Steinbeck on Dogs and Redwoods

Like Steinbeck, a fellow Northern Californian, I am struck by redwoods, what he calls “ambassadors from another time” that inspire “silence and awe.” Whether one is a believer or not, he muses, one can only feel compelled to bow down to and pay homage to truly one of the creator’s greatest creations. In his return to Northern California as described in his _Travels with Charley in Search of America_, his recounting of a cross-country tour with his traveling companion Charley the poodle, Steinbeck writes of the reverence that he believes Charley will experience upon contact with the redwoods, thinking that his dog is a discriminating traveler who enjoys nature and would enjoy some giant trees. But his dog’s indifference dispels any hope for the writer and compels him to have murderous feelings for other non-appreciators. If life has taught me anything, it is to appreciate, to be thankful for what you have, to take those moments in which you feel quite lucky enough to be alive and cherish them. And sometimes, I think Lu and Mar fully appreciate them, too. They definitely seemed in awe in these redwoods.