Let the sun shine in

On this grey day, I've been thinking of what a changeable spring it has been and some of the amazingly beautiful days we've had already.

The cherry blossoms were about 2 weeks early this year.

My street.

Nice day for riding.

Mint juleps on the porch in honor of Derby Day.

Looking up from the hammock.

Cat mint in full effect.

Tough life.

Medieval Times

Have I mentioned that we're just down the road from the Lyndhurst location of Medieval Times? I've not been there since I was a kid (when it first opened) but Linnea wanted to go for her 30th birthday, so we did. Our knight, the blue knight, lost.

An offering for the trees

Since Rutherford is the Borough of Trees, it seem particularly fitting to recognize that today is Mabon, the Autumnal Equinox. It is a time of balancing, rebirth, harvest, and of honoring the forests and "The Green Man." At this point in the year in many cultures we recognize the turning of the season (the Persephone story, passage of the Goddess into Crone, New Year, etc). I'll be enjoying the outdoors, eating the fruits of my neighbor's apple harvest (they went apple picking last weekend), and raising a glass of wine to the trees.

On this day when day and night are equal, may you all find balance, abundance, and fortitude for the coming season.


Some traditional offerings: honey, apples, wine, nuts, grapes.

Word to the Wise

Yesterday was the opening of both the Jets (at Cowboys) and Giants (home) football seasons and I made the mistake of going to the local supermarket. I know better and had even made a promise to myself to not go to the supermarket on Sundays during football season. Alas, I forgot it was the first day until it was too late - I had people coming to my house to watch the games. More to the point, they were coming to eat home-made buffalo wings and nachos and my fridge was bare. There are fun things about living one town away from Giants' stadium, where both the Giants and Jets play (LOTS of spirit), navigating the supermarket pre-game is not one of them.

Rutherford, The Movie

A friend of mine helped make a wonderful short film that has just been released. It was filmed in Rutherford, in two locations:
1. Inside the photo studio on Glen Road (I can't find the name) and on the street outside
2. Our house (!!!!) and on the street outside.
Don't miss the "behind the scenes" footage.

Click here to view the film: Portraits

On The Road Again

I've spent a lot of time in a car, on highways today getting to and from a corporate event in Connecticut. It made me think of how much I loved car trips as a kid. There's something mesmerizing about watching all that scenery flow by out the windows. I've lost some of that wonderment but still take pleasure in watching the side of the road roll past.

Ian Frazier wrote a marvelous piece for the New Yorker about Route 3, the road anyone commuting to New York from Rutherford (or Montclair, where Frazier lives) has to travel. His descriptions are evocative and spot-on. He also includes some very interesting statistics. Most importantly, he brings a little wonder back to a road we travel each day.

Route 3 by Ian Frazier

Location, location, location

Rutherford is conveniently located 8 miles west of NYC and 12 miles from Newark International Airport. It spans 2.8 square miles of Bergen county and has a population (as of the 2000 US Census) of 18,110. Bordered by East Rutherford to the north/east, Lyndhurst to the south/southwest, Clifton and Passaic to the west, and Secaucus to the southeast, you can find almost any amenity, service or merchant close by.

There is direct train access via the Main/Bergen NJ Transit line to both NY Penn Station and Hoboken's Lackawanna Terminal and the NJ PATH trains. In addition, there are two express bus lines and several local taxi companies. The Downtowner, the borough's commuter bus, runs to and from the historic train station during rush hours. The schedule for the Downtowner is available
here

Rutherford is surprisingly bucolic for a “bedroom community.” Its sits on a ridge overlooking the Meadowlands and is called “The Borough of Trees.” Three bodies of water, Berry's Creek, the Passaic River and the Hakensack River flow in the borough. According to Wikipedia, “Berry's Creek harbors the last remaining Northern Harrier nest site in the Meadowlands. It is heavily used by wintering raptors.” Both the Passaic and Hackensak are industrialized rivers but the Passiac, specifically, can be picturesque from local vantage points. The Nereid Boat Club on Riverside Avenue offers a lovely vista as well as on of the NYC area's only calm water rowing sites. http://www.nereidbc.org

More on Rutherford history to come.