homeland

this afternoon i went down to medway, my hometown. i only live the next town away but i don't often visit. i don't know why. it's comfortable driving the backroads of my youth. there is always new things but it's the old stuff, the house where i lived, my grandmothers place, the town park where my friends and i spent countless hours wasting.......countless hours. the park was named after my grandfather, five years after he passed on. my grandmother was around for the ceremony and i'm sure my grandad was watching from above. it's not a grand park or anything, always had a water problem. i made my way to the far end, a green bridge and made some casts. two small bass later i left but not before i ventured up in back of the b ball courts where 35 years ago lay a pretty good size series of fields dotted with irregular stone walls heading in all directions. now it's heavily grown over but there are still paths that wind there way to..... who knows?there were signs of teenage activity, ie. empty liquor bottles hidden behind ancient pines. its good to see things haven't changed totally. certain memories always come rushing back when you go home, some good, some bad but always interesting......have a nice sunday trip down memory lane yourself today, jack c

nature

it has been awhile......two weeks now. blogging is definitely a winter sport, at least for me. this weekend past i did go to new hampshire to visit my brother and his wife. nice time, great weather. we took the kayaks out, first to a small lake and then to a meandering river on sunday. the river trip was the best. the powdermill river takes its time flowing through barrington, in western new hampshire. it zigs then zags with no rhyme or reason, at least to me. water plants line the sides providing perfect cover for a large variety of fish. great blue herons sit quietly waiting for their chance to swoop in for a meal. it was a little windy so finding a spot amongst the weeds to place the kayak was quite the trick. summer in new england does not last but when it is here, it's a treat. fishing turned out to be productive too......one large pickeral, his smaller brother, perch and kivers were plentiful. the kayak is a wonderful way to ride the river. sitting low, gliding slowly or paddling madly, you can't beat it. exercise and enjoyment all i wrapped in a ten foot molded plastic floatation device. sounds fun?it was.....see ya round the bend, jack c.....ps. i'm off to maine next wednesday, the 29th for a few....long live summer

summertime

yes it is summer which means there is no time. there is time but it moves with the pace of a sultry humid night. i'm not sure i could take summer the whole year round [i can hear most of you screaming ''why the hell not?''i like summer, just like i like spring, fall and yes winter. each season serves a purpose. summer time is to slow down, take it easyyyyyy. it would be nice to take the summer off, at the beach or perhaps a quiet lake. summer is a time to linger, read the paper a little slower each day whilst sipping on the morning coffee. sand castles and body surfing would fill my days while red wine over a soft sunset would lead me into evening.....a perfect summers eve. fall is right around the corner along with responsibility and cool air and clarity to follow. i'm not ready yet, summer is just starting to sink into our senses and i'm going to enjoy it all. on that note....i''ll see ya around, jack c

icons

farrah,michael,ed mcmahon.....three icons of the sixties, seventies,eighties all passed away this past week. people are born and people die every day.....not just famous folk.when the famous die there is usually a treasure trove of artifacts that appear all over the media, reliving the glory days. michael jackson, being the youngest and possibly the oh how to put this, the oddest of the three has garnered the most press. like elvis he will remain the king. people will show up every year at.....neverland? and leave flowers and makeshift shrines at his grave. in death , just like in his life i doubt he will find peace. there will be sightings, fan clubs insisting he lives and all the other hoopla that surrounds the other king, elvis to this day. farrah's death and the accompanying stories will be a little more subdued. the brave way she endured and the stuggle to live will be noted but her days in the spotlight are over. she was famous long ago, mostly for being beautiful and that's how she will be remembered. ed mcmahon's generation is already passed, he outlived most of his contemporaries and though we can still see him in black and white on the early tonight show clips that holds little for todays youth based culture. thats what happens when you live too long, your'e forgotten before you even pass. well thats enough from me today, i'm heading out to enjoy what we in new england call summer, be good and take good care, jack c

ark time?

did the earth stop spinning? it must have, why else would this low/high whatever system you want to call it seem to be sitting on top of ......new england?, east coast, where is it not raining? i'm sure there are a few stretches of barren wasteland somewhere on the globe that has not been inundated by the cold, wet stuff. it is june, the 18th to be exact and summer is near. at least in concept. in reality summer could not be farther away. now i'm not complaining. it might sound like it but i'm not. really. i'm only making an observation. you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. thank you bob dylan for that little gem. the real reason i'm blogging is today, at 3:04 i became a great uncle once again. my darling niece had a beautiful baby girl and that makes me very happy. i''ll head up to the hospital tomorrow to say hey and check her out but tonight i'm toasting her arrival with a glass of red and listening to the rain outside my window. here's to you mia catherine, live long and prosper....love dear old uncle jack

oh, to summer

the last days of spring, it's cool and green and new, before the summer burns away the mornings drop of dew and promises that were written on winter's icy breath lay bare in open fields to die an early death and all along the hillsides, sprinkled deep amongst the trees lie remnants of an earlier time, one closer to the seas and every day we live upon this madly spinning rock shows us just how far we've come and how far we have to walk.......jc.....ps. has anybody seen the sun? just asking

the moon in june

yes it is june, half way through another year. amazing when you think of it. a fellow blogger from o' canada writes today that it SNOWED yesterday. well, more sleet than snow but still...it' springtime in new england which means the weather outside changes almost daily. it's been on the cool side mostly, which i like. the heat come july is always welcome but when the humidity kicks in and you can see and taste the air it becomes dreadful. it only last a short time but it can seem a lot longer. i'm not a big fan of air conditioning but i can see why we have it. i adjust fairly well to the stuff but it just kills most folks. well here it is friday night , round 6:30 and i'm tapping away, just had my last glass of wine and i'm working tomorrow. the excitement never stops....heehee. take good care and i''ll catch you on the rebound....jack.......ps. snow....in june.....the indignity of it all...