Were your front paws torn asunder
From cruel trap or ursine blunder?
Does your heart beat hard like thunder
In despair
Picatinny Bear!
When golfers see your upright gait
Do they assume the threat is great?
Must you retreat and humbly wait
In your lair
Picatinny Bear!
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Picatinny Bears: Diabolical...Or Just Misunderstood? The Mystery Is Solved
Devoted readers of this blog will agree that from time to time there are stunning discoveries revealed that change the very nature of things. In this case, we have a discovery that changes the nature of...nature. So to speak.
Painstaking investigation has revealed unimaginable facts about the Picatinny Bears! Yes, the very bears who have been seen on the golf course and near the swimming pool! Those bears! The bears everyone, or rather, almost everyone...or, perhaps, some...or maybe just a few...assumed were diabolical!
It turns out that, based on more irrefutable hearsay, the Picatinny Bears may not be diabolical at all. In fact, they may be victims in their own right.
Those who have seen the bears report that at least two of the bears walk upright. This, originally, was thought to be a sign of dangerous aggression. But NO! It was noticed that the two bears were injured. They walked upright because of injury to their forepaws. One of the bears was even seen to be missing part of one of its front legs.
It is now widely believed that at least two of the Picatinny Bears are not aggressive at all, but walk on all twos, so to speak, because it is the only way they can amble. And a bear must amble to be a bear. No doubt about that.
I expertly interrogated our expert witness by asking him if any of the Picatinny Bears had ever been known to attack. He assured me that the only bear attack he could remember happened far away from Picatinny and was almost certainly not from one of the local bears.
So there we have it. The Diabolical Picatinny Bears are not diabolical at all. They are not even aggressive. They are, instead, deserving of our love and respect. And yet they have been treated with contempt, horribly misjudged in a tragic display of tragedy.
Let us commit ourselves to the rehabilitation of those bears, as good bears everywhere deserve.
Painstaking investigation has revealed unimaginable facts about the Picatinny Bears! Yes, the very bears who have been seen on the golf course and near the swimming pool! Those bears! The bears everyone, or rather, almost everyone...or, perhaps, some...or maybe just a few...assumed were diabolical!
It turns out that, based on more irrefutable hearsay, the Picatinny Bears may not be diabolical at all. In fact, they may be victims in their own right.
Those who have seen the bears report that at least two of the bears walk upright. This, originally, was thought to be a sign of dangerous aggression. But NO! It was noticed that the two bears were injured. They walked upright because of injury to their forepaws. One of the bears was even seen to be missing part of one of its front legs.
It is now widely believed that at least two of the Picatinny Bears are not aggressive at all, but walk on all twos, so to speak, because it is the only way they can amble. And a bear must amble to be a bear. No doubt about that.
I expertly interrogated our expert witness by asking him if any of the Picatinny Bears had ever been known to attack. He assured me that the only bear attack he could remember happened far away from Picatinny and was almost certainly not from one of the local bears.
So there we have it. The Diabolical Picatinny Bears are not diabolical at all. They are not even aggressive. They are, instead, deserving of our love and respect. And yet they have been treated with contempt, horribly misjudged in a tragic display of tragedy.
Let us commit ourselves to the rehabilitation of those bears, as good bears everywhere deserve.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Waterloo "Colonial" Village
The same aforementioned coworker who encountered the Diabolical Picatinny Bears also advised me that near my hotel--which is seemingly isolated--is a "colonial village" named Waterloo that has been turned into a state park. Now, it turns out that the village is, indeed, a state park but bears little resemblance to colonial life. Which is the subject of this post to Tentjackateer.
Your humble blogger determined that a full investigation of Waterloo was warranted, and he therefore set out to document said attraction whilst keeping a sharp lookout for the Diabolical Picatinny Bears.
His first encounter, the seemingly innocuous entrance to Waterloo:
Then, a stroll along the Morris Canal which revealed two important facts relating to the investigation. First, that the village had more to do with antebellum New Jersey history than colonial, and, second, that there were set to begin a strange series of encounters with area wildlife, including a sharp engagement with a hissing goose at the edge of the Canal. Ms. Goose appeared to be unreceptive to your humble blogger's approaches, forcing him to proceed athwartwise:
So, proceeding athwartwise, your HB explored the environs and alternately gaped at and admired the sights of the state park:
Your humble blogger determined that a full investigation of Waterloo was warranted, and he therefore set out to document said attraction whilst keeping a sharp lookout for the Diabolical Picatinny Bears.
His first encounter, the seemingly innocuous entrance to Waterloo:
Then, a stroll along the Morris Canal which revealed two important facts relating to the investigation. First, that the village had more to do with antebellum New Jersey history than colonial, and, second, that there were set to begin a strange series of encounters with area wildlife, including a sharp engagement with a hissing goose at the edge of the Canal. Ms. Goose appeared to be unreceptive to your humble blogger's approaches, forcing him to proceed athwartwise:
So, proceeding athwartwise, your HB explored the environs and alternately gaped at and admired the sights of the state park:
The original Morris Canal mill.
A spooky looking building which probably serves as home to the Poltergato but is clearly not the least bit colonial. At all.
