Skylands Stadium Jack O’Lantern Experience September 19– November 2
Skylands Stadium Augusta, NJ skylandsstadium.com
Spooky Wild West City (Night)
October 4-26
Haunted Wild West City (Day)
October 3- 25
Wild West City Stanhope, NJ wildwestcity.com
Wild West City Stanhope, NJ wildwestcity.com
Sussex County Harvest, Honey & Garlic Festival
October 18
Sussex County Fairgrounds Augusta, NJ sussexfarmvisits.com
Publisher & Editor
Amy Bridge publisher@milfordjournal.com
Author Adriana Trigiani will be a headliner at the Milford Readers and Writers Festival on September 13th. Photo courtesy of Adriana Trigiani
Graphic Design
Maureen Taylor
Susan Mednick susanmed2@optonline.net
The Journalists
Jane Primerano • Will Voelkel
Alison Porter • Linda Perlman Fields
Bob Romano • Eric Francis
Associate Editor
B’Ann Bowman
Advertising Team
Amy Bridge amy@milfordjournal.com
Kimberly Hess kimberlyhess212@gmail.com
Editorial Readers
Robert Bowman Amy Smith
David Dangler dangler908@yahoo.com
The Poet
Brody Butler
Mission
The tri-state upper Delaware River highlands and valleys are a place of rare beauty…
Seeing the region and living in it almost aren’t enough. Such beauty should be captured on canvas or film so that one can truly appreciate it, glimpse it in the quiet of an art gallery or museum, or between the pages of a poetry book or literary sketch.
The Journal Group’s mission is to capture these momentary snapshots of beauty graphically and through the written word. We celebrate our area and the uniqueness of the people who live and work in the tri-state region. From Pike to Wayne and Monroe to Lackawanna Counties in Pennsylvania, upriver to Sullivan County and on to Orange County in New York, and to the headwaters of the Wallkill River and
along Warren and Sussex Counties’ rolling hills in New Jersey, with quaint, historic towns and hamlets at the center, the Journal Group opens its doors to our communities, businesses and organizations, to serve as a communicative journal of all that we have to offer for those who live here and for those who love to visit us, too.
Publication Information
The Journal Group publishes The Journal eight times a year and distributes it in eight counties in PA, NJ and NY. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. We reserve the right to refuse to print advertisements that we deem inappropriate. All rights reserved.
Adriana Trigiani
Slowing Down on Fast Food
I worked lots of jobs to help pay my college tuition.
There was the small urban luncheonette where I honed my newly-found waitressing skills in a few hours; the clothing manufacturer, who hired me as a fit model (but that’s really a story for another day); waitressing at the pub in a famous historic town square; and the restaurant in the ski resort lodge, where I worked major holidays including Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
I almost forgot about the job as a cocktail waitress at the raucous rock club, where the bartenders advised me that if anyone messed with me, they’d jump over the bar, and “break their legs,” and after hours, the owner went to his office and pulled cash out of the pockets of his full-length raccoon coat.
At not one of these jobs did I ever introduce myself by name to a table of strangers and announce that I would be taking care of them for the evening, but I did learn the ins and outs of wait staff service.
Just the other night, I was out for dinner with some friends at a nice restaurant. Engaging in conversation during a night out is standard procedure with my friends, but on this night, as soon as one fork was set down, the server rushed over to ask if we were done, or “just picking?”
Maybe it’s the artist in me, but my mind immediately pictured myself a sculptor—Michelangelo, perhaps— picking away at a mountain of marble to discover the art within.
The nature lover then kicked in, and I imagined a flock of birds picking (or pecking) at bird seed spread out on the table.
Am I picking at my food? Why no, and why do you ask?
Eating resumed, conversation flowed, and the utensils were set down again.
Same server returned, seemingly intent on interrupting the conversation at the most delicate time, to ask if I’m done or am I “still working?”
Well, the long answer is, if I wanted to work at this meal, I would have gone shopping, come home and cooked it, set the table, and then cleaned up after I’d eaten. So, no, I didn’t come out to a restaurant to “work.”
The short answer is, I am still eating, relaxing, and trying to enjoy my meal and conversation without feeling rushed.
Emily Post’s, Etiquette: of Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home was first published in the early 20th century. Now known as Etiquette, it is in its 19th edition and updated regularly under the helm of Post’s great-great-grandchildren. It advises readers that the proper way to signal to wait staff that you are finished eating is to place your fork, tines up, parallel to the knife, blade facing in, at a 4 o’clock position on your plate.
This might take some thought and even practice, but everything old is new again. Maybe we can start a trend?
Of course, this is a new first-world problem, second only to finding out that AI planned the menu, and the cook is really a robot.
Amy
Night by the River
It was a night not different from any others. Same place, same river, same me, deep in thoughts of finding the last chord to my song, the closing line of my poem yet to be written, the ending to my search for the life I was chasing, the love I wanted to find, the place where I could finally put my bags down And say I’m home.
It was just another night when the streetlights bounced off the water up into my eyes slowly closing from the long lack of sleep.
-Brody Butler
Acrylic on Canvas by Barb
Schonberg Scott
Celebrating 30 years of business, tattoos and art in the tri-state area with work from over 30 local tattoo artists
16”x 20”
THE SHOP TATTOO
Presented by:
Around the Towns
Early Fall
August 30th
Saturday 3–5 p.m.
The Dick Gibson Show: Six Paintings, 2015–2021. Catskill Art Space, Livingston Manor, NY. Artist talk at 3 p.m.; reception at 4 p.m. Presented by Jeff Christensen. Exhibit continues until October 25th. Info: info@ catskillartspace.org
August 30th–31st
Saturday–Sunday
Civil War Weekend. Museum Village, Monroe, NY. Demonstrations, exhibits, and hands-on activities. Info: 845.782.8248, museumvillage.org.
September 5th
Friday 5–9 p.m.
Candlelight Dinner at the Finger Bowl. Grey Towers, Milford, PA. $100–$125. Reflects a Pinchot dinner around the Finger Bowl. Benefits Grey Towers Legacy Scholarship program fund. Info: 570.296.9630, www. greytowers.org.
September 6th
Saturday 9 a.m.–noon
$10–$20. Also September 13th–14th and 20th–21st Info: 908.917.7120, www.spar tanjrenfaire.com
September 7th
Sunday 2–5 p.m.
Wine & Cheese Festival. Waterwheel Farm, Fredon, NJ. $70. Hosted by Friends of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. Info: 973.383.0115, karenannquinlanhospice.com
5 p.m.
Awards Dinner. The Inn at Woodlock Pines, Hawley, PA. Honoring community leaders. Hosted by Greater Pike Community Foundation. $150. Info: 570.832.4686, Greater Pike.org.
September 9th
Tuesday 9 a.m.
