Lately I've been trying to watch some better movies. What I mean by better is, movies that are highly acclaimed, I suppose. I'm a media comm major, so along with that I've been trying to watch movies that have good writing, cinematography, directing and acting.
Recently I watched the movie I Heart Huckabees which had an interesting directing style, but I can't say I like it or recommend it. The subject matter probably fits the direction. It is based on varying beliefs of some of the main characters that are routed in new age beliefs of interconnection and meaning, whether there is, or isn't meaning. I feel like I could understand the movie better if I watched it again and analyzed it more, but I don't really want to.
I watched, for the second time, the new Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton. I wasn't in the mood to watch a movie when Dad put it on, but after the first couple scenes, I remembered why I liked the move so much when I was sucked into it again. I really did enjoy that movie.
Push is another movie I just watched for the second time. I think this movie is highly under appreciated and unknown. It bears a unique directing style and an original plot. It's unpredictable as well; I recommend this one highly.
The last couple of nights I've watched V For Vendetta. This movie came out in 2005 but I only just saw it for the first time two days ago. Now it is one of my favorite movies. I love the directing and the messages of this movie. The soundtrack really gives it a punch. I highly recommend this movie as well.
Tonight, along with my comrades Mitch and David I went and saw the movie in theaters right now called Inception. It is simply brilliant. If you haven't seen it yet, this is a must see in theaters. The story, the acting, the directing and the music are all masterfully done, and I can't say that I've seen a better movie.
I am trying to watch a lot of movies. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. I prefer to hang out with friends and be outside, but I also love a good movie, and for my major, I consider watching movies research. I'm trying to balance my time with healthy, productive things, spending time with friends and family, and also with movie watching.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wandering about aimlessly (Days 17-19)
I've been semi avoiding updating because I haven't wanted to talk about certain things. On the other hand, I haven't had all that interesting subject material to talk about either. so everything was either unmentionable or not worth mentioning. Funny how that works.
Regardless, I think I'll just start talking randomly about what's been going on lately, since I'm neither in the mood to try hard, nor do I have the energy to care. Wow, I bet you feel loved now. Honestly, I do want to write on here, and I do want you to have something interesting to read, I'm just really tired right now. And part of the reason I haven't been posting is because I didn't want to bore you.
But on to business!
Unfortunately a friend of mine died last week. I hadn't seen him for quite some time so the shock of it was slow in coming and I wasn't fully prepared for how much it would effect me. Needless to say, it has been devastating. What's more, my friend Michael Blain Bovill left behind three younger sisters and his two parents, as well as very many close friends. Part of how bad I feel is tied in with how bad I feel for his friends and family. Being in the position I am in, I've been conflicted; let me explain.
I've hung out with Michael quite a few times in this life, and I always got along with him and liked him a lot. We might have even been really close friends, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that he is two years older than me and the amount of times I saw him were inconsistent and sometimes few and far between. Because of all of this, when I found out that he had died I was shocked, but unsure how to take it. I felt completely miserable right away for his sisters (one of whom I am rather close with--or at least, I was rather close with), and shortly after that I felt terrible for his friends.
When it came to deciding whether I should go to the viewing and the funeral, I was hesitant and saddened, because I wanted to be there, but I didn't feel like it was my place. I figured it would be an intimate family occasion and that I didn't have the right to be there. Thus, because of that, I had originally assumed I wouldn't be at either of them.
Soon after that I really wanted at least to go to the viewing when I found that it was public and all were welcome. First and foremost I wanted to go for his family and friends though, because I was still thinking of them in all of this. Part of my reasoning in that was that he's in heaven now and perfectly fine and happy. All has gone according to God's plan, so why should I worry about Michael.
At the last minute I decided I wanted to go the funeral, finally realizing that I'd been a fool. How could I forget Michael in all of this? Wouldn't I have welcomed him gladly to my funeral had it been the other way around? And at that very same moment it struck me; I suddenly realized how much he himself had meant to me. At the funeral...well, that's the most I've cried in sorrow in a very, very long time. I had convinced myself that I am not capable of crying in that way. But I was impacted by how much I miss him, and how much I wish I could really be there for his family and friends. The weight of all of this is falling on me; falling on me hard. It kills me that I was not closer to him in this life, and also that I cannot likewise be there for anyone in this time of sorrow. I am completely helpless to make them feel better. Perhaps it is not my job to worry in this way, and perhaps it is not my job to fix things; but by God, how I wish I could. I can't stop caring.
But I know that in all this, in Michael's death, in the family's sorrow, in my separation from it all, and in my inability to do anything, God's will has been done, and His hand is at work even now.
Finally, I keep repeating a quote to myself that I just heard from one Eric Liddell who was once an Olympic gold medalist and missionary of China. He worked and lived in China around the time of the second world war, and felt he should stay when the Japanese invaded, sending his family (pregnant wife and two daughters) away for safety.
When he saw his wife for the last time in this life he said,
"Those who love God never meet for the last time.........”
