I AM STATIONED AT AN OUTPOST CHIEFLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBSERVATION, BUT ALSO, I SUSPECT, TO CHALLENGE MYSELF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS AND WILL STAY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE OUTPOST IS BARREN: CONCRETE, ROCK, AND THE OCCASIONAL TREE. 

EVERY OBSERVATION BEGINS THE SAME WAY. FIRST, I NOTICE GENERALITIES. THEN, UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION, I NOTICE SURFACE DETAILS. PATTERNS EMERGE.

 DOCUMENTATION IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE, AS IS FOCUS. I ATTEMPT TO FOCUS ON SURFACE, TO NOTICE RATHER THAN COMPARE. I ATTEMPT TO STICK TO THE TASK AT HAND.

I WAS WARNED THERE WOULD BE INSPECTORS WHO WOULD COME TO THE OUTPOST AND CHECK ON MY OBSERVATIONS. ALSO, THERE WAS SOME MENTION, I RECALL, OF HOBBYIST ROCK COLLECTORS WITH PLASTIC PAILS.  SO FAR, I HAVE SEEN NEITHER.

IT IS DIFFICULT. OCCASIONALLY ONE FALLS PREY TO THE CHILD’S GAME OF PICKING SHAPES OUT OF NATURAL PATTERNS. IN THE SAME WAY THAT A CHILD LOOKS AT A CLOUD AND SEES A HORSE, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EVEN THE MOST PROFESSIONAL OF OBSERVERS TO LOOK AT A GIVEN SURFACE AND SEE A SHOE, A RACCOON, OR DONKEY WALKER. THESE THOUGHTS ARE MEANINGLESS.  THEY LEAD, INVARIABLY, TO MEMORIES, ASSOCIATIONS, AND FAULTY SPECULATIONS. MEMORIES, ALTHOUGH NECESSARY, ARE INHERENTLY INACCURATE.

IT IS TEMPTING, DUE TO CONSISTENCY OF PATTERNS, TO MAKE COMPARISONS. THIS IS A TEMPTATION I HAVE LONG TRIED TO AVOID.

I JOURNEY FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM THE OUTPOST IN A SEARCH FOR NEW SUBJECT MATTER. I BRING A CAMERA, NOTEBOOK, FOOD, WATER, AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. SOMETIMES THE TERRAIN BECOMES DIFFICULT, AND INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT THE TASK AT HAND, MY MIND WANDERS. THE FURTHER I TRAVEL, THE MORE TREES I SEE. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, THE LEAVES MOVE.