Orange Open Golf Tournament. West Hills Country Club, Middletown, NY. $250. Hosted by Orange County Chamber of Commerce. 845.294.1700, orangeny.com.
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Bugs, Balance, and Biodiversity: The State of Our Forests. Zoom event. Take an in-depth look at the current state of Pennsylvania’s woodlands. Free. Hosted by Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Info: 570.226.3164, delawarehighlands.org
6–9 p.m.
Bowling Fundraiser. Sparta Lanes, Sparta, NJ. Also bake sale, 50/50, door prizes. $20. Benefits Peace by Piece NJ with the goal of enhancing the lives of those with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Info: 973.500.8408, www.peacebypieceNJ.org.
10 a.m.–noon
Creating a Terrarium. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Orange County, Middletown, NY. Learn how to make a landscape in a jar. $40. Info: 845.344.1234, cceorangecounty.org.
11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Meadow Party. Van Scott Nature Reserve, Beach Lake, PA. Puppet show, educational programs, trail walks, crafts, live music & more. Hosted by Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Free but RSVPs requested. Info: 570.226.3164, delawarehighlands.org.
3 p.m.
Outdoor Concert by Wharton Tiers Ensemble Akenac Park, Dingmans Ferry, NJ. Free. Co-produced by Dingmans Ferry Theatre. Info: dingmansferrytheatre.com.
Taste of Warwick. Warwick Valley Winery, Warwick, NY. $85. Food, spirits & music. Sponsored by the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce. Info: 845.986.2720, www. warwickcc.org.
September 12th
Friday 5–9 p.m.
Bountiful Harvest Celebration. Education Center & 4-H Park, Otisville, NY. Farm to table dinner, hay rides & more. $175. Supports the Education Center & 4-H Park. Info: 845.344.1234, cceorangecounty.org.
September 12th–14th
Friday–Sunday
Milford Readers and Writers Festival. Main Stage: Milford Theater, Milford, PA. Festival Passes $175. Free events around Milford. Info: milfordreadersandwriters.com.
Fall Flights: Birds & Brews. PEEC, Dingmans Ferry, PA. Guided hikes & bird watching. Beverages from local breweries on Saturday. $230. Info: 570.828.2319, peec.org.
September 13th
Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Arts & Crafts Fair. Bingham Park, Hawley, PA. Fine handcrafted wares, entertainment, food. Hosted by the Chamber of the North-
Alexander Markov, Violinist. Grey Towers, Milford, PA. Music of Bach, Tartini, Paganini & others. $25. Hosted by Kindred Spirits Arts Programs. Info: 570.390.8699, www. kindredspiritsarts.org.
September 14th
Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sussex County Day. Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ. Music, crafts, food, vendors, magic show, classic cars. Free. Hosted by Sussex County Chamber of Commerce. Info: 973.579.1811, www.sussexcountycham ber.org
September 15th
Monday 10 a.m.
Golf for Charity Outing. West Hills Country Club, Middletown, NY. Reception & awards. $240. Benefits local charities. Hosted by Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, Ulster. Info: 845.294.5124, www.cccsos.org.
September 17th
Wednesday 5 p.m.
Dinner and a Creature Feature. Columns Museum, Milford, PA. The Corman Brothers’ Night of the Blood Beast. Presented by the Pike County Historical Society. $35. Reservations required. Call or email pikemuse@ ptd.net. Info: 570.296.8126.
September 20th
Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
Festival in the Borough. Downtown Washington Borough, NJ. Music, vendors, food trucks, games & more. Info: 908.689.4800, www.washingtonbid.org
Noon–9 p.m.
Music Fest 2025. Milford, PA. Musical performances around town. Family activities: Jeep Wrangler Show, Village Market Pop Up, face painting, seasonal food and beverages. Hosted by Milford Presents. Info: milfordpa.us.
5 p.m.
Return of the Spirits of Lower Walpack Cemetery. Walpack Center, NJ. Hosted by Walpack Historical Society. Info: 973.552.8880, www.walpackhistory.org
September 21st
Sunday 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
Signs of Fall Hike. PEEC, Dingmans Ferry, PA. Discover the science behind the season of fall. $5. Info: 570.828.2319, peec.org.
2 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Declares. Delaware Township Municipal Hall, Dingmans Ferry. Story of the Declaration of Independence portrayed by Johnathan Kruk. Hosted by the Dingmans Ferry-Delaware Township Historical Society. Info: dingmansferryhistoricalsociety.org.
September 22nd
Monday 9 a.m.
Golf Outing. Lords Valley Country Club, Lords Valley, PA. $150, Benefits Center for Developmental Disabilities. Info: 570.296.3992, epierce@cddkids.org.
September 27th
Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Festival of Wood. Grey Towers, Milford, PA. Handmade crafts, arts, programs, children’s activities, mansion tours. Info: 570.296.9630, www.greytowers.org.
5 p.m.
Commemorate Art Show. RH Smith Mercantile Gallery, Port Jervis, NY. Celebrating 30 years of tattoos and art in the tri-state area, showing work of over 30 local tattoo artists. Presented by the Shop Tattoo. Info: 845.858.9388, www.theshoptattoo.com.
Fall Foliage Festival. Front St., Historic Downtown Port Jervis, NY. Music, food, crafts, antique cars & more. Hosted by Port Jervis Tourism Board. Info: 845.858.4000, www. portjervisny.gov.
11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Vets Summer Fest. Vasa Park, Budd Lake, NJ. Crafts, food, music, car show & more. Benefits Operation Chillout, Homeless Veterans Outreach. Free will donations. Info: 908.509.1462, vetssummerfest.org
September 29th
Monday 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Swing with Bling Invitational. Farmstead Golf & Country Club, Lafayette, NJ. Ladies only. Benefits Julia Quinlan Home for Hospice. Includes 18-hole scramble, lunch, prizes & more. Info: 973.383.0115, karenannquinlan hospice.org.
5–8 p.m.
A Taste of Newton. Trinity St., Newton, NJ. Samples of local cuisine, music. $66. Hosted by Greater Newton Chamber of Commerce. Info: 973.300.0433, greaternewtoncc.com/ taste.
Adriana Trigiani at an event with author Christina Geist. Photos courtesy of Adriana Trigiani
Tiramisu for the Soul
Adriana Trigiani
Growing up in a big, noisy Italian family in the heart of Appalachia made Adriana Trigiani feel like a fish out of water, but she’s made herself at home practically everywhere she’s gone since.
The publicity tour for her 21st book, The View from Lake Como, has taken her up and down the East Coast and will veer westward soon. All of Adriana’s events in 24 cities across the country have been sold out.
Adriana is a headliner at the Milford Readers and Writers Festival on Saturday, September 13th, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. She will be on the panel, “Tiramisu for the Soul,” in conversation with Carol Fitzgerald, followed by a book signing at the theater.