Regardless, I think I'll just start talking randomly about what's been going on lately, since I'm neither in the mood to try hard, nor do I have the energy to care. Wow, I bet you feel loved now. Honestly, I do want to write on here, and I do want you to have something interesting to read, I'm just really tired right now. And part of the reason I haven't been posting is because I didn't want to bore you.
But on to business!
Unfortunately a friend of mine died last week. I hadn't seen him for quite some time so the shock of it was slow in coming and I wasn't fully prepared for how much it would effect me. Needless to say, it has been devastating. What's more, my friend Michael Blain Bovill left behind three younger sisters and his two parents, as well as very many close friends. Part of how bad I feel is tied in with how bad I feel for his friends and family. Being in the position I am in, I've been conflicted; let me explain.
I've hung out with Michael quite a few times in this life, and I always got along with him and liked him a lot. We might have even been really close friends, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that he is two years older than me and the amount of times I saw him were inconsistent and sometimes few and far between. Because of all of this, when I found out that he had died I was shocked, but unsure how to take it. I felt completely miserable right away for his sisters (one of whom I am rather close with--or at least, I was rather close with), and shortly after that I felt terrible for his friends.
When it came to deciding whether I should go to the viewing and the funeral, I was hesitant and saddened, because I wanted to be there, but I didn't feel like it was my place. I figured it would be an intimate family occasion and that I didn't have the right to be there. Thus, because of that, I had originally assumed I wouldn't be at either of them.
Soon after that I really wanted at least to go to the viewing when I found that it was public and all were welcome. First and foremost I wanted to go for his family and friends though, because I was still thinking of them in all of this. Part of my reasoning in that was that he's in heaven now and perfectly fine and happy. All has gone according to God's plan, so why should I worry about Michael.
At the last minute I decided I wanted to go the funeral, finally realizing that I'd been a fool. How could I forget Michael in all of this? Wouldn't I have welcomed him gladly to my funeral had it been the other way around? And at that very same moment it struck me; I suddenly realized how much he himself had meant to me. At the funeral...well, that's the most I've cried in sorrow in a very, very long time. I had convinced myself that I am not capable of crying in that way. But I was impacted by how much I miss him, and how much I wish I could really be there for his family and friends. The weight of all of this is falling on me; falling on me hard. It kills me that I was not closer to him in this life, and also that I cannot likewise be there for anyone in this time of sorrow. I am completely helpless to make them feel better. Perhaps it is not my job to worry in this way, and perhaps it is not my job to fix things; but by God, how I wish I could. I can't stop caring.
But I know that in all this, in Michael's death, in the family's sorrow, in my separation from it all, and in my inability to do anything, God's will has been done, and His hand is at work even now.
Finally, I keep repeating a quote to myself that I just heard from one Eric Liddell who was once an Olympic gold medalist and missionary of China. He worked and lived in China around the time of the second world war, and felt he should stay when the Japanese invaded, sending his family (pregnant wife and two daughters) away for safety.
When he saw his wife for the last time in this life he said,
"Those who love God never meet for the last time.........”
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Cuckoo Bird Is In The Banana Tree (Days 12-16)
I'm so behind and have so many things to talk about that I don't know what to write about first. I guess that's a good thing. Anyway, let's browse through the pictures to see what I've been doing lately....
Ah yes, now I remember. Last Thursday we had the skate park because it was no longer raining out, and the kids were eager to skate because a lot of them just got back from trips and vacations, and Wednesday we had no skate park because of the rain. Here are some pictures from Thursday.
So that was a most excellent (most hot) occasion.
Friday David was coming over, so I cleaned my room up and prepared for a sleep over of epic proportions and caliber. He came a little later than expected because of an incident involving some extra spicy nachos from a gas station. Ooo, not pretty.
Anyway, when he got here, we excitedly embarked on an exploratory mission in to the pine forest near my house. We ended up exploring to see what else there was back there, but didn't find much more than spider webs and really hot weather. We had fun, but were out there for at least an hour and came back to the house looking for some down time.
What we did at that time has completely escaped me. The little rascal is hiding in the bushes somewhere, but I can't seem to see him. Well, no matter. What happened later is of greater consequence.
As daylight started fading and summer heat began to diminish, we again set out. This time, after we'd gotten some taco bell I believe, we went to the area behind Spruce Run where no one usually goes. We followed the paths past the pond I found on one of my adventures and went deeper into the glades. It was fun having someone along with me this time. We tried to explore this really nice area with trees and fields, but it's private land apparently. We were rather disappointed, and I still really want to know what that place is. There was some sort of building back there, and cars drove up to it while we were back there. I'm thinking binoculars and much more exploring is in order for the future.
When we had given up on that area we went deep into the glades to see if we could get to the main lake of Spruce Run. Eventually the glades came to an end and we found a path going into the woods. We could see a large body of water through the trees and I was sure it was the lake, but we had to get through somehow. We continued to follow the path to a little clearing that looked like it would be great for camping, and lingered there for a couple minutes. Soon we found that the path continued past the clearing towards the lake. We followed the path and came to a small sort of beach line, complete with trees hanging down over the water, really clean water, amazing views and an awesome sun set.
Soon we had to get going because we were running out of daylight and we were tired and covered in ticks. While we were standing there we kept finding them on our clothes. On the way back we got to see even more amazing sights of sunset.
