The weekend is supposed to be clear, which will be nice for our view from the Newark Airport control tower tomorrow morning (courtesy of the FAA for whom my step son works!). Wow, the amount of rain we've had this year! The rivers have been swollen the entire fall period, when they are normally low. This morning, the rivers were over the banks and the flow is torrential.
I have the nicest tour of scenic NJ every day on my daily commute for work. I climb and descend basically three mountains with every trip and I get to cross a few prominent rivers. I start at the edge of the Pequest River valley, with a spectacular view of the mountains to the west, at the Delaware Water Gap, where the Appalachian Trail follows the Delaware River to the north and all of the semi-wild lands leading towards High Point. Sunsets are often spectacularly red.
I climb over the first ridge to the east and down to cross the Musconetcong River. It was roaring today. Then I climb another ridge and descend to cross the South Branch of the Raritan. This is the steepest and windiest descent into Long Valley. Next, I climb again and then have a particularly long and beautiful descent into a wider valley with great views to the next mountain east. In that valley, I cross the Lamington River and then the North Branch of the Raritan. The mountain that I look at causes a big looping diversion of the Passaic River, first south and then north, on it's long tortuous route starting in Mendham, and finally past Little Falls, Paterson, Rutherford and Newark before it empties into the Hackensack River & Newark Bay.
Every day, I roll past mountains, streams, horse farms, cattle ranches, and little isolated villages like Pottersville or Califon (depending upon my route). I see the county-estate mansions of the ultra-wealthy and a little taste of suburbia in Bridgewater. All seasons have their beauty. Snow fields and fall colors are spectacular. I love the tall grass hay fields in late spring and I'm always astonished at how fast the fields get cut all at once, and then the round bales are scattered all over the countryside. My windows are open so I can relish the smell of new cut hay, it is so delicious! By late October and into early December, I have to be really careful as I see a tremendous number of bucks all over the roadways. They are comical because they are so distracted and they are racing around, looking in every direction for does. One fellow was clamoring down the center line of a roadway when I came upon him. He's looking at me almost with desperation, seemingly asking if I can just point to where I might have seen a doe!
New Jersey gets such a bad rap, yet it has the most comforting scenery that I know. The unique aspect of it is that there is so much diversity in the beauty of the surroundings in such a compact area. I think of Maryland and Connecticut similarly (the perception of being gritty and urban, yet with beautiful countryside that rarely gets acknowledged). I'll let somebody else comment on the unique aspect of having spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline from across the Hudson. The Palisades are truly unique and spectacular. A drive and the lookouts from the Palisades Parkway are beyond comparison, yet we almost seem to take it for granted!
I think of Michigan and Wisconsin with similar rural qualities. There is very little that is truly spectacular in scope or size, yet the countryside is just extremely gentle and comforting. New Jersey does have more of the ruggedness that is Appalachian in comparison to the Midwest, though.
I can't say that I have any complaints living and working here! The sailing is pretty good, too! I haven't even covered the beauty of the Shore or commented on the variety of opportunities that are at any sailors fingertips!
). It started at about 2 this afternoon. Sailors take warning, indeed! Funny how the adages are true!
