About Goatbells.blog

I’m a philosopher adventurer who carries a camera, rambling through Oregon’s woods with deep awe for this beautiful world. Good planets are hard to find, and ours is worth experiencing directly — with every sense we have.

These adventures aren’t checklists or accomplishments. They’re responses to the magic of the woods that pulls us toward the non-human world that sustains us. I let my camera and the land’s beauty lead more than any set destination or mileage goal. As Muir put it: “Into the woods I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”

Out there, something shifts. The distance between self and world shrinks, then disappears. The old phrase finally makes sense: All is one, one is all.

Like Winnie the Pooh humming and bumbling through the Hundred Acre Wood, meeting wonderful friends at every turn — that’s closer to how I move through the forest than any performance of peak-bagging.

Why “Goatbells”?

Goatbells were gifts from friends, initially meant to keep bears away (bears don’t hear that well). But the gesture gave the blog its name, and friends now bring bells from their travels. The metaphor deepened: goatbells ringing quietly in distant fog, signaling to patient herders where to find something precious, something necessary for life.

That’s what this blog hopes to be — a small sound across the hills, pointing toward beauty worth seeking.

What you’ll find here: photos of beautiful places, tales of getting there, practical information for deeper and safer experiences, and what I’m learning about this world we’re walking through.

If it works, you’ll want to lace up your shoes and head outdoors.

What are you waiting for?

You can follow me on BlueSky – https://bsky.app/profile/goatbells.bsky.social

Sketch of Pooh and Piglet by E.H. Shepard, from the original “Winnie-the-Pooh” stories. Used with love and respect for timeless friendship.