That was it for our exploring that day. We were exhausted, so we went back to the house and watched the movie Push which is very original and very well written. If you haven't seen it, it's one of those less popular gems that not many people know about it, but it's definitely worth it. It's sort of like a superhero or graphic novel movie, but so much more.
When that was done we wasted some time and then had to go pick up some friends from New York who had just arrived in Clinton at the bus stop. It was great that David was sleeping over this weekend because it ended up being an even more epic sleepover than we had originally planned. In total there were 15 people at our house this weekend. I'll walk you through it. Our family is 8- That's Dad and Angie, me, Daniel, Evan, Forrest, Grace and Daisy. After that there were Evan's friends Josh and Ben, and Forrest's friend Richard. That makes 11. Then we had our friends from NY: Sumi, Natasha and William. That's 14. Finally there was David, my friend, to make a total of 15 people staying out our house this weekend.
So it was like a math problem trying to figure out where everyone would stay and sleep. Our house is big (three stories with three bathrooms and five bedrooms), but it was still hard to find a place for everyone. Here's how it worked out. Evan, Josh and Ben were on the third floor (which we call the attic, but it's more like a second living room--stairway, 34 inch TV, carpets, games, etcetera), Forrest and Richard stayed in Evan and Forrest's room; Daisy and Grace were in their room; Dad and Angie were in their own room; David and I stayed in my room and finally Sumi, Natasha and William stayed in the living room on the couches; not my first choice for two women over the age of 18, but what could we do? Still, they're good sports and were fine with it.
Saturday was hot, so David and I hung around the house and played some Worms (the video game) and watched some youtube stuff and listened to music until it wasn't so hot out. Dad, Angie, Sumi, William, Grace and Daisy went to a rodeo in south Jersey. I know, weird right? I didn't know they had those in NJ. South Jersey is like a different state, I'm tellin' ya.
Later in the day David and I wanted to go exploring again, but this time we brought Natasha and Evan along. This is getting a little lengthy so I'll tone down the narrative and show mostly pictures.
We went to Hoffman Park, which is right down the road, but is really pretty. There's a rail line that goes right by it, and then the park it self is filled with over 500 ponds, some really pretty bird watching fields, and other interesting things. We saw some cool stuff. Here are some pictures:
We found an abandoned barn thing and also a house that we didn't have time to explore, so we're going to go back sometime. Overall though, we got to see a lot there, and we were there for at least an hour, if not two. At the end, when we got back to the house, we were all thoroughly exhausted. David had to go home and I just vegged in front of the tv or my computer because I was too tired to do anything.
Sunday I went to church with the whole family, along with Sumi, Natasha and William, and later ran the skate park again. At the beginning it seemed that it would be too hot for a good day, but soon we had a lot of new arrivals to the skate park and it ended up being great. I was also really excited to see my friend Chris who I haven't seen since December! I got to meet his girl friend for the first time, and hopefully I'll be hanging out with Chris again soon!
In the midst of all of this weekend craziness I realized that I have less than a month till I go back to school at Asbury. To be completely honest I didn't realize how short a time I have left, but it makes me really excited! I will miss having free time and hanging out with David, but I am eager to go back to school so I can really sink my teeth into my major! Plus, I love living away from home, I love Kentucky, and I love all my friends at Asbury! I can't wait to go back; but on the other hand, I can't wait to see all of the adventures the rest of this summer holds!
Ah yes, now I remember. Last Thursday we had the skate park because it was no longer raining out, and the kids were eager to skate because a lot of them just got back from trips and vacations, and Wednesday we had no skate park because of the rain. Here are some pictures from Thursday.
So that was a most excellent (most hot) occasion.
Friday David was coming over, so I cleaned my room up and prepared for a sleep over of epic proportions and caliber. He came a little later than expected because of an incident involving some extra spicy nachos from a gas station. Ooo, not pretty.
Anyway, when he got here, we excitedly embarked on an exploratory mission in to the pine forest near my house. We ended up exploring to see what else there was back there, but didn't find much more than spider webs and really hot weather. We had fun, but were out there for at least an hour and came back to the house looking for some down time.
What we did at that time has completely escaped me. The little rascal is hiding in the bushes somewhere, but I can't seem to see him. Well, no matter. What happened later is of greater consequence.
As daylight started fading and summer heat began to diminish, we again set out. This time, after we'd gotten some taco bell I believe, we went to the area behind Spruce Run where no one usually goes. We followed the paths past the pond I found on one of my adventures and went deeper into the glades. It was fun having someone along with me this time. We tried to explore this really nice area with trees and fields, but it's private land apparently. We were rather disappointed, and I still really want to know what that place is. There was some sort of building back there, and cars drove up to it while we were back there. I'm thinking binoculars and much more exploring is in order for the future.
When we had given up on that area we went deep into the glades to see if we could get to the main lake of Spruce Run. Eventually the glades came to an end and we found a path going into the woods. We could see a large body of water through the trees and I was sure it was the lake, but we had to get through somehow. We continued to follow the path to a little clearing that looked like it would be great for camping, and lingered there for a couple minutes. Soon we found that the path continued past the clearing towards the lake. We followed the path and came to a small sort of beach line, complete with trees hanging down over the water, really clean water, amazing views and an awesome sun set.
