Day 10: River and Flies

Today was a slower day. After yesterday's trip we were both pretty tired, so at around 11 o'clock (Daisy and I had to go to assembly for the induction) we headed to Phelps Trail and hiked around the Proctor woodlands for a little bit. Although these hikes are not as challenging as some of the other ones we've done, I enjoyed getting to explore around Proctor. We just took some time to take some new trails that looked fun, and the weather was a little bit against us – it was hot and all the black flies decided to tag along with us during the hikes.
That was the more physical version of today, but we also took some time to be creative.
I took some time to sketch today which felt awesome. Yesterday I sketched for the first time in about a year, and I realized how much I missed it. So today I was better prepared and brought some paper and charcoal and started sketching some trees around me.
Because it was so hot outside we went to the river to cool down before lunch, and then took some time to read. I am so close to finishing The Jungle Book which I am really loving. During all of our hikes and reflections I often think back to the same topic, which is how there are many communities that I am a part of and I am about to join a new one. When I start school in September I am going to be part of this foreign establishment that is much bigger and allows be to be much more independent than ever before. For this I find that The Jungle Book is a great guide. From all of the animals in the book that are antagonists (Tabaqui, Shere Khan...) I believe that the monkeys are easily the scariest, worst of them all. I think that their lack of Law is what makes them so unpredictable, so unstable and, ultimately, so scary. This has a deeper meaning for me for two reasons: one, I'm going to study law, so it's interesting to learn about the importance of organized communities for Rudyard Kipling. Second, I think that this Law can be interpreted as something deeper than just social structure, and that is as a personal compass, as a strong moral base. I like to think that I have strong values that I adhere to, and this novel reminds me of their importance and makes me aware of how necessary they are.