question, “who is the more thoroughly acquainted with the world in which he lives?” (p.78) I kept this question in mind when I set out for my walk to the cascades. It is a small river, almost a brook, behind the Farmington fairgrounds. I discovered it when I lived behind the fairgrounds. It was and still is a place that my friends and I often visit. I love this place because although there is a physical presence of people, a trail and a fire pit, the noises of town are drowned out by the sound of the river and the shroud of tall pines.

It was really the entire first passage in Leopold’s chapter home range that I kept in mind on my walk.

“The wild things that live on my farm are reluctant to tell me, in so many words, how much of my township is included with their daily or nightly beat.”

I started my walk on my street; it is in town there is a doctors office, houses, and even a market. I thought about the animals that I’ve seen in the neighbor hood; squirrels, skunks, raccoons, stray cats make up the majority of the wild life. As I walk further from my street there are less and less houses. Do these animals still venture this far from what I think their world is? As I turn up the road towards the cascades all the houses are on the left, the right side is wooded. I reach my destination and head down the trail. Is this where the skunks or raccoons live? Or do they live in town? I really don’t think I’ll ever know. But it’s fun to think about.

As I looked around I couldn’t see any animals. But I couldn’t help but think they are there. Whether perched in the tree or peering through underbrush they could see me and I could not see them. I’m thinking that an animal is more thoroughly acquainted within his world. We spend so much time obtaining things we really don’t need and go blundering about the world without much thought to what is going on around you. And yet when you stop and realize that even a short walk between home and woods, you pass through many worlds of many creatures.

After this weeks wind many leaves have fallen off the trees. I think it’s kind of a bummer. I had friends come up for a visit from the Portland area that were shocked at how many leaves had fallen already. They said that most of the leaves were still on the trees down there. Bummer! The lack of leaves made the pines stand out even more then normal. Winter is right around the corner! And because of that it was quite chilly so I did not hang out there long. But overall the walk there and back, with Leopold’s question in the back of my head, opened my thoughts to new idea, which unfortunately left me with questions I may never know. I feel like I can compare the way I feel to the science of Leopold’s era in which he states, “science knows little about home range: how big it is at various seasons, what food and cover it must include, when and how it is defended against trespass, and whether ownership is an individual, family, or group affair.” P.81 Today I’m sure science has a much better understanding, but I still don’t.