Soon we had to get going because we were running out of daylight and we were tired and covered in ticks. While we were standing there we kept finding them on our clothes. On the way back we got to see even more amazing sights of sunset.
That was it for our exploring that day. We were exhausted, so we went back to the house and watched the movie Push which is very original and very well written. If you haven't seen it, it's one of those less popular gems that not many people know about it, but it's definitely worth it. It's sort of like a superhero or graphic novel movie, but so much more.
When that was done we wasted some time and then had to go pick up some friends from New York who had just arrived in Clinton at the bus stop. It was great that David was sleeping over this weekend because it ended up being an even more epic sleepover than we had originally planned. In total there were 15 people at our house this weekend. I'll walk you through it. Our family is 8- That's Dad and Angie, me, Daniel, Evan, Forrest, Grace and Daisy. After that there were Evan's friends Josh and Ben, and Forrest's friend Richard. That makes 11. Then we had our friends from NY: Sumi, Natasha and William. That's 14. Finally there was David, my friend, to make a total of 15 people staying out our house this weekend.
So it was like a math problem trying to figure out where everyone would stay and sleep. Our house is big (three stories with three bathrooms and five bedrooms), but it was still hard to find a place for everyone. Here's how it worked out. Evan, Josh and Ben were on the third floor (which we call the attic, but it's more like a second living room--stairway, 34 inch TV, carpets, games, etcetera), Forrest and Richard stayed in Evan and Forrest's room; Daisy and Grace were in their room; Dad and Angie were in their own room; David and I stayed in my room and finally Sumi, Natasha and William stayed in the living room on the couches; not my first choice for two women over the age of 18, but what could we do? Still, they're good sports and were fine with it.
Saturday was hot, so David and I hung around the house and played some Worms (the video game) and watched some youtube stuff and listened to music until it wasn't so hot out. Dad, Angie, Sumi, William, Grace and Daisy went to a rodeo in south Jersey. I know, weird right? I didn't know they had those in NJ. South Jersey is like a different state, I'm tellin' ya.
Later in the day David and I wanted to go exploring again, but this time we brought Natasha and Evan along. This is getting a little lengthy so I'll tone down the narrative and show mostly pictures.
We went to Hoffman Park, which is right down the road, but is really pretty. There's a rail line that goes right by it, and then the park it self is filled with over 500 ponds, some really pretty bird watching fields, and other interesting things. We saw some cool stuff. Here are some pictures:
We found an abandoned barn thing and also a house that we didn't have time to explore, so we're going to go back sometime. Overall though, we got to see a lot there, and we were there for at least an hour, if not two. At the end, when we got back to the house, we were all thoroughly exhausted. David had to go home and I just vegged in front of the tv or my computer because I was too tired to do anything.
Sunday I went to church with the whole family, along with Sumi, Natasha and William, and later ran the skate park again. At the beginning it seemed that it would be too hot for a good day, but soon we had a lot of new arrivals to the skate park and it ended up being great. I was also really excited to see my friend Chris who I haven't seen since December! I got to meet his girl friend for the first time, and hopefully I'll be hanging out with Chris again soon!
In the midst of all of this weekend craziness I realized that I have less than a month till I go back to school at Asbury. To be completely honest I didn't realize how short a time I have left, but it makes me really excited! I will miss having free time and hanging out with David, but I am eager to go back to school so I can really sink my teeth into my major! Plus, I love living away from home, I love Kentucky, and I love all my friends at Asbury! I can't wait to go back; but on the other hand, I can't wait to see all of the adventures the rest of this summer holds!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
No Hunting (Day 11)
My house lost power today and it was really pouring out so the skate park was closed today. Since we couldn't do anything outside, and we lost power inside, the first half of the day was kind of boring. After the rain stopped Evan, Forrest (two of my brothers) and his friend Rachel, and I went out to do a little exploring.
There's a river not too far from our house that we decided to follow back to see where it went, and there was a rumor that an abandoned factory was back there too, so we wanted to see that. Unfortunately there was no factory, but we had fun following the river and singing while we hiked through the woods. :)
Here are some pictures!
After exploration we went to Taco Bell and had an awesome dinner! When we got home the power was back. Hoorah! And that was my day.
There's a river not too far from our house that we decided to follow back to see where it went, and there was a rumor that an abandoned factory was back there too, so we wanted to see that. Unfortunately there was no factory, but we had fun following the river and singing while we hiked through the woods. :)
Here are some pictures!
After exploration we went to Taco Bell and had an awesome dinner! When we got home the power was back. Hoorah! And that was my day.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
If I Were a Dragon, Who Would I Eat First...? (Day 10)
Well today I took Angie (my step mom) to the supermarket. It was sort of an adventure because it was shoprite, and crazy things happen there. Not only that, but my two sisters came along, the cooperative one, and the..uhhh....the one that wined about everything and wanted to look at everything. Yeah, that about sums it up. It was kind of a hassle, but at least she wasn't screaming and making a scene like I was a murderer or something.