Early in her career, she was a writer/producer of TV series including The Cosby Show and A Different World and be-
came an executive producer of City Kids for Jim Henson productions.
She’s written both fiction and nonfiction, and although most of her books are geared toward an adult audience, she turned out Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight for young adult readers.
After a string of New York Times bestselling books in the women’s fiction category, Publisher’s Weekly said that The View from Lake Como is their Most Anticipated Book of Summer 2025: “Trigiani delights with another of her heartwarming, heartbreaking stories of Italian Americans with all their characteristic foibles and gifts for reinvention.”
Her first book was a fictionalization of her life. Big Stone Gap (named after her birthplace) appeared in 2000,
Continued on next page
beginning the trilogy that jump-started her career as a novelist. She wrote what she knew—the Italian family far from the usual immigrant enclaves, a book-loving woman with an education, choosing adventure and love. The book was made into a movie in 2014, which she wrote, directed, and produced. It starred, among others, Chris Sarandon who, coincidentally, will be gracing the stage at Milford’s Black Bear Film Festival in October.
On a return trip to her home state of Virginia in 2007, as the state celebrated the 400th anniversary of its founding, she promoted her book, Home to Big Stone Gap, in which the heroine of her initial trilogy finds herself an empty nester with one challenge to her marriage and another to all of Big Stone Gap. At the 2007 National Federation of Press Women convention in Richmond, Adriana was a star of the show. She outshone authors more wellknown than she was at the time and hasn’t stopped since.
In later books, she branched out geographically, although she said Appalachia never leaves her: “It’s my bedrock, so in that sense, everything I write has a worldview that begins in Appalachia.”
This worldview has inspired her to give back. Along with the late Nancy Bolmeier-Fisher, she founded the Origin Project to help
A sold-out crowd in Youngstown, Ohio
Adriana with Sam Champion and Rebecca Jarvis on the set of Good Morning America
children in Appalachia find their voices. Children from 17 schools are given journals at the beginning of the school year to write about their Appalachian roots. They take field trips and see guest authors. At the end of the school year, the Project publishes an anthology of the stories.
Other books from Adriana include the poignant Lucia, Lucia, set in New York City and its famous garment district, the milieu of her father and grandparents. Rococo was a foray to the Jersey Shore, interior design, a volatile Italian family, and the renovation of a church.
Her book Queen of the Big Time ventured to her father’s hometown of nearby Roseto, PA. In 1996, she wrote, directed, and produced a documentary about the town and its Italian heritage, Queens of the Big Time. That year, the film won the audience award at both the Hamptons and Palm Springs film festivals.
Down the Shore
Adriana is back to the Jersey Shore, part of the time, with her current book, The View from Lake Como. The title refers to both the beautiful Northern Italian lake and the New Jersey town formerly known as South Belmar.
“I grew up in economic uncertainty,” she told Katie. “Books make me certain.”
Her mother was a librarian and let her take any book out of the library. “I came home with stacks of books,” she said, especially Beverly Cleary, Kay Thompson, and Astrid Lindgren. In addition, her mother was a classicist and believed reading builds the intellect. Both of her parents were highly educated.
Adriana is a determined and hands-on researcher. She turns the geography, the history, and the culture of a place into fully developed characters, and her characters, regardless of how wealthy or prominent, exude a feeling of familiarity.
She delves deeply, even learning the trades she writes about. Her journalism-worthy research pairs with her well-crafted presentation to assure the success of each book. She considers the books her children, “and I am from a big family, so that is not a hard stretch for me.”
But as soon as one book is finished, she moves on to the next one.
Authenticity and Truth
In an interview during this recent tour for The View from Lake Como, she was asked if it is harder to write about a place she has never lived. She believes spending a great deal of time in a place is “not a requirement of writing fiction. The essential element of writing fiction is authenticity and truth. If you can capture that, it’s as if you lived there.”
Writing was her first love, although she was a theater major at St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. Theater did teach her how to communicate, she explained to Katie Couric on Couric’s Substack Live podcast, Culture Club.
You Are What You Read
Adriana’s love of books and reading is a reason she questions the guests on her own podcast, You Are What You Read, about their favorite books. Two of the newest recommendations are All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley about his years as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Robber Barons by Matthew Josephson, a novel of the Gilded Age capitalists who seized economic power after the Civil War.
The podcast features both readers, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, and writers, such as Mitch Albom. Adriana loves talking about her favorite people, from Parker to Mira Sorvino, who is the voice of the audiobook of The View from Lake Como. Of course, she can’t talk about Mira without a segue to her late father, actor Paul Sorvino, and his wonderful singing voice.
Because Adriana loves books so much, she wants everyone to read. She gets on her publisher’s case to keep the price low. She pushes for $22 to $26, but “I’ll be happy when it’s $18; the cheaper the book the more it motivates sales.” She also tells people they should give books as gifts, noting “Books are easy to wrap.”
And her opinion on the recent enmity toward libraries and books for young people: “Book banning is a pocket of fourteen people causing problems and the amplification of those problems,” she told Couric.
Digital content is one thing, but Adriana on stage is an experience. She’s funny and candid, always answering her audience’s questions with enthusiasm and directness.
With that backdrop, who knows what this award-winning playwright, television writer and producer, and filmmaker will say in Milford? Maybe she’ll talk about the planned movie of The View from Lake Como.
For details on the Readers and Writers Festival schedule and to purchase a festival pass or single ticket, go to www.milford readersandwriters.com.
12:30 - 2:00 pm How to Write a Book You Care About
12:30 - 2:00 pm Documentaries: Scripting the Unscripted
2 - 3:30 pm The Most Dangerous Amusement Park - Action Park, NJ
2 - 3:30 pm Poetry: The Mother of All Good Writing
Library - downstairs
Good Shepherd Episcopal Ch.
Library - downstairs
Library - upstairs
Good Shepherd Episcopal Ch.
Library - downstairs
Library - upstairs
Good Shepherd Episcopal Ch.
Library - downstairs
Library - upstairs
Good Shepherd Episcopal Ch.
is proud to sponsor Adriana Trigiani at this year’s festival
Author
The Time of September
Ilook forward to the first crisp days of late summer that start to breeze through our area around Labor Day weekend. The air seems to sparkle, and I am energized and ready to tackle new projects and to turn on the oven again after a hot summer. September is a time to welcome in the new season of fall harvest while savoring the last of the summer bounty.
I am reluctant to admit that summer is waning and can push the thought aside for a while since the days are still long. But soon it becomes impossible not to notice that the once generous offerings of summer vegetables, the tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, and eggplant, have shrunk considerably at the farmers market. Home gardens, once abundant, show dwindling production.
