"...And they are much to be pitied...who have not been given a taste for Nature in early life. "
September 10, 2016 Dear Jane, I must confess that the thought of writing you a letter which perfectly conveys through words not only my adventures in Portland, Oregon, but also my time since returning is quite daunting. In fact, I have even been coming up with every excuse not to do so! For some nameless reason (perhaps laziness?), I detest having to write detailed accounts of events in my life (which may come as a surprise since I have been writing letters to you since the Year of Our Lord, Two-Thousand and Thirteen), but that is precisely why I must force myself to follow through and write them. After all, you know as well as anyone that if I do not record these memories there is little chance of my remembering them in the years or even days to come. Happily, once I begin writing I soon realize that the dread was all in the anticipation and not in the actual act of writing...for the most part. Now, I shall do my utmost to provide a diverting and detailed account of my de...