While we were in the store I took the girls to the bathroom and I saw a billboard on the wall that the employees put stuff on. It said goals at the top and there were a ton of multicolored post-it notes on it that different people had filled out with their personal goals. I really liked the idea, as an organization motivator, and thought it made a good picture..jpg)
Later in the day I wanted to do some more exploring so I headed out and found a pine forest and some other really cool sights. I love all of the ferns I saw!
And here is the beginning of the pine forest. At this point I came to a path that circled the pine forest. It soon became fenced by large bushes and shrubbery (Shrubbery!!!). For some reason this area really reminded me of Alice in Wonderland or something. Maybe because of British gardens in the 1800s, or maybe because of the new movie? I'm not sure, but it was really cool being there.
While I was in the woods exploring the pine forest and all, I heard some crows or some kind of birds, really making a racket. I came closer and suddenly a red tailed hawk took off from the forest floor. I was ecstatic! I came withing 50 feet of a full grown red tailed hawk taking off! I've seen them up close before, but I'm excited any time I'm near such a powerful, commanding bird like that. I love birds, especially birds of prey.
I was about to go to Bible study after that, when I realized that my wallet was in the car my Dad just drove away with. Shucks.
So I decided to do some more exploring near my house so I didn't have to drive much. I first explored a river that's part of spruce run reservoir. It's used for trout fishing a lot, and I followed a path along it for a ways. The river looked really cool because it rained today and there was a mist hanging over it. Sometime I'll have to go down all the way it goes with some friends. It was pretty much impossible to follow on the banks of it, and I wasn't up for following it in the river (it's probably more of a creak now that I think about it. It's very shallow, so you could walk down it no problem) alone. Anyway, what I saw looked pretty cool.
I still wanted to explore Spruce Run, so I went further up and found some big paths. I figured I might be able to see the reservoir from the South side, rather than the North where all the tourists go. So I started following these paths back through glades and forest. After a while of traveling South and West, I came to a pond and a path that ran the perimeter of the pond. It was quite large, and at first I thought it might have been the reservoir. I followed the path that ran the perimeter for a long while and it soon veered away from the pond and went on forever. I couldn't think where it was going, so I followed it to find out. I was shocked when I came out in someone's yard. There were no signs or anything saying private property, and I couldn't understand why the path went right into someone's yard. It was weird.
I went back up the path because I wanted to do some more exploring. I was disappointed when the path ended where I had taken the fork and followed the perimeter path. It looked like they had just stopped keeping the path maintained though, so I followed what looked like the old path further into the wild. After a little while I realized that I wasn't following man made paths anymore; I was on a deer trail.
It was very overgrown and wild out there. I didn't know land like that existed in NJ. I was positive I could get very, very lost out here. The kind of lost where you die of starvation. Still, I had a good picture in my head of where I'd been and the turns I'd taken, and I was in a sort of glade area so I was out in the open with trees lining the horizon in every direction. My other problem was that it was starting to get dark, so I knew I had to be smart about this and not spend too much time out there, allowing time to get back. I looked at the time and told myself I would turn around in five minutes. I kept pushing forward though, I was so excited about being out here and by the thought of finding something amazing. Just being here felt like something amazing. It felt like I was the first person back there in quite some time.
The grass was tearing up my shins and there were trees on my left and grass taller than me on my right. I was thinking that anything could pounce on me with out me ever seeing it coming. The five minutes I allowed myself crawled by as my heart beat faster and I started to question how well I really knew the way back. The five minutes turned into three, and then I turned around, and started taking long strides back. I took a turn that I remembered taking, but it was earlier than I thought, and I wasn't sure if I was going the right way for a second. Soon I started coming to some familiar land marks and then the real trail again, and then I felt better. It was still getting dark rapidly though. But I knew where I was going. I found my way out minutes later and was at my car, the only tension on my mind the flies swarming around my head and biting my neck.
What was really cool about the glad was that I found the natural environment of deer. I know that sounds stupid, and inaccurate because deer are all over the place, but just think about it for a second. How often do you see a male deer? Male deer are generally the smart ones who stay away from people and roadways. Not only that, but they don't have to care for young, so they don't go into populated areas to find food.
That wild grass that was in the glades, that was above my head, it's the perfect hiding place for deer. It's their natural environment. This picture I took is of the area where there was no path and I saw a male deer jump out of the wild grass right before I took this picture. The first male deer I've seen in about a year (and that's out of at least 100 deer I've seen in the past year). I was really excited; I felt like Bambi (on the meadow--why is it so still?!). That place was awesome. You should come with me next time!
I saw these on the way back
This was the "path" I was on towards the end. It was definitely part of a deer path. I found trampled grass in several places, the place where some animals the size of deer were sleeping last night and this morning.
While we were in the store I took the girls to the bathroom and I saw a billboard on the wall that the employees put stuff on. It said goals at the top and there were a ton of multicolored post-it notes on it that different people had filled out with their personal goals. I really liked the idea, as an organization motivator, and thought it made a good picture.
