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Pro tip: My neighbor's kid taught me a better way to find north without a phone
Overheard him telling his friend to 'just look for the moss on the trees' while they were playing in the park. He was right, the thickest moss is usually on the north side here in Portland. I tried it on my walk this morning and it actually worked. Anyone know other old tricks like that for finding your way?
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paulc9313h ago
That moss trick works great in damp places. You can also check where tree branches are thicker, they often grow more on the south side for sun. At night, find the Big Dipper and follow the two stars at the front of its cup to Polaris, that's north. Even old gravestones can point you east and west if you're really lost. It's cool how much you can learn just by paying attention to what's already around you.
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tylerbutler7h ago
Oh man, that's such a good point. It's like we're surrounded by a bunch of quiet little signs we've just forgotten how to read. I see it with birds all the time, how they act right before a storm comes in. Makes you wonder what other stuff we're missing because we're staring at a screen instead of just looking around.
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