Here’s a recording I made a few weeks ago when I was testing this new short-form podcast. I made several new recordings today, but editing them and getting them published will have to wait. This one is done, so here it is!

It’s transcribed by the awesome Otter App

So it’s about 6:15 PM, late January, and it’s pretty cold. The sun has set, and I’m walking in the woods.

There is a lot of leaf litter on the ground, some oaks, some pine needles.

And I’m experimenting with [recording] some natural sound.

I hear the cars go by, you might hear the [nearby] dog.

There’s always something to listen for out here. And that’s a good thing.

So I see people running on the trails around here. And oftentimes, they have in their earbuds, which I get, you know. I have a lot of interest in listening to books and podcasts and music.

But when I’m out in the woods, I do not want to hear that stuff.

I want to be in the woods. I want to listen, I want to think. I want to not think. I just want to take it in.

So I’m going to start walking again. And if I hear something cool, stop and record it.

But the coolest thing is that I’m out here and that it’s gorgeous. I see lots of trees, species that I love. And so many things that I don’t know the names of, and I want to learn the names and just get more familiar with them.

Right now I’m looking at one of my favorites. That’s right in front of me this big sourwood it’s got a bark that’s very similar to one of my favorite trees that I saw growing up outside my house, the live oak, but live oaks don’t live here.

So when I saw this bark when I first moved to these mountains, I thought “Oh, that’s so cool!” So here it is. So, the sourwood maybe I’ll talk more about that one later.

For now. I’ll sign off.

I’m experimenting with a new short daily podcast. You can find all of them on my website here.

This is the first day in the woods.