Continuation of Journal 14 11-29-23. This folder begins with continued field observations from my time on the ACAC. The Amherst Conservation Advisory Council.
Field Obs. 5-19-12 The ditch running along the east side of Youngs Road
Clear skies
75 degrees
mild breeze
I foot water clarity
I took Tom, my fishing buddy, his eight year old daughter and friend along. The quest was to successfully sight fish for carp.
The carp are still in. First we scouted the 330 yard section on that I’ve fished before. As we spent more time there, the carp became skittish, and were hard to find. But not before dropping a gob of carp bait in front of a hungry ditch monster.
I had Avia with me, and handed her the pole. I kept her close as she battled the fish, showing her how to keep her rod tip high. The drag was set right, as the fish made several runs. We used a limber 9 foot pole, with a quality 10 pound test line. Tommy climbed down the bank to get the net under the monster.
The fish was hooked deep. I had to cut the line before releasing it. We all reveled in the excitement of the moment, and the beauty of the fish we caught.
We fished on. Tom got some more bites, but no hook ups. A large buck in velvet came crashing through the brush, and across the ditch The children exclaimed, “this is so much fun, let’s do it every day”.
But about this time, I realized we’d been in the poison ivy again. I sent Tom and the kids home to get cleaned up, but I stayed on to scout the next section of ditch to the North. For a while the carp were in hiding, but after about two hours they reappeared. I hooked and landed another large fish, sliding down the bank with the net in one hand and the pole in the other. I decided to take this fish home to dress it out and look inside. It was a hen, full of tiny grey eggs from head to tail. Thousands of tiny eggs. The flesh is red, like a bullhead. No parasites of disease. I cut two fillets that are currently in the fridge, soaking in brine. I’ll cook them tomorrow or Tuesday, and determine once and for all if carp can be used for food.
Again, this most recent Conservationist Magazine says they are excellent eating.
So, research being done, I breaded and fried the carp. It was mild and delicate, though bony. It was enjoyed by all. One fish of this size is a full meal for four adults.
Water clarity one foot
Weedy.
I accessed by Meals on Wheels parking lot. This is a picturesque little lake. It looks fishy. A young couple were fishing there. They reported catching largemouth on artificial worms and spinner baits.
I tried to check out the end of the lake behind the police department, but was told that the area was “police department”, and off limits. It is time to create ACAC identification cars and badges.
Field Obs. 6-06-12 2:00pm Ditch along Youngs.
Partly cloudy.
Breeze mild
70 degrees.
Ten large carp are in the cascade under the culvert. Two drake Mallards. Only two carp in the stretch from the culvert to Stonewood. Vegetation along the bank is quite high now, making it hard to see down into the water.
I observed one school of darkly covered fry. About 160 inch long fry in a tight school. I could not ID them.
LOOKS LIKE I’M A HORSE TODAY.
SO PASS THE STRAW, THE OATS, THE HAY.
LOOKS LIKE IM A HORSE TO STAY.
WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
11-25-02 Journal 16
This is the beginning of my 16th journal. I’m on flight number 3 to JFK in New York City. We’re celebrating at Sandy’s house in Brooklyn. Sandra, Bob, Fia, Mom, Dad, Sue Mark, Katie, friends will be there.
I’m still working the cleaning business. I have a few major clients, and a several smaller ones. Their faithfulness keeps me afloat. One customer, the Proulx family, has become quite dear to me. I’ve been working for them for going on six years.
It’s Tuesday, we’ll take the train home on Sunday. Then next Tuesday I pick up Billy at the airport in Buffalo. We’ll go down to camp to hunt for nine days. Then he goes back to Goodland in Florida.
I’ve applied to the Catholic diocese in Buffalo to study to become a deacon. My application is under scrutiny, with the bishop making the final decision.
I’ve taken two deer this year my bow. I’m looking forward to getting back out in the woods.
I’ve many people in my thoughts and prayers. Family, customers, and friends. It is my first life goal to guide many souls to the Lord. That we be found worthy of eternal life on the Day of Judgment.
I too am a sinful man, always asking God’s forgiveness. That He cleanse me of my sins. And always seeking to forgive those with whom I share this life, that God may cleanse me.
POEM
To be a prophet healer.
A man of God,
a mighty man.
That God may live within,
and all around.
In His presence stand.
A shaman, holy healer,
deep in life’s joy.
Celebrating Christ as life,
darkness to destroy.
To simply live
a simple life,
of honesty and light,
of comforting and healing,
a candle in the light.
And to be blessed with wisdom,
from holy heights above.