.jpg)
Later in the day I wanted to do some more exploring so I headed out and found a pine forest and some other really cool sights. I love all of the ferns I saw!
And here is the beginning of the pine forest. At this point I came to a path that circled the pine forest. It soon became fenced by large bushes and shrubbery (Shrubbery!!!). For some reason this area really reminded me of Alice in Wonderland or something. Maybe because of British gardens in the 1800s, or maybe because of the new movie? I'm not sure, but it was really cool being there.
While I was in the woods exploring the pine forest and all, I heard some crows or some kind of birds, really making a racket. I came closer and suddenly a red tailed hawk took off from the forest floor. I was ecstatic! I came withing 50 feet of a full grown red tailed hawk taking off! I've seen them up close before, but I'm excited any time I'm near such a powerful, commanding bird like that. I love birds, especially birds of prey.
I was about to go to Bible study after that, when I realized that my wallet was in the car my Dad just drove away with. Shucks.
So I decided to do some more exploring near my house so I didn't have to drive much. I first explored a river that's part of spruce run reservoir. It's used for trout fishing a lot, and I followed a path along it for a ways. The river looked really cool because it rained today and there was a mist hanging over it. Sometime I'll have to go down all the way it goes with some friends. It was pretty much impossible to follow on the banks of it, and I wasn't up for following it in the river (it's probably more of a creak now that I think about it. It's very shallow, so you could walk down it no problem) alone. Anyway, what I saw looked pretty cool.
I still wanted to explore Spruce Run, so I went further up and found some big paths. I figured I might be able to see the reservoir from the South side, rather than the North where all the tourists go. So I started following these paths back through glades and forest. After a while of traveling South and West, I came to a pond and a path that ran the perimeter of the pond. It was quite large, and at first I thought it might have been the reservoir. I followed the path that ran the perimeter for a long while and it soon veered away from the pond and went on forever. I couldn't think where it was going, so I followed it to find out. I was shocked when I came out in someone's yard. There were no signs or anything saying private property, and I couldn't understand why the path went right into someone's yard. It was weird.
I went back up the path because I wanted to do some more exploring. I was disappointed when the path ended where I had taken the fork and followed the perimeter path. It looked like they had just stopped keeping the path maintained though, so I followed what looked like the old path further into the wild. After a little while I realized that I wasn't following man made paths anymore; I was on a deer trail. It was very overgrown and wild out there. I didn't know land like that existed in NJ. I was positive I could get very, very lost out here. The kind of lost where you die of starvation. Still, I had a good picture in my head of where I'd been and the turns I'd taken, and I was in a sort of glade area so I was out in the open with trees lining the horizon in every direction. My other problem was that it was starting to get dark, so I knew I had to be smart about this and not spend too much time out there, allowing time to get back. I looked at the time and told myself I would turn around in five minutes. I kept pushing forward though, I was so excited about being out here and by the thought of finding something amazing. Just being here felt like something amazing. It felt like I was the first person back there in quite some time.
The grass was tearing up my shins and there were trees on my left and grass taller than me on my right. I was thinking that anything could pounce on me with out me ever seeing it coming. The five minutes I allowed myself crawled by as my heart beat faster and I started to question how well I really knew the way back. The five minutes turned into three, and then I turned around, and started taking long strides back. I took a turn that I remembered taking, but it was earlier than I thought, and I wasn't sure if I was going the right way for a second. Soon I started coming to some familiar land marks and then the real trail again, and then I felt better. It was still getting dark rapidly though. But I knew where I was going. I found my way out minutes later and was at my car, the only tension on my mind the flies swarming around my head and biting my neck.
What was really cool about the glad was that I found the natural environment of deer. I know that sounds stupid, and inaccurate because deer are all over the place, but just think about it for a second. How often do you see a male deer? Male deer are generally the smart ones who stay away from people and roadways. Not only that, but they don't have to care for young, so they don't go into populated areas to find food.
That wild grass that was in the glades, that was above my head, it's the perfect hiding place for deer. It's their natural environment. This picture I took is of the area where there was no path and I saw a male deer jump out of the wild grass right before I took this picture. The first male deer I've seen in about a year (and that's out of at least 100 deer I've seen in the past year). I was really excited; I felt like Bambi (on the meadow--why is it so still?!). That place was awesome. You should come with me next time!
I saw these on the way back
This was the "path" I was on towards the end. It was definitely part of a deer path. I found trampled grass in several places, the place where some animals the size of deer were sleeping last night and this morning.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wrestling With Nature (Day 9)
Lately I've noticed that this blog has become more about adventures and exploration than it has been about life in general, so I may turn it into just that: An exploration blog or something of that nature. I just have to come up with a clever name that isn't cliche. That's why I sort of decided to drop the original name of "The Life and Times of Christopher Somthing-Rather". Nothing against that name, because it was just meant to be kind of cheesy and silly, and cliche kind of fits that model. But I've decided that that just won't cut it for "Christopher's Exploratory Blog Thingy" or whatever I end up calling it. I'll have to give it some thought. Feel free to give me some suggestions! :)
Today I decided to go explore the brisk New Jersey wilderness, the jungles of the garden state, the forests of the North East; it was very exciting.
