The holidays were great! I was happy to be back home in Pennsylvania for the week and it was nice to spend time with friends and family. I was hoping to get outdoors and experience some elevation for a change but I was content with spending time in my own house in the company of Jill and Eli, outside of the occasional trip for food and drink with a friend. Jill and I invited our parents over on Christmas day and continued the festivities the following Friday with the addition of my sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Sadly, we canceled our anticipated New Year’s celebration plans because Jill and I experienced a terrible allergic reaction to our Christmas tree. Nonetheless, we still had a good evening together, even if we were in bed before the ball drop.
The hardest part, besides missing my loved ones, was forgoing some of our favored traditions. We decided to purchase a precut Christmas tree instead of selecting and cutting one down ourselves at a local tree farm. It has been an anticipated event for many years now. I remember the joy that Jill and I experience while hunting for a tree whether it be in the sunshine, rain, or snow, hot or cold. Another favorite tradition, my homemade horseradish was a missed delicacy on our table. I had not the time to enjoy the preparation of this sinus clearing delight so I decided not to make it this year. The hardy purple ham garnish was sorely missed at our table – at least by my father-in-law and me!
My trip back to South Carolina was much better than the daunting drive home with the holiday traffic. I visited my friend Abigail in Maryland where I met her family and explored her home town. After dinner, I continued to Richmond, V.A. and stayed the night. I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to Congaree the following day. Originally, I was going to arrive in time do some netting on Monday evening but the weather report called for an all-day rain in Congaree and canceled our plans. Without a commitment that evening, I was free to take my time getting back. Too bad it was raining in Richmond, I would have loved to explore the city before leaving. Instead, I found myself at a café for breakfast and enjoyed good coffee before hitting the road.
After a few rainy hours on I-95, I grew fidgety and had to get out of the car and stretch my legs. The precipitation slowed and I navigated to a promising café in Fayetteville, N.C. There, I enjoyed sandwich and cappuccino – I have a nose for good coffee! I briefly walked around that section of town and thought that I should stop by again someday.
I droned though the nighttime rain for the rest of my travel to Congaree. A quick stop to the grocery for provisions was made before returning to the park. The area was familiar yet slightly foreign on my return. I missed my home and my wife and friends and family but I was also happy to see the smiles of my new friends at Congaree.
Where does this fit in to A Naturalist’s View?
Originally, I wrote an entry in my personal journal to record and reflect on my time on the road and back home. And while plenty of people travel, many more so than me, I thought it was important to keep my story complete in its entirety. Of course, this is is a portion of that entry that presents part of the experience in my chosen line of work.
I hope you didn’t mind the tangent. It is just as much part of the experience as time spent in the field. I’m sure you agree that stories, photo, and video from the field is much more interesting; however, the human condition belongs to the natural world like everything else – per se, a naturalist’s view!