To work in health and wealth and joy,
with dignity and love.
As Jesus is the guiding light,
the hope, the truth , the way.
May we find salvation,
upon the Judgment Day.
May we all find salvation,
upon the final day.
The theory of auric salvation is that salvation is attained by creating and maintaining an aura around oneself. By salvation I mean well being in this world and Heaven on the next.
In this theory, the aura may be created and maintained in many ways. Religion is one possibility, but t there are others. Honesty and hard work, charity and kindness. Loving family and friends. Righteousness and integrity.
I see religious people who are apostate. I see noble and beautiful souls in people with no practice of religion. In many people who subscribe to no faith I see sparkling eyes and bright continence.
I suggest there is a universal standard of judgment – transcending all faiths, and including all people. And this standard would be close to Jesus great commandment. “To love God with al one’s might, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself”.
I see people born into great abundance, others into destitution. Is it possible that such could be determined by how one has lived a past life? Or is it all random happenstance?
I believe that other dimensions called Heaven and Hell exist. But reincarnations, multiple lives here on the Earth plane may also exist.
I’ll also suggest that many times groups of souls, families, communities, nations, ascend or descend the ladder of possible realities together.
Consider the sanctified saint that is martyred by his fellow man. This may be the mechanism by which whole societies are saved. A Jesus died to save men’s souls, so possibly have other sanctified saints died to save the souls of many.
Hardship, in all forms, we then see as the vehicle of ascendency, or a sacrifice for the well being and advancement of others.
I’m hypothesizing a relationship between mental clarity and physical health. Keeping all forms of negative thought a bay may serve to keep physical health problems away.
Don’t hold on to anger. Process it quickly. “Let God” take care of the situation when there’s nothing you can do. Let God balance things out.
When sitting down to a reading assignment, the first twenty minutes are so difficult. Once one “warms up”, the reading is easier.
I was out in the fall woods, hunting today.
My thoughts turned to Christmas time.
And a special gift, for a special friend,
a stone or gem , or song or rhyme.
In the quiet, cold fall wood,
contemplating the coming Christmas tide,
I asked myself, what shall I give,
this friend to whom my heart is tied?
The true meaning of Christmas time,
to bring God’s saving presence near.
Let me then reach deep within,
for words my sentiments to mirror.
My spirit sees a little box,
made of purest silver and gold.
It holds a special Christmas message,
something tender, something bold.
Within the box, round ivory coins.
Upon these writ, my thoughts in blue.
Joy and Health at Christmastime,
May God bless,
I love you.
And this treasure of my spirit,
is wrapped in sunlight on the snow.
One last brown leave falls to the ground.
The winter winds begin to blow.
And tied in ribbons of winter wood,
and the light of a warming fire.
Ribbons of health and happiness.
One bright flame, ever higher.
Let this treasure from my spirit
be your Christmas gift this year.
Health and wealth and happiness,
friendship, warmth and cheer.
These thoughts are mine as I sit in the woods.
Wait! The flick of an ear. The swish of a tail!
Shhhh! I must be quiet now.
A doe is coming down the trail.
Shhh! I must be quiet now.
A doe is coming down the trail.
Sunday 12-01-12 Journal
Mom, Dad and I are on the train returning to Buffalo from New York City. We gathered at Sandra’s and Bob’s in Brooklyn. Sue, Mark and Katie celebrated with us as well. We’re on the train at the Albany station. There seems to be a holdup.
I’m in a bit of a hurry to get home. I have to do beginning of the month books, my co-op hours, and get ready to pick up Bill at the airport on Tuesday night. Also class at the seminary tomorrow night. Let’s get going!
Sandra and Bob’s house is spectacular. A brownstone in Brooklyn. They remodeled the entire five floors. Their housekeeper, Renada, is a cute Polish girl. Maude is the nanny. A black woman from the Caribbean. They have one adopted Vietnamese daughter. They will be traveling back to Vietnam after Christmas to pick up an infant boy. They will name him Vincent.
I have two deer in the freezer, money in the bank, all bills paid. Let’s go!
Oops! The train hit a snowmobile stuck on the tracks. Delayed a while. I wrote, an writing, a song on the computer Sandy gave me. A children’s poem. The Greater Koodoo.
I caught a scary bear
when hunting at the zoo-zoo.
I dare to catch a scary bear,
Cause I’m the Greater Koodoo.
And set it free, by the big oak tree.
Very nice to do do.
I love you, do you love me?
I am the Greater Koodoo.