I feel a little melancholic as I poke around and try to collect enough of any one type of vegetable to make a side dish for dinner. What I end up with is a hodge-podge mixture that could generously be described as “summer vegetable medley,” which is code for using up what we have on hand before it goes bad.
On my kitchen windowsill in September, there is usually an odd assemblage of vegetables: one good-sized zucchini, maybe a couple of smallish yellow squash, a few peppers of random shape and color, and an eggplant or two. All that is needed for a classic Mediterranean dish with the funny French name, ratatouille. And so, this version of a summer veggie medley is in heavy rotation all month long.
In small batches, I capture the rich bright flavors of summer to eat for dinner and save in the freezer. At some point over the years, I realized that “ratatouille” is pretty much the French word for mixed summer vegetables. It just sounds more elegant.
When I was learning to cook, Julia Child was the ultimate authority for all French food. The first time I made ratatouille it took me hours, a lot of painstaking chopping and cutting and I ended with a delicious dish but also a very messy kitchen. I stayed faithful to this classic recipe, and I learned the processes and gained speed and ease with the preparation.
Mastering The Art of French Cooking directs the reader to cook each vegetable separately before bringing them together to simmer and meld the flavors. Eventually, with confidence and experience, I decided that I could try to simplify the recipe. I sometimes cooked the zucchini on one side of the pan and yellow squash on the other side,
and then piled it all up to make room for the next ingredients. This is something that I continue today. And I skipped the step of salting the eggplant to remove bitterness. That worked out okay in the end, but I would not recommend it. Once, in a time crunch, I threw all the ingredients in the big pot and sautéed them together before simmering. That also worked pretty well.
Today, my recipe for ratatouille is flexible and adjusts according to the ripeness of the produce on my windowsill. After my “eureka” moment about ratatouille as a thrifty side dish, I strayed from the original recipe and now make a lot of variations. While I aim to follow the basic proportion of one of each type of vegetable, sometimes the dish
is heavy on eggplant or zucchini. I add tomato paste to augment the flavor and compensate for underripe tomatoes. Fresh herbs balance and pull all the flavors together.
When I make a weird-looking batch of ratatouille, I know that it still delivers the same comfort and flavors of a favorite dish. I remind myself that my goal is not perfection, or even consistency. My goal is to extract the most flavor out of the summer’s produce. In the winter, when I pull out a batch of ratatouille from the freezer, I appreciate the flavors of summer all over again.
While ratatouille celebrates the culmination of summer vegetables, Italian prune plums herald the beginning of the fall harvest season. They are a precious treat that arrives in September and stays for a few days before exiting the stage to be replaced by apples.
For those unfamiliar with Italian prune plums, these petite treasures originate, as the name suggests, in the Mediterranean region. They are a small, egg-shaped freestone fruit with purple to black skin. This contrasts dramatically with its greenish yellow flesh. These plums have a cloudy film on them similar to blueberries.
Sweet and flavorful, Italian prune plums make a great snack. They are prized in the kitchen because when cooked, their yellow insides turn an enchanting shade of red, and when baked, the fruit retains its shape.
These plums appear on the grocery shelves for two to three weeks in mid-September. Nestled between Empress plums and red plums, Italian prune plums are not showy and can be easily overlooked. I keep my eyes peeled for the dark purple fruit, and when they do show up, I usually take more than my share.
I have a couple of favorite recipes that showcase the versatility of these plums. One is a casual dessert, Italian plum crostata, and the second is a plum jam, which goes great on ice cream. Both deliver a satisfying, well-rounded plum flavor.
Italian plum crostata is a rich and buttery fruit tart that is not too sweet. Because it is a free form shape, this is less complicated to make than a two crust pie. Once I found myself baking an impromptu plum crostata in a friend’s kitchen. This kitchen was not as well equipped as mine, so I ended up using a chilled bottle of wine as a rolling pin. The crostata didn’t seem to suffer.
Italian plum jam is also a very easy and forgiving recipe. If it doesn’t set, cook it more. If it still hasn’t set, it may be runny, but it still tastes good. This is a quick jam recipe, in that it does not include the steps to process and vacuum seal the jars. I used to go through the whole process until I realized that this was unnecessary. We would eat all the
jars in a few days. I try to make multiple batches and store the extra jars in the freezer to enjoy in the winter.
September is a month of transition, a time to remember the long days of summer, while looking toward the harvest season. The refreshing September air reminds me to honor the gifts from the garden that I have enjoyed all summer while welcoming in a new season of completion. It tells me to enjoy every moment to the fullest.
Ratatouille for Two
¼ cup olive oil
1 large zucchini, cut in ½ inch rounds
2 small yellow squash, cut in ½ inch rounds
2 bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 plum tomatoes or combination of tomatoes, about 1½ cups, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 sprig thyme
1 spring oregano
• In a large strainer, salt the cubed eggplant and let rest for about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• In a very large skillet over medium high heat, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan until hot but not smoking. Cook the zucchini until slightly browned and set aside. Repeat with the yellow squash and set aside. Add some more oil if necessary and sauté the peppers, onion, and garlic together until softened and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil and sauté the prepared eggplant over medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme and oregano sprigs, and the reserved vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve. Makes 2 generous servings.
Rustic Plum Crostata
One crust, chilled
Flour for dusting
10 Italian prune plums, rinsed, quartered, and pitted
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Juice of half lemon
1 tablespoon butter, in small pieces
Powdered sugar for dusting
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the dough disk onto a lightly floured surface to create a free form circle about 11½ inches. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon.
• Leaving a 1½ inch border all around, place the plums on the dough. Sprinkle them with the remaining sugar and lemon juice and dot the fruit with butter. Raise the
dough border by pinching the dough to form soft pleats and fold it in slightly toward the plums.
• Bake the crostata for 25 minutes until the fruit softens and starts to give off some of its juices and the dough is golden brown.
• Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm. Serves 6.
Crostata Crust
2 sticks of very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup ice water
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the very cold butter to the bowl, tossing it gently with the flour mixture to coat before pulsing to make a pebbly pea-like consistency.
• With the motor running, pour in the ice water and process for a few seconds, stopping before a ball is formed.
• Onto a piece of waxed paper, flatten the dough ball into a disk. Chill in fridge for at least one hour or up to two days.
Italian Plum Jam
2 pounds Italian prune plums, rinsed, quartered, pitted 1½ cups white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice from one large lemon)
1 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight for best results.
• Place the contents of the bowl into a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil for one or two minutes. Lower the heat and simmer the plums, stirring with a wooden spoon for about 20 minutes until the mixture thickens to a syrup-like consistency. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick and cool slightly before pouring into jars.
• Note: One way to test for the correct consistency is to drop a teaspoon of jam onto a small plate that has been placed in the freezer. If the jam sets within a minute, it is ready. You can also check the temperature with a candy thermometer at 220 degrees.
