Walking in Aragorn’s Land

“We walk down the stairs and cross the yard to the bear path that descends beyond the high grass into the tall trees and ferns until we get to the river. We rock-hop to the other side and we’re in a magic realm. Within minutes we enter the White Mountain National Forest, a place the size of the state of Rhode Island. Trails spider-web out from there for over a thousand miles. We visit with wild things as often as possible, and occasionally wild things spill out of the forest, across the river, and up into our backyard as well. You see, wild goes both ways.” ~ Will’s Red Coat

That’s from the opening of the book. It also tells how Samwise and I begin half of our morning walks each week. This Monday morning we entered that cherished realm, in the same way that Aragorn, and the other bears, used to come and go back when Atticus lived here.

By now, you probably know the bears don’t come around anymore. When Atticus was alive, we’d get between five and a dozen regulars every year. They came …