I went to a little place called Hoffman Park. It's nestled right in the middle of everything; behind a highway, next to a train line and between several county roads. You would never know it was there; I've lived here all my life and just now discovered it, not 5 miles from my house.
As I walked down the very wide path I passed some fields with bird houses and forest far off behind the fields, lining them. You could hear birds chirping everywhere, and I didn't feel like I was in my town at all anymore. The sounds of the road slowly diminished and I felt like I was the only person around, surrounded by nature. It was fantastic!
There were lots of cool trees around too, but I soon came to even cooler sites! There were streams and ponds everywhere and I was more excited at every new thing I saw! Everything would have been perfect, actually, if it wasn't for the bugs who insisted on landing on my head and chewing on it, over and over again. I'm pretty sure all of them told their neighbors that I was there too; their neighbors, their friends and family. It was a reunion actually, a bug reunion of epic proportions. They were not content to just land on my head, nor to nibble on my cheeks and earlobes. No, they decided that they would swarm, they would devour, they would explore my inner ear, nose and mouth and so on and so forth, till I was rather annoyed. However, I did see some very glorious streams and ponds.
After a while I came to a structure in the woods.
I couldn't really figure out what it was; it seemed that the back of it was facing the path. As it was, I had to stray from the path a ways into the woods to get to it. It looked like the remains of a horse stable when I finally got to it. According to recorded history of Hoffman Park this land used to be owned by the Hoffman family who used to lease the land out to farmers, so I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with horses. I'm no equestrian though, so I have no idea.
Soon after that I came to a pond, a bigger one than the others thus far.
It was cool because there was a path that ran all around the perimeter of it, so I followed it all the way around, admiring the cattails and the trees surrounding the pond. It was a quaint little thing; I thought it would have appeared in some book where a character lived in the trees behind it. Hmm, maybe I have read about something like this in a book once before.
Anyway, from the beginning this pond looked interesting to me because there was some yellow thing in the background behind the pond. If you faced the pond from the path I came into the picture from the right side of the screen, and this yellow thing, was at the left side of the screen, all the way behind the pond. So from my perspective I thought maybe it was a sign or something, and naturally I was curious to read it. Liking surprises though, I decided to drag out the discovery.
That's partly why I took the perimeter, besides the fact that it looked totally awesome. But I kept seeing the yellow thing in the background of all of the scenery and I was wondering what the heck this yellow thing could be. It changed size as I got closer to it too. Originally I thought it was a sign, but as I got closer I realized it was too small for a sign. It was more like a box on stilts. What was this odd little fascination, just standing there, in the midst of this scene.
Finally I got close enough to it to be able to see what it was. I practically burst out laughing. Maybe I need to read some more Detective comics, but this mystery was solved!
Still, I have no idea why it was there or what it was for. One of the most random things I've ever seen, but also so cool!
As I kept exploring I came to the railway that lines the Northern edge of the park.
What was cool was that I was coming to the track from a different elevation. There was a tunnel to let the water through.
I decided I'd walk over the track to explore the other side because I didn't want to get my shoes wet; not today anyway. It wasn't too hard to get up from this side, but I was having trouble finding a good way down the other side.
If the bugs were my first friends today, the guy I met next was my second friend. I was walking through tall grass on the other side of the tracks, trying to find a good way down, when suddenly an enormous snake flung itself out of the thicket at me. He was on me in a moment and there was an epic struggle. We were rolling about up and down the hill; I was trying really hard to keep us from rolling over the edge. Before I knew it we were on the tracks and I heard the distant sound of a train whistle. The struggle continued, I was panting and trying to keep him from coiling too tightly around my neck. Curiously, he didn't seem to be going for that. Mostly he stayed coiled around my arms, intent on keeping me from stopping him. Meanwhile his tail was searching my pockets for something. I couldn't really stop him, he had full control, but suddenly he gave a delighted his, and dropped from my shoulders and arms. As he slithered into the thicket something metal glinted, catching the light. "Hey!" I shouted, upset. Trailing behind him, held tightly in the coils of his tail, was my flashlight.
That thing seriously scared me, but I'm glad I survived anyway. I'm just glad he wasn't after my head. Less than 10 minutes after that the train went by on the track.
After that I decided to head back. I was near the entrance when I met a third friend. This fellow was much nicer than my previous companions. He was mostly just trying to keep to himself. But he didn't mind my company when he saw I wasn't trying to hurt him, or eat him.
It's hard to see him in this picture, but I think if you look really hard, you'll see my buddy Wiggly, the rabbit. He hopped right out in front of me while I was being silly and looking at my phone, instead of the beautiful world around me. He was indignant when I wasn't ready to take a picture of him on the path, but I was able to coax him into staying on the side of the path long enough for a shot.
Soon after that I was out of the park. I was about to explore Charlestown Preserve but it got really dark all of a sudden when it was preparing to storm and I nearly got lost in the woods of Charlestown. For a second there I was really panicking. But I made it. I'll have to do more exploring next time. Maybe with someone else to accompany me?