• This jam keeps in the fridge for about 4 days. It may be stored in the freezer for 6 months. Remember to leave ¼ inch space at the top if freezing. Makes about 3 cups.
BROAD STREET BOOKS
Hurricanes flooded the area
Peters Valley Historic Timeline
1965: The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area DEWA was established with 70,000 acres of land.
1962: Tocks Island Dam Project was recommended to Congress. Flood Control Act passed. Land acquisition began, but project was abandoned by 1965.
1969: Peter DeGelleke, Superintendent of DEWA, Albert Dillahunty, Historian of DEWA, Sally D. Francisco, Kittatiny Craftsmen’s Guild, began working to promote the idea of a craft village in the park.
February 1970: They began to establish the concept of Peters Vally Craftsmen. In March, the organization issued a report, “An Organization for the Establishment of a Craft Center and Education Program at Peters Valley, Bevans, NJ.” Objectives included demonstrating craft production to the public, establishing a sales outlet for craftsmen, and conducting educational programs in crafts design, production, and marketing. In April, the Board of Trustees was formed to establish Peters Valley Craftsmen.
Glen Gardner, 1975.
Photos courtesy of Peters Valley School of Craft
Fifty-five Years in the Making
There’s a fascinating history to Peters Valley School of Craft, whose campus is nestled in the valley of densely green forested mountains, where open fields of wildflowers and trout-filled running streams grace the landscape.
802 in-person students
218 virtual students
163 workshops offered 127 instructors
118 scholarships awarded 9 gallery exhibitions
What is now the remote, unincorporated community of Layton, NJ, was originally the home of Lenni Lenape, today’s Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Delaware Nation, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. Dutch and British settlers forced most of the original inhabitants out at the beginning of the seventeenth century, then worked the farmland for many generations.
And that was just fiscal year 2024.
In 1955, flooding from two hurricanes submerged the area, and the federal government responded with the Tocks Island Dam Project, an ill-fated Army Corps of Engineers initiative to flood the area and create a 40-mile-long reservoir and dam.
Homes, farms, churches, and even the local post office were purchased and taken by eminent domain. But over time, public resistance to the project grew, and Congress abandoned the $100 million project and turned the land over to the National Park Service, to become what is to-
May 1970: Peters Valley Craftsmen, Inc. was incorporated in New Jersey to promote public interest in handcrafts by providing demonstrations and instruction by qualified craftsmen and sales outlets.
July 1970: Peters Valley received nonprofit status from the IRS.
day DEWA, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Peter DeGelleke, the first DEWA superintendent, had the idea of having artists living and working in the abandoned buildings, thereby preserving the buildings and providing a cultural experience to visitors in the park.
DeGelleke worked with several people to establish Peters Valley. Sally D. Francisco served as the first director and stewarded the foundation of the school. Some of the original buildings remain and today house the many schools of craft at Peters Valley.
“For 55 years, Peters Valley has grown and flourished as a leader in the field of craft, providing professional artists and those simply interested in crafts a vibrant place to learn and explore their creativity,” states Kristin Muller, Executive Director of Peters Valley. “Both our heritage and mission has been to enrich lives through the learning, appreciation, and practice of fine craft.”
What is fine craft? Well, at Peters Valley School of Craft, it includes the creative ways materials such as wood, fiber, glass, clay, fine metals, and iron are formed and combined
Continued on page 27
1971
August 1970: First craft fair was held at Hilltop Farm. It brought thousands of visitors to Peters Valley.
1970: A grant from the NJ State Council of the Arts helped launch Peters Valley and the first craft fair.
Three resident artists came to live and work at Peters Valley—a potter, a fiber artist, and a woodworker, soon to be joined by a blacksmith.
March 1971: DEWA recognized Peters Valley Craft Village as the official name of the area formerly known as Bevans.
Summer of 1971: The first newsletter was published, promoting 10 weeks of summer programming.
1971: Resident artists Andrew Willner (wood), Karl Seemuller (wood), Susan Allison (weaving), and Bruce Bernheim (glass) were engaged to help plan future craft shows.
to create contemporary American craft. Workshop topics include varied specialties, such as doll-making, printmaking, and shoemaking.
Kristin arrived as Executive Director at Peters Valley 16 years ago and has overseen the continuing growth of Peters Valley, which has become a world-renowned school of crafts.
“The incredible potential of craft as an art form, accompanied by the presentation of the most prominent and emerging artists and makers—locally and from around the world—is a hallmark of Peters Valley,” Kristin explains. “The only way to truly appreciate the richness and talent of our artists, professional and otherwise, is to visit our campus in person and to visit us online. Some artists come here to go deep into their craft specialties, and others come to dip their toes into discovering and optimizing their creative interests.
“We welcome everyone and have had students, instructors, and artists from all backgrounds and from 18 to 95 years of age,” she adds proudly. “Even if you’re not interested in taking classes, we welcome the general public to come visit, poke their heads into studios and classes, connect with our artists, visit our gallery and gift shop on our beautiful 202-acre historic district, and attend our year-round special events.”
For this special anniversary, we’ve asked four local artists who are former board members, students, or instructors at Peters Valley to share their own connection and personal memories of the school.
Jeanie Eberhardt
Peters Valley Executive Director, 1988–1995
• Current Assemblage Artist
Peters Valley has been close to my heart since high school. With a lifelong love of craft, I was drawn to the Valley in its early days, especially through the annual craft fair. I went on to study art education and craft design in college and, after graduating, returned to my New Jersey roots. Sussex County was a short drive away, and I visited often.
In 1982, after a visit to the Peters Valley store, we drove through Layton and discovered our future and current home. Having a desire for a more formal relationship with Peters Valley, I joined the board, then paused my career as a studio basket maker to begin an eight-year term as Executive Director. With two young children in the local elementary school, I focused our work on strengthening ties with the community—an essential step given past tensions as a result of the Tocks Island Dam Project.
I was able to accomplish much during my tenure and have watched with pride as others have done the same. I have returned to my studio and thank PV and all its staff, Continued on next page
The old Greek revival building at the center of Peters Valley
students, and volunteers for helping to ensure the future of this important arts organization.
Every person who gives their heart to the Valley carries with them an enduring connection and pride as it celebrates 55 years of excellence in craft. I’m proud to be part of that history.
Bennett Bean
PV Board of Directors Member and Interim President in the Late 1970s
• Ceramic Artist
I was there during the early days when Peters Valley was just forming. It was an exciting and chaotic time as we discussed our mission, established the organizational structure, and met the challenges we faced because so many local residents had been displaced by the government as part of the Tocks Island Dam Project. Many residents thought of us as a “hippie hangout” due to the nature of our work. It took years of cultivating those relationships to be accepted and encouraged by local residents. That’s all changed now, of course.
