What attracts me to the Wilderness ?

I should mention that although I spent the better parts of summer in my wilderness in the North .. I also returned home on a fairly regular basis. I had to keep an eye on the mail to check for hospital appointments and eventually to start day patient treatment.

It was a good excuse to return home for a good wash in hot water .. have a sleep in a soft bed .. and generally recover from the physical exertion of “wild Camping”. Unless you have tried it .. you have no idea how luxurious it feels to stand under a hot shower after a week or so of trying to keep clean in streams ..or have a dry bath in the confines of a car using wet wipes.

So why do I go into the wilderness ?

There are many reasons.

I enjoy the challenge of trying to live by spending as little money as possible. I eat fish that I catch ..I collect wild raspberries to flavour my cereals. I only buy essentials. My biggest expenditure is fuel for the car and boat.

I mentioned in a previous post.. as I age .. time seems to speed up. However in the wilderness..it slows down again. Im never in a hurry. I don’t get frustrated following the tourist driving at 40 miles per hour for at least the last 40 miles. Then suddenly stop to take a photograph or gawk at a grouse they almost hit as it tried to cross the road. I just stop and have a walk and accept that is what happens. The only stress I get when living in the wilderness ..is the stress that I create myself ..and I seldom do that.

Because I am alone ..I feel very close to nature. I see more as there are few distractions ..no questions to answer.. no idle chat over topics that I find boring.. no internet .. no phones. I love being and seeing where adders live .. where deer roam .. where eagles soar .. where frogs croak.

I enjoy close encounters with creatures that live in another world. And it is truly a treat when I get to capture them with a camera.

When Im at home .. I never see these things ..and sadly seldom think of them either. Too many other distractions and deep thoughts run through my head in the city. Time accelerates ..and I tend to worry and stress about stupid things again.