12-03-02
There is an old saying “no rest for the wicked”. But I don’t think this means physical rest, but inner, or emotional rest.
I used the services of a butchers. I did not get from them what I expected, and I told them so in a letter. Some of the best cuts were missing. I called them later, about another deer. The woman was obviously upset with me.
This woman initially impressed me as a decent person. I’m thinking they did not deliberately short me, but probably innocently mishandled things a little bit.
Then, over Thanksgiving, we went down to visit Sandra and Bob. They have done incredibly well financially. Multiple millions. Their house is amazing. I found myself envious. Then upset with myself for feeling envy.
And lastly, I don’t have absolutely govern my own body. I oversleep, sometimes eat too much, and I don’t have complete dominion over my sexuality.
Catholics have a rite of cleansing called confession. One tells their sins to a priest, and in return absolution. However, I don’t feel right going to confession. I know priests professionally, through my business, and as friends. And it doesn’t seem right.
The scriptures speak of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. I’ve never, until now, understood what this means. I means that God places a buffer of warmth between oneself and the forces of the world. A barrier of protection between oneself and danger. This hedge is built up gradually, almost imperceptibly, over time, through righteousness and prayer. And I believe this gift is destroyed through sin.
I would think that a child born and raised in holiness would always know this comfort. But from my own experience I see it lost by wayward ways. And then, ultimately, regained.
12-13-02
I had a good deer season. I killed two deer with my bow. One with my 16 gauge. I have a full freezer now.
I’ve been mentally logging the hours in the woods required to see, and get a shot at a deer. One might be in the woods thirty without a sighting, and much longer before getting a shot.
Consider the native peoples who depended on the success of their hunters to survive. These hunter would have to dawn to dark, day after day, until succeeding. I suppose they would get a brief rest after bringing home a kill, and then out into the wild again.
Deer are very wary, I’m sure then, as now. And survival of the tribe depended on the deer as food.
They could not sleep in, lounge half the day, and then hunt for an hour before dark, relying on luck. As many modern day hunters do. They had to be constant and unwavering in their quest to feed the tribe.
12-13-02
I picked up Bill at the airport a week ago Tuesday. We drove down to Rose’s, and arrived around 1’30 am. We rested in the morning, then went down to camp to get geared up, and out into the woods.
I went into blind one. Bill said he was going to blind two. It was four o’clock when I heard shots from the pines. This was not where Bill said he was going to be, but I knew it was him.
Two minutes later a button buck came by blind one. I raised the gun as it passed behind a tree. It folded neatly from forty feet away.
We met up Rose’s, and shared the news of our successes. Then we made plans to retrieve our kills.
Bill had knocked his deer down the ravine. Forty-five degrees steep, 250 feet from the top. We climbed down with ropes and lights. We tied ropes around the buck, but it was too big to move. Now it was an hour after dark. All we could do was field dress it, and make plans to retrieve it, somehow, the next morning.
Then we hiked over to blind one. We field dressed and dragged my button buck to the road. It was a small deer. Well, the small ones are tender. We hung it in Kent’s garage.
It snowed that night. The next morning we rustled up Jason and Jeromy, two cousins. We grabbed ropes, and descended the ravine. The four of us, working together, got the six point buck up and out to the road. A huge bodied deer with a diminutive rack.
Meanwhile, back at camp, we had frozen pipes. The early December cold snap took us by surprise. Getting the furnace lit turned into a debacle, as well. We warmed the place up with electric heaters and the oven. Then finally, on day three, Billy got the furnace lit, and the place finally warmed up.
I was sitting in the kitchen, saying my prayers, when the faucet in the kitchen let go. Spraying water hit the ceiling, walls and floors. Cereal and cracker boxes got soaked, before I could contain the leak. There were two cracked faucets, and the toilet. Of course Bill was upset. And so was I. But I was at Sandy’s in NYC when the cold snap hit, so there was nothing I could do.
Well, Bill had a good ten day hunting vacation. Yesterday we were up at four am. We packed his frozen venison into a cooler. Loaded his bags, and my cooler of venison, and headed for the airport.
We were only 45 minutes early. His cooler weighed 110 pounds, 40 pounds over the weight limit.
The ticket takers were ransacking Bill’s cooler, while at the curb. While the parkinf enforcer was demanding I leave immediately. Chaos. Bill ended up stuffing venison in with his clothes. And I ended up with 20 pounds of Bill’s meat in my freezer.
Anyway, Bill got off on time. The final season, muzzle loading, ends in four days.
I’ve had four customers call in the last twenty four hours. Pre Christmas work. So, I’ll try and hunt Sunday. The season is just about over.
