Blueberry Harvest She and I are both from New Jersey, she from a little town named South River and me from the city of New Brunswick…home of Rutgers University and Johnson & Johnson products. One thing we both did as kids was to go blueberry picking. Some of our fondest moments when we were kids was snagging a bowl and heading out to the bushes that were abundant back then. As we got older it seemed a whole lot easier to watch for the specials on blueberries when they were in season, or pay the outrageous prices when they weren’t.
Too often, newspapers that cover our fair town are too quick to tell you what is wrong. There are always stories about conflicts of interest, fighting among elected and appointed officials, and proposed projects that half the town despises and the other half loves.
Gone to the Birds I might as well put aside being a botanist again. It's all about the birds for today. For one thing, my yard has been full of birds; robins, orioles, wrens, hawks, great blue herons, and blue jays to start. More birds than usual and all singing loudly. Orioles nested in a tree right over my back door. I watched them build the nest, sit on the eggs, and raise their babies. Part of the reason for extra birds was from the disturbance of the sewer hookup. It takes a lot of digging to find and crush a whole septic system. All that fresh turned earth is full of beetles, seeds, and grubs.
Books by Nancy: July 2008 Dennis suggested I reduce the number of murder mysteries. He seems to favor ‘lighthearted’ books. Next month, for sure.
When Birds of a Feather Flock Together.. HIM: She may be a religious person, but she can’t hold a candle to St. Francis. We have any number of animals at our house, some of which are owned by our oldest son David. While he was out-of-town he entrusted her with the care of two finches named Bernie and Phil, a happy rabbit named Luna, various aquarium fish where if they have names, we’re not interested enough to learn them, a 14 year old cat named Phoebe, and an African Grey parrot named Howard (after Stern). Well, needless to say, not all went well.
Are You a True Townie? I have resided in this slice of Paradise known as Kingston for 30 years. We moved here in late winter, as the after-effects of the Blizzard of 1978 mercifully began to subside. I consider this 30-year milestone as significant; after all, it’s the longest we’ve lived in one place. When we first arrived there was but one traffic light, you could telephone your neighbors by dialing the last four digits of their numbers, and I still had hair on the top of my head.
Spring Into Summer Spring has sprung, the grass has ris. I wonder where the birdies is? That’s a little poem I remember from my childhood. Fortunately, the birds are here. Some species are disappearing, but many others are OK, or actually increasing numbers. Habitat loss accounts for fewer barn owls. There are so few barns around now; there are not so many places to nest. Other owls are better off, nesting in tree cavities or other bird’s abandoned nests.
Hey Dad! Daughter Knows Best So, by now you know about the family scare we had last month when my dad suffered a heart attack. My dad is obviously not reading my column or cooking my recipes…
Where the heart leads, love will follow... HIM: When it comes to an emergency she becomes Jello. This, in contrast to the cool, calm and collected manner in which I face bad news. Let’s take health. She hates doctors and avoids them at all costs. For my own part, I’m on the phone at the first real sign of trouble. Our most recent situation with this heart attack business drained the color right out of her.
Let’s reconsider reconsideration Call me a heretic if you will, but it is time to end our long-standing Town Meeting policy of “reconsideration.”
Strange But True Question: What ubiquitous three letter set of initials has three times as many syllables as the unabbreviated form?
February 2009 Book Reviews This month we have two noteworthy debut novels, a survival guide, a treat for forensic science fans, and of course, some excellent mysteries....
This Recession Just Became Personal The recession just became personal - I got my notice last week. My department is being down-sized to zero and effective at the end of this month I will join the growing legions of the unemployed....