Another memory is inviting Katsuyuki Sakazume, the renowned Japanese kiln builder, to construct the first authentic anagama kiln in the United States. There were geological issues such as discovering natural springs under the kiln. The anagama kiln became a magnet for some of the best potters, not only locally, but around the world. Those were great days!
One amazing thing about Peters Valley is that it has kept up with the times. New programs, events, and classes are added all the time. Early on, the artists were primarily graduate students who found a creative refuge at PV on their way to a career in crafts. Now, as PV continues to evolve, the school has expanded beyond those students to the general public who simply are interested in crafts, want to explore their creative side, and interact with renowned artists in various media through workshops and simple conversations.
Tom Neugebauer
Resident Artist in the 1970s
• Ceramics, Metal, and Clay Artist
One of my favorite memories goes way back to 1978, when Peters Valley hosted a ceramics event. Fawn Navasie, a Hopi who lived on a reservation in Arizona, came to teach what I remember as a two-day workshop. She didn’t speak a word of English but was able, through her artistry and motions, to teach the Hopi and Navaho traditions of making and firing ceramics, which do not use a potter’s wheel.
During a lunch break in the two-story barn that served at the time as the ceramics studio (and yes, that barn burned
down shortly after) Fawn indicated she wanted to see where I worked and eyed my potter’s wheel, possibly the first potter’s wheel she had ever seen. She then indicated she wanted to make a piece and did so beautifully with no formal instruction, just by observing my technique.
Peters Valley means a safe and welcoming space for artists and non-artists to grow, to create, to make. My memory about Fawn is also indicative of the community Peters Valley creates among its artists, students, and the general public. Years later, I traveled to Arizona and was hoping to visit Fawn, but learned from her fourth-generation, ceramic-artist daughter that she had been killed in a drunk driving accident on the reservation. Still, my visit with her daughter reflects how the relationships we formed at PV live on.
Ricky Boscarino PV Instructor, Student
• Multi-Media Artist, Home/Studio Luna Parc
My earliest memories of PV are from a time in the early 1970s when I was in my early teens and a Boy Scout at Stokes State Forest. My mom always loved pottery and other crafts and took me, still in my Boy Scout uniform, to the then new school of crafts at Peters Valley.
My first impression was of the wonderful old Greek revival building at the center of PV, which delighted my interest in architecture. While I attended high school, I apprenticed for a jewelry maker and helped her at her booth at the Peters Valley Craft Show over several years.
From there, I was asked to teach mosaic and concrete casting at Peters Valley. To this day, three mosaic fiddlehead sculptures I created around 1984 stand near the gallery, and my concrete-formed benches from the 1990s can be viewed at Thunder Mountain, a section of the Peters Valley campus located approximately two miles from the main “Valley Central” area.
I’ve taken classes at Peters Valley almost every summer since my first exposure back in the 1970s, and I love the fact that the workshops encourage me to stretch outside my own wheelhouse. I’ve taken weaving, copper weathervane, blacksmithing, ceramics, anagama kiln, and other classes to broaden my own horizons, talents, and experiences. Where else can you do that on one campus?
For information and upcoming events, visit PetersValley.org.
Will Voelkel is a Milford resident, frequent contributor to The Journal, and a big fan of Peters Valley and other arts organizations in the tri-state area.
The ancient land turtle, with a deep connection to the earth, is an archetype found in many North American native cultures. For the Lenape (aka the Delaware Tribe of Indians), whose ancestral homeland is in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware, the turtle is inseparable from their creation story and has prominence in their repertoire of oral storytelling.
These stories were not written down as the years of displacement took its toll on the Lenape, a diaspora of nations: two in Oklahoma, one in Wisconsin, and three in Ontario, Canada. Since they were forced from their homeland—their Lenapehoking—these tribal nations have worked to keep their language and culture intact, and teaching what storytellers had to say is still an important part of that effort.
When the Milford Readers and Writers Festival opens on September 12th, Brad KillsCrow, the Chief of the Delaware Tribe of Indians based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, will join Jeremy Johnson, the tribe’s Cultural Education Director for a panel discussion with the authors of On the Turtle’s Back: Stories the Lenape Told Their Grandchildren.
The authors, Camilla Townsend, professor of history at Rutgers University, and Nicky Kay Michael, a tribal member and former Director of Indigenous Studies at Bacone College, spent about six years researching the never-before-published Lenape stories and folklore compiled by anthropologist M.R. Harrington in the early twentieth century. The book is a fascinating history lesson and affords much insight into the culture and the struggles of the Lenape who lived for centuries along and near the Delaware River in the mid-Atlantic region.
Townsend noted that On the Turtle’s Back has been received positively by today’s tribal members. “They are thrilled to read the stories that their grandparents and
great-grandparents used to tell. There’s an ongoing organic connection, but with modern life changing so much, there is some disconnect. Some links are breaking or have broken, which is exactly what the storytellers were worried about in the early 1900s. That’s why they wanted to dictate the stories and have them written down.”
Jeremy Johnson would agree. He works with various organizations to make sure Lenape history and culture are portrayed accurately. He also teaches classes on different subjects to tribal citizens. Johnson said that the story of the turtle’s back “is the most important event for our people,” being the creation story and one that has been passed down for generations.
There is growing interest, he said, among tribal members in their 20s and 30s to revitalize Lenape language and history. “Our stories now highlight our strength,” he notes. And he added, “It also highlights what’s happening now, a revitalization of Lenape ways that had been put aside out of the need to survive.”
What is the story of the turtle’s back? Townsend answered, “Many native Americans, especially in the Northeast, conceived of the world metaphorically as a turtle’s back; they’d seen turtles rising up out of the lake and going back down.” A tortoise sometimes has noticeable mud or dirt on its hard shell, or a bit of algae growth, which lends support to the metaphor. Those familiar with The Grapes of Wrath will recall an entire chapter devoted to a turtle. It carries a seed on its shell, denoting the hope of new life despite the hardships it faces. For Nicky Michael, the turtle’s back “… is our home. The earth is the turtle. She’s our mother, and that’s basically our lens of looking at the world.”
The Creation Stories are one of seven categories the authors describe. The others include Big House Stories, Culture Heroes, Human Learning Lessons, Talking to the
Dead, The Coming of the Whites, and Tales of Ordinary Life. Michael said the stories actually go back as much as 10,000 years.
She said that each story has many layers from which a person can derive different meanings at different times of their lives. “These stories are the philosophy that you’re living by, and many have lessons that are still relatable today. One of the most obvious is to protect women,” she said. In Lenape culture, noted Michael, women are powerful; they are life-givers. “We’re a matriarchal society.”
Under the category of Culture Heroes, Michael points to an important story, “The Ball Player.” That story tells of a group of brothers who all work to save the kidnapped wife of one of them. Michael and Townsend are planning an entire book based on this story.