Tues. 12-17-02
Didn’t get to hunt Sunday. Had to work on cleaning equipment. However I got the afternoon off today. I got into my hunting clothes, loaded up the gear, and headed down to Mike Gallo’s property in Varysburg. The way I figured it, I’d have about two hours of daylight to hunt on the last day of the season.
However, as I approached my destination, the transmission in my truck began to slip. So instead of hunting, I turned the truck around, and headed home. Not knowing what to expect with a failing truck, I thought it best to head home.
I feel so sorrowful to end the hunting season. I feel I was so close to tagging a forth deer. if I had just been able to make it into the woods tonight.
I was successful this year. I had great fun and fellowship. But now I must focus on the next thing. It’s time to decide what my wintertime projects will be. It’s time to turn my attention to something else.
I Am the Greater Koodoo
I am the Greater Koodoo.
I do not care what you do.
Hold your breath and turn blue.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
I am the Greater Koodoo
One of the chosen few few.
Pigs go oink, and cows go moo.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
The baby has a boo-boo.
They tied his shoe askew-skew.
The buzzy bee aflew-flew.
I am the greater Koodoo.
Daddy told a story.
Boy was it a loo-loo.
The fish he caught, it grew and grew.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
Now, I’ll build you a castle.
A castle tall and new new.
On puffy clouds of pink and blue.
I am the greater Koodoo.
A song of Knights and dragons,
let me sing to you-you,
of princes, ponies, swords and spells.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
We slayed the monster in the mirror.
A story oh so true true.
And the troll under the bed.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
I caught a bear when hunting.
When hunting at the zoo-zoo.
And set it free across the sea.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
Sitting high upon my hill,
such a wonderful view-view.
I see you walking, hear you talking.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
I am the Greater Koodoo.
I know all about you-you.
You better be good, like you know you should.
‘Cause I’m the greater Koodoo.
I’m walking with the Giants.
I do what Giants do-do.
Be strong and good and brave and kind.
‘Cause I’m the Greater Koodoo.
Be strong and good, and brave and kind.
‘Cause I’m the Greater Koodoo.
A Thought From Sid
“Play it forward”.
Let your life be a continually advancing arc of good deeds, good thoughts, and good words.
A continually advancing shield of life and light.
Continuation of the Journal
Good people tend to keep other good people on the true path. This occurs when one speaks one’s commitment to moral code. In speaking out, one’s beliefs are strengthened, and the true path is reaffirmed.
Sunday 1-26-03 Super Bowl Sunday
I was watching TV three nights ago. Diane Sawyer was doing a special on pornography. Porn is becoming mainstream. Even this show about porn was rather explicit.
Now, I could philosophically say that this is a normal change, or trend. Or a shift of custom. Or, I could say America is becoming as Sodom, in the day of Lot. It’s almost impossible not to witness this trend. The mail, TV, and bill boards all deliver the message.
My bid to enter the Catholic Seminary was rejected. I received a rather vague letter of rejection three days ago.
I spent four hours last Wednesday down at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles. Someone there misspelled my name. I received a letter threatening revocation of my license and monetary penalties. I got it ironed out.
For Christmas I made and mailed granola to Judy and Sandy. Sandy never got hers. I had it insured, but lost the receipt.
Dad has been monstrously nasty. He is demanding I get a new house, car and new job right now! He wants me to get things together while he is around to help.
I’ve lined up a young man named Eric to help with my mechanical projects. Repairs on equipment, vehicles, etc.
My staying in Buffalo was contingent upon my acceptance at Seminary. Seminary is no longer in the cards. I’ve located a guide school in Montana. And a move to the Adirondacks remains possible.
A move creates stress, and requires courage. I pray for discernment and courage.
I’m applying for a state nuisance wildlife control license. The deer herd in Amherst, where I sit tonight, and across the state, is burgeoning. Control agents will be needed.
My cleaning customers, Ralph and Kara Proulx, are often on my mind. We’ve become close over the six years I’ve been working for them. Their daughters, Melissa and Kaila, are dear to me. They have become my friends.
My sister Sandra is going to help me with a promotion for the business. She is going to have special post cards made up.
Anyway, I’m typing up my poetry. I’m sorting out the best poems for children. I’m serious about illustrating, copyrights and publishing.
I’ve not produced much artwork over the last few years. Now I’ve got time to produce. I’ve got a really great studio session going, featuring the dove of peace. President Bush is promising to go to war against Iraq. America has been wounded and were looking to avenge 9-11.
