GOTTA ADMIT I THOUGHT I WAS
PRETTY MUCH DONE WITH THIS BLOG THING..PLENTY OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT I JUST
RODE PAST RATHER THAN STOP AND TAKE PHOTOS OF..THE LACK OF RESPONSE TO THE POST
“WARRIORS-COMFORT FOR THE WOUNDED” REALLY KICKED THE WIND OUT OF MY SAILS..BUT
I GUESS THAT AT LEAST PART OF THE BLOG THING IS SHARING WITH OTHERS..SO--
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| JAY SHOWED ME MANY GREAT FISHING SPOTS DOWN THIS OLD GRAVEL ROAD- HE ONCE CAUGHT A LARGE-MOUTH BASS THAT WE HAD NICK-NAMED "HOLLYWOOD" BACK IN ONE OF THE HIDDEN PONDS |
WHEN I WAS ABOUT NINE OR TEN
YEARS OLD I FIRST MET JAY IN THAT FAIRYTALE WORLD OF CHILDHOOD..SUMMERS LASTED
FOREVER AND WINTER WAS JUST ANOTHER SEASONAL ADVENTURE RATHER THAN A STRUGGLE
WITH HEATING COSTS, SNOW TIRES, FLU-SHOTS, SHOVELING SNOW ETC. ETC.
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| A VIEW OF THE RIVER AS WE APPROACH OUR FISHING AREA |
WE LIVED JUST A FEW HOUSES APART
AND WE WERE BLESSED WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT BORDERED A LARGE SECTION OF FOREST
(FOREST IS NOW GONE, WAS REPLACED BY A HOUSING PROJECT)..TOGETHER WE CAUGHT
SNAKES-SALAMANDERS-LIZARDS AND DID A BIT OF FISHING..WINTER WOULD FIND US
TENDING TO OUR LITTLE TRAP LINE THAT FOLLOWED A BROOK INTO AND THROUGH THAT
FOREST..WE NEVER CAUGHT A THING BUT WE BOTH LOVED THE MAJESTY AND BEAUTY OF THE
FOREST AND OUR LITTLE BROOK..WE WERE FULFILLED BY THE WILD SPLENDOR AND DIGNITY
OF NATURE AND HER CREATURES..
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| "OUR SPOT' WHERE ALL THE CRAP OF THE WEEK AND DAY TO DAY HEADACHES WOULD MELT AWAY |
TIME WENT ON AND WE DRIFTED
APART..I JOINED THE MARINES, JAY-THE NATIONAL GUARD..MY MOM OFTEN SAID “I SENT
THE MARINES A YOUNG MAN-THEY SENT ME BACK A MONSTER.” SHE WAS QUITE RIGHT..BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK
TOGETHER AND MY SOCIAL CIRCLE CONSISTED OF OTHER ‘MONSTERS’..THERE CAME A
CERTAIN EVENTFUL NIGHT WHEN I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO END UP AS EITHER A DEAD
‘MONSTER’ OR A ‘MONSTER’ THAT WAS SAFELY LOCKED AWAY FROM SOCIETY..IT WAS AFTER
THIS TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE THAT JAY AND I MET AGAIN IN THE PARKING LOT OF A
COFFEE SHOP..AFTER SOME LIGHT TALK HE CHALLENGED ME TO A CHESS GAME, I
ACCEPTED, HE BEAT ME BADLY..
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| WE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS SURROUNDED BY THIS BEAUTY.. WE ALWAYS RELEASED THE TROUT WE CAUGHT RATHER THAN DIMINISH THE RIVER BY TAKING HER FISH |
I LOOKED FORWARD TO PLAYING CHESS
WITH HIM AND ONE FINE NIGHT I FINALLY BEAT HIM IN A DUNKIN DOUGHNUTS PARKING
LOT..HE EASED ME BACK INTO FISHING-HUNTING-ARCHERY..EASED ME BACK INTO THE LOVE
OF THE OUTDOORS AND THE PEACE OF MIND THAT AWAITED ME THERE..SIMPLE MAN-SIMPLE
PLEASURES..EASED ME BACK INTO A GOOD WAY OF LIFE..
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| LOOKING UPSTREAM FROM 'OUR SPOT' |
JAY WAS IN MANY WAYS A LONER AND
SO AM I..HOWEVER, WE WERE ALWAYS COMFORTABLE IN EACH OTHER’S COMPANY..STRAIGHT
FORWARD AND TO THE POINT..I WOULD SAY WE WERE JUST SHY OF BEING BROTHERS AND WE
GOT ALONG MUCH BETTER THAT SOME BROTHERS DO..JAY STOPPED OVER OUR PLACE ON
SUNDAY OCTOBER 21.. WE WENT TO A LOCAL GUN SHOP TOGETHER THEN VISITED A FIRING
RANGE..LATER WE RETURNED HERE, HAD SOME HOME-MADE APPLE PIE, SOME TALK ABOUT
ONE MORE AFTERNOON OF FISHING BEFORE WE CALLED IT A SEASON..HE WENT ON HOME AND
LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER MY LIFE-LONG FRIEND PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY..I’M NOT THE
TYPE OF GUY THAT SHEDS TEARS-LAST TIME WAS IN 1999 WITH THE PASSING OF MY
FATHER..DON’T MIND TELLING YOU THAT I SURE HAVE SHED A FEW THESE LAST FEW
DAYS..THOUGHT I’D SHARE SOME PICTURES WITH YOU OF THE PLACES THAT WE BOTH LOVED
SO MUCH..THESE PLACES WERE ALMOST SACRED GROUND FOR US—NOW THEY ARE CERTAINLY
SACRED GROUNDS FOR ME..
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| JUST A LITTLE FURTHER UPSTREAM |
I AM DEFINITELY A RELIGIOUS TYPE
OF GUY BUT NOT IN THE CLASSICAL SENSE..AND I DO BELIEVE THAT AFTER JAY GETS
SETTLED IN, HE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SOME GOOD FISHING SPOTS TO SHARE WITH ME
SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD..TILL THEN THE FARMINGTON RIVER WILL NEVER BE QUITE THE
SAME FOR ME..
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| WE HAVE WAITED FOR YEARS TO SEE THIS TREE FINALLY FALL IN NOW I REALLY HOPE IT DOESN'T--FOR SOME REASON |
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| HAPPY FISHING MY OLD FRIEND--SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD--HOPE YOUR GETTING SOME GOOD "RIVER-TIME" JIM |