Today I decided to go explore the brisk New Jersey wilderness, the jungles of the garden state, the forests of the North East; it was very exciting.
I went to a little place called Hoffman Park. It's nestled right in the middle of everything; behind a highway, next to a train line and between several county roads. You would never know it was there; I've lived here all my life and just now discovered it, not 5 miles from my house.
As I walked down the very wide path I passed some fields with bird houses and forest far off behind the fields, lining them. You could hear birds chirping everywhere, and I didn't feel like I was in my town at all anymore. The sounds of the road slowly diminished and I felt like I was the only person around, surrounded by nature. It was fantastic!
There were lots of cool trees around too, but I soon came to even cooler sites! There were streams and ponds everywhere and I was more excited at every new thing I saw! Everything would have been perfect, actually, if it wasn't for the bugs who insisted on landing on my head and chewing on it, over and over again. I'm pretty sure all of them told their neighbors that I was there too; their neighbors, their friends and family. It was a reunion actually, a bug reunion of epic proportions. They were not content to just land on my head, nor to nibble on my cheeks and earlobes. No, they decided that they would swarm, they would devour, they would explore my inner ear, nose and mouth and so on and so forth, till I was rather annoyed. However, I did see some very glorious streams and ponds.
After a while I came to a structure in the woods.
I couldn't really figure out what it was; it seemed that the back of it was facing the path. As it was, I had to stray from the path a ways into the woods to get to it. It looked like the remains of a horse stable when I finally got to it. According to recorded history of Hoffman Park this land used to be owned by the Hoffman family who used to lease the land out to farmers, so I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with horses. I'm no equestrian though, so I have no idea.
Soon after that I came to a pond, a bigger one than the others thus far.
It was cool because there was a path that ran all around the perimeter of it, so I followed it all the way around, admiring the cattails and the trees surrounding the pond. It was a quaint little thing; I thought it would have appeared in some book where a character lived in the trees behind it. Hmm, maybe I have read about something like this in a book once before.Anyway, from the beginning this pond looked interesting to me because there was some yellow thing in the background behind the pond. If you faced the pond from the path I came into the picture from the right side of the screen, and this yellow thing, was at the left side of the screen, all the way behind the pond. So from my perspective I thought maybe it was a sign or something, and naturally I was curious to read it. Liking surprises though, I decided to drag out the discovery.
That's partly why I took the perimeter, besides the fact that it looked totally awesome. But I kept seeing the yellow thing in the background of all of the scenery and I was wondering what the heck this yellow thing could be. It changed size as I got closer to it too. Originally I thought it was a sign, but as I got closer I realized it was too small for a sign. It was more like a box on stilts. What was this odd little fascination, just standing there, in the midst of this scene.
Finally I got close enough to it to be able to see what it was. I practically burst out laughing. Maybe I need to read some more Detective comics, but this mystery was solved!
Still, I have no idea why it was there or what it was for. One of the most random things I've ever seen, but also so cool!As I kept exploring I came to the railway that lines the Northern edge of the park.
What was cool was that I was coming to the track from a different elevation. There was a tunnel to let the water through.
I decided I'd walk over the track to explore the other side because I didn't want to get my shoes wet; not today anyway. It wasn't too hard to get up from this side, but I was having trouble finding a good way down the other side.
If the bugs were my first friends today, the guy I met next was my second friend. I was walking through tall grass on the other side of the tracks, trying to find a good way down, when suddenly an enormous snake flung itself out of the thicket at me. He was on me in a moment and there was an epic struggle. We were rolling about up and down the hill; I was trying really hard to keep us from rolling over the edge. Before I knew it we were on the tracks and I heard the distant sound of a train whistle. The struggle continued, I was panting and trying to keep him from coiling too tightly around my neck. Curiously, he didn't seem to be going for that. Mostly he stayed coiled around my arms, intent on keeping me from stopping him. Meanwhile his tail was searching my pockets for something. I couldn't really stop him, he had full control, but suddenly he gave a delighted his, and dropped from my shoulders and arms. As he slithered into the thicket something metal glinted, catching the light. "Hey!" I shouted, upset. Trailing behind him, held tightly in the coils of his tail, was my flashlight.That thing seriously scared me, but I'm glad I survived anyway. I'm just glad he wasn't after my head. Less than 10 minutes after that the train went by on the track.
After that I decided to head back. I was near the entrance when I met a third friend. This fellow was much nicer than my previous companions. He was mostly just trying to keep to himself. But he didn't mind my company when he saw I wasn't trying to hurt him, or eat him.
It's hard to see him in this picture, but I think if you look really hard, you'll see my buddy Wiggly, the rabbit. He hopped right out in front of me while I was being silly and looking at my phone, instead of the beautiful world around me. He was indignant when I wasn't ready to take a picture of him on the path, but I was able to coax him into staying on the side of the path long enough for a shot. Soon after that I was out of the park. I was about to explore Charlestown Preserve but it got really dark all of a sudden when it was preparing to storm and I nearly got lost in the woods of Charlestown. For a second there I was really panicking. But I made it. I'll have to do more exploring next time. Maybe with someone else to accompany me?
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