Correspondents update: I currently find myself back in the woods, The tent is back up! and did I mention I am living in it? The last few weeks of construction have been exciting. Bearing the rain, slogging through the mud, battling the mosquitoes, and mice have all been a welcome change of pace. Although the tent and surroundings, henceforth referred to as tent city, currently lacks some of the homey touches which will come in time, the basics of the site have come together nicely. There are even some additional improvements underway.

The process of dusting off old equipment, and skills has been reinvigorating. Equipment repairs have been made, and replacements for lost and damaged kit have been acquired. The bare essentials are in place as well as some new luxuries. A bed, gas cook stove, rain barrel, outhouse, compost pile, table, and solar power are back in place. A new addition currently underway is an upgraded shower and rain water system. Also the tents lighting are being upgraded from fluorescent light bulbs to LED light strips.

It has been over a year since I vacated tent city in the pursuit of circumnavigating the world. Without a doubt I have seen and learned many new and exciting things, have had may incredible adventures, and have ongoing adventures to look forward to, but in the process have forgotten some of the joys of being home. With the commencement of my travels, the rebuilding of tent city, and my tentative move back into the woods I am on my first evening back in the tent reminded why I welcome the challenges of living in a tent. As I sit typing away in the dim glow of a oil lamp, racing to finish this before the charge of the laptops battery drains away, I have been given a reminder of one of those joys. The forest has just erupted in a cacophony of … screams? Howels? … ? if you have ever heard a Rookery of Blue Herons break into “song” you may agree that “…?” best explains that sound. As the birds “song” dies away I look forward to hearing more although hopefully not too late at night.

Just like Thoreau