End Of The Big Easy

One thing I find unusual about the debates so far, is the civility and respect that both party's candidates have shown to each other this election year.



The two debates certainly haven't devolved into nasty exchanges in any way. Thursday night, Palin's inexperience showed at times, as did her nervousness, especially early on. But Biden never appeared to mock or look down on his opponent, even when he clearly had a stronger grasp of certain issues. Palin for her part, never really used her subtle but brutal sarcasm to cut down Biden, though she did throw a couple good jabs, in a gentle humorous way. Biden appeared to take the pokes in stride, and in the good-humored spirit they were delivered in. The sound bites and pandering to the lowest common denominator which has become so tiring and sickening to the electorate (or to me, anyway) in the past few elections has been kept to a minimum, so far.

There's two more debates to go and the attitudes might still change, but it's refreshing to see the debates proceed in this friendly manner. I wonder if the match-ups are so tame do to their unusual and new gender/race make up. The specter of racism and sexism might be keeping the candidates more focused on issues than slander and personal attacks this time around. Or maybe everyone is indeed just so tired and impatient of the old games, when we're teetering so close to the edge of disaster. Serious candidates for serious times.

Either way, it's nice to see the prospective leaders acting like adults. Now if only the political pundits would get with the program...

Friday was a sparkler, I spent the latter half of the work day in hill country between Wilbraham and Hampden, where some farms hidden in small hilltop valleys still survive, alongside high-elevation wetlands.









Some of the farms, sadly, have been commandeered by the now dead McMansion era. All that remains of this hidden hilltop farm is a lone silo, left standing as a folksy prop at the entrance to a subdivision.



At least one good thing to come of the end of the super-easy credit era will be the reining in of the out-of-control housing sprawl that has permanently changed some of the most beautiful areas of the valley...

Pre - Sanctuary

The Audubon's Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Hampden will be 'officially' re-opening this coming September, after a several year hiatus. Volunteers were at work Saturday cleaning up, and a boy scout troop built bird houses, in preparation. The weather wasn't the best early Sunday afternoon, but I recruited the kid and we went down there to take an early look.



To get there we went through the center of Hampden, where there is this small town green.





A couple adults with their kids were fishing off a bridge, into the Scantic River nearby.



The Scantic isn't exactly huge, but it's apparently fishable.



Feeding the river is East Brook, which I suspect is the "Laughing Brook" the Sanctuary gets it's name from, as it forms it's eastern border.



The trail begins at this gate, with a couple boards with info on local wildlife, and a big map.





There are several viewing gazebos overlooking some water here.





The trail starts off running for a ways alongside East Brook. The brook is flowing along pretty good right now, and in several spots the trees on the edges have broken loose and fallen across it. Across the brook is private property, with several houses in view, as well as some road noise. The noises and houses probably won't be as easily noticeable once the leaves begin filling in the woods.



The fast running brook makes a lot of noise as it bubbles over the rocks, probably giving the sanctuary it's name.



For all the blooming of the trees everywhere else, they're taking their time budding here. Pretty much the only green at this time is from the many hemlocks and pines that seem to dominate the lower area of the sanctuary.



There is a big, (vernal?) pool with an old pine fallen across it.



Most of the sanctuary seems littered with downed trees, everywhere you look. I suppose that's a good thing as the decaying trees will contribute to the most basic building blocks of life in the coming sanctuary. Also the downed trees allow more sunlight into the understory of the forest for new growth.





The overcast day and lack of foliage didn't make for the cheeriest hike I've ever been on, and the birds weren't very active either. But we decided to continue on, and explore the entire double loop that makes up the trail system here.

Old rock walls are abundant, dividing up old sections of pasture or farm land.



Rocky ridges jut out of the ground on the upper trail loop.





Dead tree to us, buffet table to a Pileated Woodpecker?



I'm guessing it was a Pileated Woodpecker, because of the large size of the wood chips scattered about:



We trudged north out to the farthest edge of the loop. We stopped here and there to listen for wildlife, but found it pretty much lacking. Lacking, that is, until two giant Whitetail Deer suddenly sprang up about 20 yards to our left, and leaped off, loudly crashing through the brush, their bright white tails bouncing away into the forest. It completely surprised us both, and got our hearts pumping for a few minutes. We laughed about the sudden excitement, and continued on the return path.

