For the Heck of it . . .
Apr 9, 2005
Hey, ya know if any body knows anything about Matthias Jochumsson please let me know!
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Red Fox Sighting at Mils Reservation
Oct 5, 2004
October 3rd, 2004.
I believe I may have seen my first Red Fox today.
Returning home to Montclair from Little Falls, I decided to interrupt my bicycle commute with a walk through Mills Reservation. From the Ridge Road running along side the Newark Resevoir, I turned up the winding way(Normal Avenue or Bradford Avenue) that would take me into the relaxing foliage of the reservation. At the first bend I attempted to ride directly to the nearest forest trail. My bike is a road cycle and it was with a great deal of worry for my tires and failed tries at clearing logs that I dismounting. Having walked up a damp stream bed, I met the established hiker's path which comes from the parking lot further along the twisty road already mentioned. I followed the trail to the right at my first split, intending to travel out to the road, which was across from the Audobahn birding obervatory. If I had gone to the left, I would have ambled to the top where a cement circle sit and a view of New York City awaits. Nearby, an elderly couple strolled. They alternately held hands and wandered some little distance from each other. I always enjoy spotting a pair like this. Comfortable with one another, comfortable on an easy nature walk. You can see the love between them. I often wonder what trouble life has thrown them and how they came out of these storms. Today, today they walk with trust and love and memmories. Joining us were a group of two women, three children, and a dog. The children were two boys and one girl. The gender of the dog was not noted. I have to apologise for my inability to describe any of these people. How would they know I was refering to them if ever they read this? Perhaps I will see them again and spend some time to do them justice. If this never occurs, well, life is what it is. Little mysteries arise every day never to be solved.
One boy was walking the dog. It seemed his mission to bring the dog to a halt every ten feet or about so. The dog was grey and white, with short, tight curls. A Scotch Terrier? The boy would jog, get the dog going, with plenty of slack in the leash and then complain how the dog should slow down. I think that "complain" is almost too suggestive. There was no whine in the boys voice. "Whoa, Sparky, slow down". That was about the jist if it. I think it was more for the pretended excitement, so easy for a child to make real, that an uncontrolable dog might bring. Imagine, if you still can, just put your adult cynicism and worries aside, that you are escorting a large beast through the woods. It is your mission to bring him safely to Farmer Bill's, where he will become a guard dog. So much trouble in the hen house these days! The gigantic animal's pace slowly, purposefully, increases. Each foot traveled and the mutt is closer to breaking into a run. Wham!! It's too late! The great grey monster is tearing through the forest and you must regain control! Whew!
The kids had stopped near a muddy puddle which another imagination had labled a "Giant Pit". That boy was trying his best to entice the dog-walker and the girl to attend the pit with him. Three children, how many plots brewing? I was thinking about my friend David Khan.
When we were young, we put a rectangular plastic tub under his porch. Filled it with some water and tossed a cinder block in. Adding dirt, around and ontop of the block, we created an island. We would then populate the island with what ever bugs we could find. It was while deep in these thoughts and those long gone summers that I had moved ahead of the others. That was when I saw an Orange/Red creaure with a white tipped tail rush across the trail ahead of me. Excited, I stopped.
"Did you see that," I asked who ever would hear.
I stifled some of my enthusiasism, did we even have fox in New Jersey? Why, Yes! Yes, We do! We did. And probably will continue to, I hope.
I had seen one!
I walked slowly forward and lifted my bike onto my shoulder to reduce the noise of my approach.
"I don't think I've ever seen a fox", said the Pit boy. He then listed every animal he had seen at Mills Reservation(which is mostly located in Cedar Grove and partially in Montclair). The two woman and three children took their dog off along another trail exchanging words about foxes. I turned to the older couple and asked,"Are there Foxes here"?
My excitement was tempered with doubt.
I was the only one to see the fox.
Me.
Where did it go?
Was it really a fox?
The man replied,"Yes, of course there are"!
Huh!
Huh, I say.
So I wander to the side of the trail and the stream running there. Searching for a bit, and happily I found what looked like fox tracks. I scanned the area for more tracks or other traces of the animal, but, found nothing else. After staring into the woods for several minutes I made my way to the park exit and the street.
I mounted my bike and glanced back with a smile.
I'll be back and we will meet again.
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Hunger.
Aug 25, 2004
I am very hungry.
My stomach aches and saliva is building in my mouth.
I know what it is that I want.
Sopopias!!
Delicious, flour puffs.
I first had one last Tuesday.
You can tear them open, it is like a pocket inside!
They look like pillows!!
You can pour honey on them and let your taste buds go into Euphoria!!
I am tired from hunger and must find a Sopopias substitute!
Hasta Lluego!!
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Colorado Wedding 3
Aug 24, 2004
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Population: 448,607
Nick the Hotel driver took us to the Old Town neighborhood where we wandered a bit. It was still daylight as we started our troop and were naive about the creatures night would bring. But night has yet to fall in our tale. The architecture in Albuquerque is loaded with terra cotta, the builings are low and practicly laze about much like a mexican original of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie churches.
Places seen but not entered:
"The National Atomic Museum is the nation's only congressionally chartered museum of nuclear science and history. The museum was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today's peaceful uses of nuclear technology."-http://www.atomicmuseum.com/
(As we can see, I m getting tired and now just want to note a few things for later).
the Albuquerque Museum
New Mexico Museum of Natural History
Science and Explora
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Colorado Wedding 2
Aug 24, 2004
The Lark Bunting is the state bird of Colorado and it is also the bird that we chose to purchase from the previously mentioned airport stall. Did we know it was the state bird of Colorado, where we were about to fly like the birds? Not until New Mexico!
The Lark Bunting is a prarie grassland bird, in case you were curious. We arrived in Albuquerque without seeing any Lark Buntings and after retrieving our luggage I phoned our hotel from a special "Direct to Your Hotel" line. Even better, they were sending a shuttle to pick us up and bring us to check in! After checking in and relaxing for a bit, we discovered that the shuttle would drive us around Albuquerque. Another Hit!!!
Thank You Nick!!
He was one of the drivers (the other had served the United States Navy aboard the USS New Jersey), in fact he was our primary driver and pseudo guide. He informed us that Albuqueque was a good sport fan town, and that their minor league baseball team, The Isotopes, was the inspiration for the baseball team of fictional "The Simpsons" Springfield. The Isotopes!! That cracks me up!!
Hint: Great Christmas Gift, Isotopes Ball Cap!!
Jesus loves the Isotopes!!!
Some people think that the birth of the nuclear age was the death of God, I have it on good account that Christ Himself has season tickets in Abuquerque!!
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