Monthly Archives: October 2017

Some Ghoulish Poetry

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It’s a ghoulish day much to the kids delight,

Dressed up and made up in all hopes to fright.

As they wait and wait for the sun to set,

A ton of candy they are planning to get.

As they walk down each street, eyes wide open and scared,

They look in their bags to see how they’ve fared.

But as they search through each bag, they aren’t looking around,

At the number of ghouls that are soon to be found.

Lurking behind trees and searching for prey,

The kids they saw nothing, and had nothing to say.

But as the first ghoul came forth and made himself known,

The children themselves were chilled to the bone.

So they took off running, screaming with a great deal of fright,

Only to come out again on the next Halloween night!

Ghoulish

Autumn Sunrise

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“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.”

-George Washington Carver

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This is why we hike…

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A Halloween sunrise!!!

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The tree in the first picture taken a few minutes later.

Mornings like today are the reason why people love to hike. Just as the sun was coming up the temperature was a crisp 44 degrees and a slight breeze was making its way through the woods. You could still see the evidence of a really nasty rainstorm that had moved through the area all day Sunday into Monday morning. Tons of twigs, small limbs and fallen trees now litter the trail as compared to just a few days ago.

Besides the abundance of debris on the trail, the only difference as the days progress is the continued loss of leaves from the trees. Every hike that I do now in Ward Pound Ridge serves as an awakening to the coming winter months. The trees are much barer and the woods have opened up, telling an entirely different story than the one I have been used to all summer.

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A happy place, either before or after a hike.

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/31/17-3.6-304.52

The Loss Of Trust…

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Ever since the founding of our great nation, we have embraced the idea of community. Community at every level of government, business, in our neighborhoods and in our schools has provided each of us with the appropriate social interactions that allow us to function and live as productive citizens.

In every type of community, a leader must be elected, chosen or somehow rise to prominence. In order for a community to be in a position where they can achieve any type of success, a leader must be able to be implicitly trusted, especially during times of transition and internal strife.

When change occurs, it is often times assumed that trust, not only of the new leader, but those who have placed that individual in their position, will not be jeopardized. What is the fear of breaking this sacred bond? (And yes, trust is a sacred bond) The fear is, and always will be, is that once the bond has been broken, even if by perception, it will almost be impossible to rebuild.

No amount of platitudes or promises can return us to where we were. The clock can not be turned back. There is no “way back machine.” As human beings, we have memories that act in a manner where the pain of the betrayal that has been thrust upon us is cataloged and stored for further reference.

When the bond has been broken, how does the rest of the community then remain functioning as a cohesive unit? We all react differently to what has happened. Some are angry, others feel betrayed and some are indifferent. These are the exact moments when those that have fallen victim must come together in a productive manner in order to be able to keep moving forward.

Leaders must be able to recognize when they have, either by design or inadvertently, done something to weaken this bond with the other stakeholders in their community. Without this self realization, nothing further can be accomplished and as a result everything in the future will fall into the category of “can they be trusted?”

Therefore, although it may bruise the ego, it is imperative that those in charge make amends so that the greater good of the community is not sacrificed. This is by no means a sign of weakness, rather it is the sign of a confident and competent leader.

What say you?

Where Do We Go When We Sleep?

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 I have asked myself the question, “Where do we go when we sleep?” many times over the course of my life.  Whether it’s a nap, an hour or two, or a full blown night of sleep, anyone can ride that cosmic bus to wherever they want a long as they are in the required state of REM. I know in my case, over the last 52 years, I have been to magnificent places. Places that have scared me, made me laugh and made me cry. Places that, yes, you can only dream about.

 

Fall Colors Are Finally Here!!!!

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“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”

-Unknown

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The trail at the start of the hike.

After not hiking for several days, I got back on the trail on Thursday to see what I could see. And finally, I saw some pretty intense fall colors as I made my way around the Green Trail and up a rocky road to a shelter. Due to a busy week, not only have I not been out hiking, but I also did not get on my stationary bike as much as I would have liked. Needless to say, my legs felt out of sorts and I knew that I was moving a little slower than I usually do.

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Some nice fall colors in the woods.

With that said, it did feel good to get the legs moving and to breathe in the crisp fall air. Today I did bring my decent camera with me so I was hoping to get some decent pictures that adequately represented the day. Although it wasn’t brilliantly sunny, as the sun set it keep peeking through the clouds offering me a pretty nice array of colors and shades within the clouds.

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An awesome sight!!