Several minutes after that, we came across a (human) family of three heading in the opposite direction. They asked if we had any idea where we were, and how to get back to the parking area. They'd had enough of hiking lost under the gloomy sky, and wanted to head back. I showed them where we were on my GPS, and they decided to follow us. Walking back, our little troop saw another deer in the distance, and Chris and I spotted two Wild Turkeys. So, all in all the day wasn't completely without wildlife viewing in this as yet undeveloped sanctuary.

We finally emerged from the trails, just as the sun decided to come out.



It would have been very welcome just a half hour earlier...

The sanctuary appears to have great potential, with long easy walking trails, and several viewing spots once all the foliage blooms and the leaf litter and downed trees begin their contributions to the life of the forest.

Some..Where.....Up..There.....

Things brightened up considerably from yesterday.



From this hill in Hampden, you can just barely see the tops of the Monarch Place and Baybank towers in Springfield.



Also, Mt. Tom's now defunct ski area is visible. Still devoid of big trees, a layer of snow marks the old ski trails.



This guy gets views like that every day.





Driving out of Hampden, this mailbox reminded me of another aspect of spring that's fast approaching...



This pair could be auditioning for a Doublemint Gum commercial.



I've been taking alot of pics of churches lately, like this on at the Wilbraham Monson Academy.



Not particularly for any religious reason, mostly just aesthetic. I love the stately, solid structure, the stone, shadows, ect. They give off a feeling of permanance and longevity that steel and glass just don't. I say a feeling, of course, as Christianity has been under the gun now for several years, and it's 'permanance' is being put to the test as never before...


Warning, Briefly Talking Religion Here:

I was brought up in a devoutly Catholic family. My mom was a CCD teacher back in the old country when she was younger. She certainly practiced what she preached raising us. Uncomfortable clothes, uncomfortable shoes, and an hour of Church every sunday that would never seem to end. A short stint as an altar boy, then CCD until confirmation, my mom even forced me and my sister to recite the Rosary at home almost every night at one point, when we were very young. Sometimes we would fume as we did this, we could hear our friends outside, wrapping up their game of tag or soccer baseball. Other times me and my sister would absolutely fly through it, going throught the motions at lightning speed, the words mere burbles. One eye on the clock, ticking close to 8 pm, Happy Days would be coming on tv in a couple minutes...

So I was definitely brought up Catholic. Still, despite my parents' and families' best efforts, I've never been particularly religious. Not with any kind of real fervancy anyway. Frankly, I always found it boring; I blame the antiquated rules still in place for that, as well as for other evils plaguing the church today. In my teenage years I did my bid as questioner and doubter of all things, and religion wasn't spared. By my late teens into early twenties, I had pretty much stopped going to church, but held on loosely to the two main Catholic days of observance; Christmas and Easter. A few more years went by, and even that eventually fell by the wayside. That's where I'm still at. A non-practicing Catholic. I try to live a good life, and follow the tenets of the religion, (Do unto others...). But I still shun the antiquated ceremonies put in place by a handful of Bishops during the Dark Ages. I believe the Catholic church needs to change and adapt if it is to survive and stay relevant, but I don't see that coming too soon. First and foremost, Priests need to be allowed to marry.

Even though I don't practice it, I still defend it, especially when arguing with my less than pious friends. I think they are all too quick to dismiss Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular, as bygone relics, as they channel surf the tv and go to the fridge for a snack. It has survived for 2000 years. I'm not ready to write it off yet. Science-shmience, turn off the lights for a few weeks, and let's see where we all stand. Like the comedian Joe Rogan says in one of his skits, does anybody really know how to make a tv, or a phone, or even a lightbulb? We'll all be praying to the heavens in the dark...

I added that last sentence just to segue into another topic of the heavens....Smile, it's the beginning of a new Solar Cycle.



And, while your thinking space, be sure to check out the total eclipse of the full moon Wednesday night (the 20th). I highlighted that because it's supposed to be a very good one. There won't be another even close to being as good until 2010. Interestingly, the Moon will turn a deep dark red, from all of Earths sunsets and sunrises shining on it at the same time! Best time to see it is around 10pm...



Turn out the lights!