Michael said as a single mother herself, she knows the importance of the Lenape male mindset: “Men who stood up to the plate and protected us; they watched over us; they taught the boys…. What happens to our women is especially important today when many are targeted for MMIW.” MMIW, or Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, is a movement to raise awareness of the disproportionate violence against Indigenous women.
Johnson said Lenape stories don’t necessarily follow the European model of storytelling. They have their own themes, which sometimes may be hard to figure out, forcing a change of your own perspective in order to grasp the meaning. He noted that all of the stories were “… important in passing down lessons and knowledge and in establishing protocols, often in indirect ways.
“Traditionally,” he continued, “wintertime was a huge time to tell stories. It made sense if work is seasonal and a community is not burdened by a 40-hour workweek, that stories of hunting and harvesting were told in the winter. We’re still learning from these stories today. A lot of times these stories contain elements of science… changing landscapes and changing cultural ways. And some of the stories are funny, too.”
One of Johnson’s favorite funny stories that illustrates changing times and different world views is about a man on a train who wanted a drink of water. He asked his wife to get him a drink, and she was directed toward the back of the train. She returned with a cup of water. Before the journey ended, the man asked his wife for another cup of water. When she returned with an empty cup, he asked her why. Her answer: “There was a man sitting on the well.”
“Life is about relationships with each other, and if we can’t laugh,” said Michel, “it means we’re not healing. Laughing is healing.” Michael hopes the September event “ignites a fire,” and the audience can value what the Lenape society has to offer.”
Johnson hopes for a new awareness. “I feel like the stories are ways in and ways out of this heavy, heavy, complicated history that has displaced us and has forced us into where we are now…but it also highlights our resilience and our strength.”
“Magical Tales from the Delaware Tribe” will take place at 7 p.m. on September 12th at the Milford Theater. For details on the Readers and Writers Festival schedule and to purchase a festival pass or single ticket, go to milfordreadersandwriters. com.
Susan Elkhair, wearing traditional clothing, was a prominent member of the Delaware Tribe.
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Tribe of Indians Archives
Getting ready to cast a fly under the Quiet Man bridge.
Photos by Trish Romano
Bend in the River
Seated on a log, on a plush cushion of moss, beside my favorite stream, I wonder why it is that I tend to gravitate toward these little ribbons of water.
Although the sun shines brightly on this afternoon in late September, it’s lost most of its heat. The leaves are turning the distant hills into an autumn palette.
The western Maine brook trout I’ve been teasing with a wet fly are also decked out in autumnal attire—flaming belly of golden orange, worm-like markings on their dark backs, and those distinctive red-in-blue dots along the flanks—the reason old-timers call them speckled trout. These are small fish, the largest fitting snugly in my palm. Like me, they prefer the solitude of the deep forest to more readily accessible big rivers.
A number of years back, my wife, Trish, and I spent two weeks along the western coast of Ireland. Our daughter had spent a semester at the Burren College of Art in County Clare, and we’d traveled there to fetch her home. The plan had been to tour the countryside. In the County Mayo village of Cong, l unpacked my fly rod while the ladies snapped pictures of an abbey built for the Augustinians in 1120.
The people of Cong are proud of the fact that The Quiet Man was filmed in their little town. For many of us grow-
ing up in the 1950s, this movie, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, remains synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day.
Now, I must be getting old because back home there wasn’t a single person in my office who’d heard of The Quiet Man. “John Wayne? Wasn’t he that guy who played a cowboy?”
On that day, the wind had picked up by the time I had taken the turn at a wooden sign with the words QUIET MAN BRIDGE painted on it. Above the little stone structure was a slow-moving stream surrounded by a wild marsh of grassy hummocks. Below, the current quickened as it flowed through the narrow openings under the bridge.
After tramping through the tall reeds, I stood where, more than 60 years ago, Barry Fitzgerald had carried John Wayne to his ancestral home on a one-horse cart. I was about to cast a tiny pheasant-tail nymph into the current when an old man humped over the muddy lane that led from his white-washed farmhouse down to the bridge. His threadbare coat was buttoned to his chin, his hands sunk deep in its pockets. Wisps of white hair danced around the wide-brimmed hat he wore low on his brow. A cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth. By his side, a dog of unknown origin snarled until the old man kicked him with a rubber boot.
The Quiet Man bridge
RETURN TO RANGELEY
by Robert J. Romano, Jr.
Join Nathaniel Palmer, George Anne Brady, and company as they seek meaning in an increasingly troubling world among the vast lakes, unrestrained rivers, and those little rills found only by following a logging road through the heart of western Maine.
RETURN TO RANGELEY
– A
“Tell me boyo, what might you be doin’?” He spoke without removing the cigarette from between his lips.
NOVEL
by Robert J. Romano, Jr.
AVAILABLE THROUGH: https://shop.midcurrent.com and https://www.amazon.com
Praise for Bob’s previous novels:
For an autographed copy email Bob at magalloway@mac.com
“I was hoping to catch one of your Irish browns to write home about,” I replied.
“A Yank, are ya, then?” he said.
“Meant no harm.” I gave him my best smile.
“Well, guess I’ll leave you to it,” he replied.
Turning his back, he called to the dog that had continued to stare with bad intention.
Join Nathaniel Palmer, George Anne Brady, and company as they seek meaning in an increasingly troubling world among the vast lakes, unrestrained rivers, and those little rills found only by following a logging road through the heart of western Maine.
I spent my final few nights in Ireland listening to “trad” music in the pubs we found along the road and my days searching out streams that flowed under the shadows cast by the “Twelve Bens,” a series of mountains in Connemara. I did so, not so much to catch fish, but to stand near the places where they could be found.
“A fine tribute to one of the last wilderness enclaves of New England and to the tough, resourceful, kind-hearted, and ever so independent-minded people who eke out a living there.”
– Howard Frank Mosher, author of eight novels including Waiting For Teddy Williams.
Fall into Happiness
“Bob Romano brings us nature as nurturer, the chemistry and characters of the small town, the restorative powers of fishing, and a sense of place that rings true.” – Joseph Heywood, author of numerous books including The Snow Fly and his Woods Cop series of novels.
The Potting Shed is bursting with Fall Joy Reds, Oranges and Yellows!
“Bob Romano knows fly fishing, and he knows the human heart and he writes about them in clear, evocative prose. Romano combines these ingredients beautifully which I enjoyed immensely.” – William G. Tapply, author of the Brady Coyne and the Stoney Calhoun novels.
Perhaps, John D. Voelker said it best in his short piece “Testament of a Fisherman”: “I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly...” Voelker lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a part of the country where the rivers and rills are as wild as those flowing out of the mountains that separate Maine from its northern neighbor, and as untamed as those found along the western coast of Ireland.
