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Posted on: Jan 18, 2024 at 11:12 PM
To Matt, Dawn, Steve, Dave, Jim ,Alex, Judy, the other ‘Judy’, Sally, Al , Elaine, Maureen., Diane and some others, their faces blurred with time
Here I am sitting on the couch looking out over at my front window and in pops a strong memory pops up. It was the winter of 1970 and Sunset Lake (,in Bridgewater,nj) and about 10 or 15 of my schoolmates , The boys were showing off their skating skills by going fast or jumping over some unshoveled spots. The girls huddling near the fire talking just loud enough to know they're out and about, but not loud enough to understand what they are talking about, And you couldn’t quite identify who was who because the heavy “fake fur lined” partially covering their faces.
That winter was the best winter I can remember. We had about 4 weekends of good skating ice and at least 10 days of good sledding. There was a great sled run just off Brown road. It was the service road for the power lines. It was also a little dangerous , For some reason the service road was lined with barb wire. If you didn't stay on the road you went into the barb wire and had to wait for one of your friends to help you out of it. At the end of the road there was a jump , no a big jump but you could get some good air time. Enough that when you landed the air was bounce out of your belly. In one big “OOFF” I broke 3 sleds on that run. And they were the old type of sled with the heavy metal runners
The day would end over Leah’s house for hot chocolate and believe it or not a song or two.Most of the girls were part of the glee club, so the new the words to the songs, i could only hum the melody
I was lucky in that I could drive that winter and except for one day the roads were dry and clear. The one day it was bad was actually a very clear day but cold. The runoff water from Hillside School formed a 40 ft ice patch right in the middle of the road. To get down to 206, you had to bounce yourself off the curb 4 or 5 times until you got over the ice patch. Luckily my dad’s old dodge station had so many ding in it you couldn’t see the new ones I added.
It was and is one of the best and more vivid memories I have thanks to all of you
Posted on: Aug 14, 2023 at 1:20 PM
Smile,
Story about 5th gtade project with Gary Riegyl
Gary was one of my first “team project” friends, We were in 5th grade , Mr Kedian’s class, Washington School.It was Mr Kedian’s first year of teaching, He learned alot from us and we from him
Our project “ DEMONSTRATE EROSION “
We envisioned two long boxes, one with grass on top, the other - just dirt. We would pour water on both, the one with just- dirt would erode, the grass one would remain relatively untouched.
We built the boxes out of 2x4’s. Got dirt from the garden and the grass from the front yard, Did not test it, took it to class. The looked like the typical 5th grade wood creation - boards of different colors; a bent nail here and there,
We set it up – NO TARP –right in the front of the classroom, 2- 5 gallon buckets full of water. STILL UNTESTED !!
Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day mopping up what was in the end, two loosely and poorly made pile of wood, and mud everywhere and a clump of grass We never sealed the seams , and Mr Kedian didn’t ask whether it was tested, or better yet ask us to set it up on the playground outside. The room had an exit to the playground built into the room
Gary and I with John Commandini did several other projects together that year but never allowed to involve water or any other liquid
Gary was one of my first “team project” friends, We were in 5th grade , Mr Kedian’s class, Washington School.It was Mr Kedian’s first year of teaching, He learned alot from us and we from him
Our project “ DEMONSTRATE EROSION “
We envisioned two long boxes, one with grass on top, the other - just dirt. We would pour water on both, the one with just- dirt would erode, the grass one would remain relatively untouched.
We built the boxes out of 2x4’s. Got dirt from the garden and the grass from the front yard, Did not test it, took it to class. The looked like the typical 5th grade wood creation - boards of different colors; a bent nail here and there,
We set it up – NO TARP –right in the front of the classroom, 2- 5 gallon buckets full of water. STILL UNTESTED !!
Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day mopping up what was in the end, two loosely and poorly made pile of wood, and mud everywhere and a clump of grass We never sealed the seams , and Mr Kedian didn’t ask whether it was tested, or better yet ask us to set it up on the playground outside. The room had an exit to the playground built into the room
Gary and I with John Commandini did several other projects together that year but never allowed to involve water or any other liquid
