Island in the Net by Khürt Williams
Technology and Photography Musings. Established circa 2000.
Vision:
Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won’t be.
But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that.
Ultron:
They’re doomed.
Vision:
Yes. But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts. It’s a privilege to be among them.
Shaan feels that she is having trouble focusing and concentrating on her classes and thinks it's due to ADHD. I think it's a combination of pandemic social isolation and stressing over what comes after she graduates from Rutgers University this spring. Bhavna and I want to be supportive, so yesterday, I drove Shaan for an appointment with an ADHD specialist at Rutgers University.
I am still unemployed, and my contract ended eight weeks ago. I get a lot of recruiter calls, have been on several screening calls and second-round interviews. Talking with recruiters and my brother-in-law, it seems many companies are taking it slow when it comes to hiring. Later this week, I have a third round of interviews for a role that I interviewed for last December. I am anxious.
I was wearing sneakers, and I had not packed my hiking boots in the car. But I wanted to clear my head, so I pulled over and set Apple Maps to take me to Omick Woods.
The Sourland region is a 32 km forested ridge stretching from Duke Farms in Somerset County to Lambertville in Hunterdon County. The diabase rock underlying the ridge is an extension of the New Jersey Palisades across the Hudson River from New York City. The Omick Woods at Rocktown Preserve in East Amwell Township is at the western end of the Sourland Mountains. The Omick Woods Loop is a 2.4-kilometre loop trail is in the Ringoes section of East Amwell Township, and according to the information I read, offers the opportunity to see wildlife and is suitable for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking. Omick Woods was on my "to do" list last year, but I never got around to hiking the trail.
The parking lot for the trailhead is on Rocktown Road, a bumpy and narrow country road that intersects Route 33.
From the parking lot's spur entrance, the main western trail descends south to a junction crossing at Tucks Bridge, a wooden bridge over Back Brook where I headed west. The trail was dry in some areas, muddy in some places, and soggy wet in others. I could find a few pockets of snow. It was slow going, but I focused on slogging forward, one foot in front of the other. I tried not to think.
The trees created a forked shadow across the trail path. The wind whispered in the trees (no bird song), but in the distance, I faintly heard the sounds of human machinery.
The trail ascended to an interesting side spur onto an old dam, heading southwest, ending with a view down to a brook that cuts through the breach in the dam. The path was covered in snow, and I feared that underneath was soggy mud and my sneakers could get stuck. I stopped to observe the many skunk cabbages which had poked out from the brownish coloured grass.
I continued upward to the eastern side of the loop, reaching a high overlook with a broad view to the north over Amwell Valley and Hunterdon Plateau's southern edge on the horizon.
I continued along the loop coming upon two stone crossings of the brook. This part of the trail was dryer, so I continued at a more steady pace, stopping to observe the diabase rock. I remembered that I had scheduled a 3 PM follow-up call with a recruiter. It was 3:05, so I hurried along, hoping to make it back to my car before he called. It didn't work. I explained where I was, and then we talked about setting up a third round of interviews for later in the week.
Sigh.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
A late afternoon walk on the Lawrence-Hopewell trail.
The day after my not-yet-spring hike, I had planned on doing another hike. Bhavna and Kiran wanted to join me. Bhavna suggested we try the Rocky Brook trail in East Amwell Township, but the rock crossing over the stream crossing was flooded with water from the melting snow when we arrived. It was too deep to cross without getting ice-cold water up past the ankles. There several rock crossings on the trail; one slip and the hike would be over. They were disappointed, and we concluded that most of the other hiking nearby trails would be the same.
I suggested that we reschedule hiking for a dryer day and instead walk the paved pathway near the Mount Rose Distillery section of the Lawrence-Hopewell trail would be best under the circumstances. We would still get a chance to be outside, stretch our legs and enjoy the late afternoon light. There was no parking at the Lawrence-Hopewell trailhead, so we parked at the Mount Rose trailhead. We slogged through the mud-covered snow and soggy grass along the short trail that connects the Mount Rose trail to the Lawrence-Hopewell trail.
The Lawrence-Hopewell trail is an in-and-out mixed-use trail for walking, jogging and biking. We passed many maskless walkers out with their canine companions. The trail is covered with asphalt and lined with trees and shrubs, with some areas passing through a natural grass wetland. Sections of the trail run parallel to Pennington-Rocky hill road. The trail ends at the entrance to a residential "mansion" neighbourhood, and I think the walk is more enjoyable in the spring when the leaves are green, the wildflowers are in bloom, and the trees are filled with the sounds of bird song.
Part of the joy I get from being in the woods is the year-round (except for the Grey Death of Winter) exercise of all of my senses. I love the Springtime birdsong, the sound of the wind whispering through the trees, the crunch and smell of decaying Autumn leave underfoot, the rays of spring and summer light falling through the trees, the earthy smell after a rainfall, and the wonderful perfume of Spring flowers.
These are the special moments I look forward to with the passing of the grey death of winter.
