There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.
To avoid the first danger, one should plant a garden, preferably where there is no grocer to confuse the issue.
To avoid the second, he should lay a split of good oak on the andirons, preferably where there is no furnace, and let it warm his shins while a February blizzard tosses the trees outside.
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949)
- Winter by Joseph Fleck (Taos Art Museum and Fechin House)
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Notes:
Painting of Joseph Fleck associated with the Taos Art Museum and Fechin House.
See also Taos Painter Joseph Fleck.
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A great quote. Some just stand the test of time. I hope you and Brenda had a nice thanksgiving.
Thank you for the best wishes. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Teresa.
I like that quote and shared it with my husband. It’s been a wonderful autumn–hope you have enjoyed it so.
Yes, I have enjoyed it. Glad you shared it with your husband. I think we forget the organic connection we have with nature a lot of the time.
I’ve never read a better description of farming. How true it is! There’s nothing like a warm fire in a country kitchen after a comfort-food supper (called dinner in Va.) I have fond memories of those days. Thank you for touching those memories.
I’m asking Brenda to get me a hard copy of The Sand Country Almanac for Christmas. With Thoreau, Dillard and Leopold, I may never come out of the forest again.