Available through https://shop.midcurrent.com and https://www.amazon.com
For an autographed copy email Bob at magalloway@mac.com
If you don’t remember The Quiet Man, you probably won’t recall Anatomy of a Murder. Based on the novel written by Voelker, this intense movie, starring Jimmy Stewart as a mild-mannered, fly-fishing defense attorney, was also filmed in the 1950s. The money Voelker made from the film allowed him to spend the remainder of his days on the trout streams he preferred over the courtroom where he became a Michigan Supreme Court Justice.
@The
I first discovered Voelker a few years after graduating from college. He’d written a wonderful book of stories entitled Trout Madness under the pen name Robert Traver. It inspired me to purchase my first fly rod—a cheap fiberglass model manufactured by the Cortland Company. A number of years later, I, too, became an attorney and even wrote my own book of stories. I now own a number of fly rods, most constructed of graphite, a few from bamboo, while the Cortland, with its chipped paint and frayed wraps, rests comfortably on my den wall.
On the six-and-a-half-hour flight home from Ireland, I thought of “The Intruder,” a Voelker tale found in Trout Madness about a stranger who unexpectedly shows up at the angler’s favorite pool. You’ll have to read it to see why the times, they apparently are not changing. Upon my return home, I took the book down from the shelf and reread it cover to cover.
Hackett Castle, County Galway, Ireland
Now, seated on this log, surrounded by the spruce and balsam of western Maine, listening to the timeless current pass by, I’m once again reminded of John Voelker aka Robert Traver, who died in 1991 at the age of 88, and of my father, who at age 83 passed away after struggling for many years with a heart condition, and my uncle, George, who joined him a few years later. And of my best friend, Trish’s dad, Charlie, who found it hard to release a trout he’d fooled fair and square, and who later in life, after he’d lost his sight, I’d entertain with tales of my western Maine adventures. I like to think of them, not as they were in those later years, but as young men filled with possibility.
And I remember that Irish farmer humping down the wind-swept lane to see what “a Yank” was up to, and all the other men and women, now in their 70s, 80s, and older, some still wandering rivers and streams, with backs stooped forward, leaning on wading staffs, their eyes still twinkling with mischief, their minds filled with a lifetime of memories.
From my seat on this moss-covered log, I can see the next bend in the river. Perhaps that’s the best thing about a trout stream. There’s always one more bend to be explored.
Aries (March 20-April 19) – This is one of those times in your life when everything is happening all at once. And if you are able to pace yourself, it could be fun. At the moment, despite living in gnat years in this bizarre new version of the digital world, that pace should be slow — at least for a while. The emphasis of your solar chart is in your home angle, Cancer, where the message is ‘feather your nest and get together with people’.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) – You’re going strong, mostly based on your positive attitude. That will work for you, especially if you know how to stay out of your own way. The most challenging part of being a Taurus is obsessive attention to detail and the voices that will not stop chattering in your mind. Then there is the mental signal — the ideas, thoughts, and information that you actually want. Put simply, it will help if you learn to spot the difference, and then emphasize the part of your mental flow that is actually relevant.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) – You’re in a zone where you can channel your words, your ideas and your visions without resistance. You’re being given creative ability far beyond your usual potential — but it’s all coming from you. Consciously orient yourself and give yourself permission to do and feel as though guided from within. There are times when creative expression benefits from limitations and structure. Then there are others when room to spread out, roam around and be led by your instincts is your best resource — and now is such a time.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) – You are in one of the most transformational moments in your professional trajectory, ever. Maybe you feel it; however, it could come across as a sense of crisis, or some critical task you must fulfill. I suggest you step back and get a wider perspective. Think in ways that go beyond what you’re doing now, or have ever done. Consider everything that you’ve wanted to do; ask yourself what still interests you. This moment is so rich with potential that you simply must take an all-encompassing view.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) – A turbulent, potentially difficult and confusing phase of your life is behind you, though you may still be feeling unsettled. Anger and resentment are especially dangerous right now, because conditions can allow them to take hold as prevailing emotional patterns. Your astrology could be summed up as advising ‘correct speech’, and not just diplomacy, but also seeing mutual interests. Worldview and state of mind are more important than the words that you say. And beneath any churned-up emotions, conflict or unpredictable events is the desire to be closer.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) – Too often you’re self-limited by your sense of loss, even when you have plenty to share. There is just one way out of that, which is practicing generosity. This really should be much easier for you, but you get in your own way. That’s your competitive nature, which does not help you win. It only cuts you off from cooperation. The most significant generosity you withhold is your personal truth. That would cost you nothing but you fear it would give others an advantage.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) – What do you know today that you did not know one week ago? What are you doing with the information? The chances are it’s a valuable viewpoint, or some form of data. You don’t have to hurry — this is so important that you’d be wise to consider the implications of your discovery. This could be valuable information that may change your viewpoint or the course of your work. Meanwhile, remember: knowledge is power, in many different ways. So use what you know.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) – The only relevant concepts that qualify as “spiritual” are being loving, being of service, and being honest. It’s not about how much you meditate, having the right opinions, making money or reading the right books. However, this is a point of confusion for many, who conflate outer appearance with inner existence. I suggest you not take any easy advantage, or use your image to your benefit. You want to do the real work. You want actual growth, not the illusion of goodness.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) – If you get a windfall this month, make sure you repay some of the kindness to those who have helped you through leaner times. You may owe some money, or maybe a favor; just remember, your success is not yours alone. People tend to forget the kindnesses done to them by others, or blur them with resentment. Skip all that and give credit where it’s due; offer your support where it’s needed; and pay back at least some of what you owe for financial support you received in the past.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) – As part of Pluto in Capricorn ending, your ruling planet Saturn has made some unusual moves. These are so rare that we have to go back more than a generation for a precedent. Pluto has left Capricorn in pieces. But unlike Humpty-Dumpty, the elements of which you are made can melt and recombine, and can alchemically transform into new compounds. This is illustrated by Saturn conjunct Neptune in Aries. While this is normally a difficult aspect, it has the property, or perhaps superpower, of synthesis. Like many factors this month, the result is primarily emotional.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) – Pluto entering Aquarius beginning in 2023 and 2024 (continuing through today) has come with a sea-change that commenced gradually, and will take more time to understand. A transit that goes on for 19 years requires a settling-in process. However, much has developed since that 18-month window — in the world, and in your world. I suggest you do some forensics to get a sense of just how much has shifted. Your learning process — difficult as it may be — is now your best friend.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) – You have more and better options open than you may imagine. However, you’ll only see them if you’re in a positive frame of mind. That would include a sense of play, recreational time, and enjoying your home or space rather than just living there. Two planets associated with Pisces, Venus and Jupiter, are working together to provide you with a diversity of options, points of freedom, creative energy and, well, good luck.