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Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/26/17-4.1-300.92

Semper Fi-Don’t Forget Beirut

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Marines laying a wreath at the memorial stone for Lcpl Craig Wyche.

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Marines during the playing of taps.

Thirty four years ago today, 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers lost their lives when the Marine Barracks in Beirut Lebanon were destroyed by a suicide bomber. Although many years have passed since that day, the memory of the fallen will remain a strong symbol of Marine Corps History. For most people, however, the day will pass like any other. We will go to work, drink our coffee and do what we need to do. And unless you are a Marine or a family member of the fallen, this day probably does not mean much to you.

Ossining High School lies just off of South Highland Avenue as you make your through the center of town. About thirty feet from the sidewalk lies a stone in front of a tree that was planted for one such Marine.  LCpl Craig Wyche, a 1982 graduate of Ossining High School, was sleeping in the Barracks on that fateful day in October 1983 when his life was cut short and his sacrifice became part of Marine Corps lore. I mention this for two reasons-One, I am a Marine and two, I have worked at Ossining High School now for over eighteen years.

Over the years I have passed by the stone many times and each time I stop and pay respects to my fallen brother. A Marine brother, but a brother nonetheless.

While it is important to honor the service of veterans of every era, we need to especially show reverence to those who have given their lives in the line of duty. Although the reasons we initially choose to serve may be different, we all have a love for our country that says we are prepared to give our lives if we need to. That is why it is called the “Ultimate Sacrifice.”

So when you are home today eating dinner or perhaps drinking a beer, think about those 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers who gave their lives thirty four years ago. Don’t let them become just another memory.

The Rythm Of The Snore

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Every time I go to Ward Pound Ridge now the trees are more bare and the woods seem more expansive than they did just a few weeks ago. Since I started to hike at WPRR during the summer, everything was cloaked in a sea of greens. Now, if even just for a couple of days, the trees resemble a huge bowl of stuffing that sits on the table at Thanksgiving.

Like the bowl of stuffing that is waiting to be eaten, the leaves fall and are reclaimed by the earth. It is truly an awesome time to be hiking. Today was definitely the coldest morning in a many months. At my usual start time of around 6:20 am, the temperature had dropped to 38 degrees. As I stretched and waited for it to get a little lighter (and warmer), I put on the flannel jacket that I had stashed in the back of my jeep.

Even at that time of the morning I could tell which of the shelters were occupied because of the distinct smell of a dying campfire. As I approached one shelter, it was so quiet that I could hear the slow roar of someone snoring. When I actually passed the tent and the snore was at its loudest, I could only feel sorry for anyone who might be sharing a tent with him.

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The sky right before starting my hike. 

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/21/17-5.2-296.82

Work->Green Trail->Home

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“Walking is my main method of relaxation. I don’t go over my lines or try to solve the world’s problems, I just enjoy the scenery and the wildlife.”
-Kevin Whately

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The changing leaves as seen through my crappy cell phone camera!

I have found no better way to end a day than to get out and hike. This time of year is especially nice with the cooler temperatures and leaves falling out of the trees to just wander around the woods and think about absolutely…nothing. All I need is that couple of hours of movement to get the brain straight.

After work today (Thursday 10/19), I made my way to Ward Pound Ridge to hike the Green Trail. Today’s hike was made that much better by the total absence of any people. The only company I had this afternoon was the breeze blowing through the trees and an ocassional squirrel making its way from tree to tree.

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The sun setting in the woods about half of the way through the hike.

Happy Hiking!!!

2017 Mileage:

10/19/17-3.5-291.62

 

Big Brother Has Landed

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“Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.” 
― George Orwell

This week has been a strange one. Big brother has finally taken off his slippers and crawled into bed with us. It’s kind of like when you were single and went to bed in a drunken stupor only to find out that the person next to you was more frightening than the one the night before. That body next to you, no matter how charming you may think they are, is by no means your friend.

They may be warm and cuddly as they snuggle next to you, and they may tell you all of the things that they think you want to hear in an attempt to get you to not go. But in the end, it’s all a fallacy. Unfortunately, however,  it all becomes a reality when you begin to sober up and start to shake yourself out of your haze. You remember the night before when little sweet nothings were being whispered in your ear and you believed every word.

But as the fog lifts you realize you’ve been duped. Duped in a way that makes you feel, well, dirty and used. All of the promises have been replaced by the prying eyes and ears of Big Brother, who wants to see all and hear nothing…