Western New Jersey is home to a number of lovely lakes, which is probably why the Morris Canal ran through this area:
And so, as your HB prepared to depart the area, he noticed a strange noise emanating from the central grounds...somewhere near the gazebo. As he (I) investigated he (I) realized the noise was emanating from a pair of yipping rotund marmots who were chasing one another in circles. Clearly this called for photographic record! But as your HB leveled his cameras the yipping rotund marmots (YRMs) chased one another into a hole under the gazebo, leaving your HB to wonder, yet again...
The aggressive geese... The yipping marmots... The Diabolical Picatinny Bears...
Could it all be coincidence???
One is forced to wonder.
Picatinny Bears!
New Jersey surprises.
It's a beautiful state, especially as one gets closer to Pennsylvania.
That's a surprise.
It has way too much traffic. Like the clogged ten lane freeway...that is nowhere near any discernable population center. A local coworker says it's all the people who commute from Pennsylvania.
That's surprising.
Today's biggest surprise came after lunch. Another coworker went to the gym and overheard a loudspeaker at the adjacent pool area: "Please move to the south side of the pool. Bears have been spotted on the north side."
Bears? Yes, really. Another coworker who lives in the area says the bears are often seen on the Picatinny Arsenal golf course.
Surprise! New Jersey has bears! Diabolical Picatinny Bears, too! Those that invade golf courses and pool areas. On the north side!
We must find and photograph these nefarious bears. It is a quest. A quest that may rival the quest for New Mexican Oryxes!
Stay tuned, devoted blog followers...
It's a beautiful state, especially as one gets closer to Pennsylvania.
That's a surprise.
It has way too much traffic. Like the clogged ten lane freeway...that is nowhere near any discernable population center. A local coworker says it's all the people who commute from Pennsylvania.
That's surprising.
Today's biggest surprise came after lunch. Another coworker went to the gym and overheard a loudspeaker at the adjacent pool area: "Please move to the south side of the pool. Bears have been spotted on the north side."
Bears? Yes, really. Another coworker who lives in the area says the bears are often seen on the Picatinny Arsenal golf course.
Surprise! New Jersey has bears! Diabolical Picatinny Bears, too! Those that invade golf courses and pool areas. On the north side!
We must find and photograph these nefarious bears. It is a quest. A quest that may rival the quest for New Mexican Oryxes!
Stay tuned, devoted blog followers...
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Monday, July 18, 2016
Final Thoughts on Brooklyn
My daughter lives in a blended community: about half African-American and about half everything else -- Latino, White, Asian, Mixed. There is a healthy community spirit and people expect to get along. You can see that the area was once blighted. Now it's on its way up. There's a bright future for these good people.
Brooklyn has eighty distinct neighborhoods. That's a lot.
Everyone I met was friendly. And I met and greeted as many people as possible. It kind of goes against New York's reputation, but there it is. Also young. With a lot of children. Another observation which suggests a bright future.
Brooklyn is dirty. Too much. And it's a darn shame, too, because it's improving and has the potential to be a charming place. I will never understand cities with people who dump garbage on the sidewalks. It's sad. Some blocks were fully renovated and clean and gardened. Not enough. One would expect that if property values keep going up the garbage problem will fix itself. I sure hope so.
Brooklyn has really good food of every possible ethnic and gastronomic variety. I didn't know there was such a thing as a Yemeni deli. But there is. Now I know.
I found myself imagining how fun it would be to explore with a bicycle...if the weather was cooler. Fall would be best. Perhaps that will happen someday.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
More Brooklyn
East River with Brooklyn Bridge in background, featuring Mr. and Mrs. Holmer.
A large man baffles a young child in front of a YO sculpture.
A tree-lined street with ubiquitous row houses in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Brooklyn, New York
Brown-eyed wife. Green-eyed daughter. 'Nuff said.
Jamaican food, featuring fried plantains, rice and beans, curry chicken and goat.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Monday, July 4, 2016
4th of July in Oberlin, Kansas
The town of Oberlin, Kansas, the county seat of Decatur County, held a number of festivities for the 4th of July. Oberlin has delightful cobblestone streets and a population of about 1,800. There were competitive one mile runs through town with several different age groups. My Frau and I were encouraged to participate in the "Family Race" but declined. That limited participation to under ten people.
Ode to An Expiring Frog
Can I view thee panting, lying
On thy stomach, without sighing;
Can I unmoved see thee dying
On a log
Expiring frog!
On thy stomach, without sighing;
Can I unmoved see thee dying
On a log
Expiring frog!
Say, have fiends in shape of boys,
With wild halloo, and brutal noise,
Hunted thee from marshy joys,
With a dog,
Expiring frog!
With wild halloo, and brutal noise,
Hunted thee from marshy joys,
With a dog,
Expiring frog!
Colorado
In front of Kissing Camels, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs.
Classic car show on Main Street, Westcliffe.
The most noble and classic of all automobiles, the Flatback Baja Bug.
Discovery of great significance: A Mennonite bakery in Westcliffe. Celebrated by procuring and devouring delicious samples with beautiful Frau.
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