A Mother's Day Gift Several Years Ago

This weeping cherry was a mother's day gift four years ago, bought from Home Depot. It was a scraggly seedling at that time, but it turned out as a vibrant, lush, healthy tree. Mother's day is two weeks away, but I have to capture the essence of a weeping cherry tree. Here it is!

A Sunday Afternoon in Tewksbury

Finally, I was a able to putter in my backyard. I rooted out invasive vines and bush infesting my property. It keeps my trees healthy.

Woodpecker knock their rhythmic boring onto a trunk as I did my chores.

I planted some pachysandra under my trees to prevent some invasive plant overgrowth in the summers to come, my mission for the next two years.

Despite my protective gloves for planting and digging, the sharp rocks cuts through.... no match!

With all the minor cuts and calluses all these years, it feels good to have a pair of rough hands!

Weekend with my daughter (and her friend)

I and my daughter with her friend went to laser show at Raritan Valley Community College in their planetarium.

The music was from the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" by The Beatles.

The three of us were enjoying the lights as well as the music.

Then, I realized that I had a common bond with my daughter and her friend...music! There was no generation gap.

All of us had a good time. The event was very inexpensive.

We bought Ben & Jerry ice cream at Shop Rite on our way back home.

Rutgers University and My Son

My son decided to go to Rutgers University. He will to do very well and ready to move on.

We will be wearing red hooded sweat shirt with big "R" in front. I will stick a big magnetic "R" on the back of my pick-up.

Hail to Rutgers!

Some Thoughts on Energy

My family had a lively and relevant discussion about the future energy consumption.

It seems like nuclear energy is the way to go. With the right technology, it is a clean and green source of energy.

A very important caveat, the plutonium to fire-up this controlled nuclear fusion may end up in the hands of rogue person/citizen.

Weekend at Union Square, Manhattan, NYC

An out state classmate will visit the City this weekend. I recommend Union Square because of the plant/garden theme of the activity. It truly reflect an Earth day week.

I have a dilemma in the venue for early dinner. I thought 'Chat n Chew' on Union Square west. I look for suggestion.

Web photos, The Governor, and Erg

I have worked on my two albums before this blog. It looked like my Picasa photos were being spammed or Picasa itself was trying to "communicate" to do something about my pictures. I did some creative effects to my pictures and I think they turned out nice.

Our governor, Mr. Corzine, is out of the intensive care unit. I wish him well for his recovery.

Concept2, the inventor of the erg, invited me to do marathon on the rowing machine this month, 42,195 meters in one sitting. I don't feel motivated but I have been rowing 10,000 meters 5-6 days a week. At my pace, it will a little less than 4 hours! Whew! I am thinking hard about it.

Avocado in New Jersey

The weather was extremely gorgeous today that we have brought out our "warm" plants outside. One of them were the two pots of avocado planted about a year ago. The fruit came from our nearby grocery store to make a guacamole. I decided to plant the seed for no apparent reason.

These two seeds are thriving with the expert hands of my wife. The plants are about 12 inches tall with broad green leaves.

They are cultivar Hass avocado and will never bear fruit. Hence, they will be ornamental plants.

It will remind us of the tropics during the winter months in New Jersey.

Today is Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. I may have blogged about this topic in some way in my previous postings. I do not keep tract of it. All I can say is, this a subject that everyone should care about.

Some political views or citizen will not agree to this. That is fair. The Bill of Rights provide the freedom of speech and dissent without the act of violence to another human being.

My family is recyclers. We bought a house built in 1972. My wife loves antique stuff. Our home is furnished with such furniture. If ever we have new "stuff", a clearance sale is in order.

We are switching our household lamps to fluorescent bulbs gradually as old light bulbs burn out.

I drove to work today at 55 mph. It was awfully slow, but I kept the spirit. I felt very safe, though.

These are some of our contributions for Green Day.

Cherry Blossoms in Newark, NJ

These are some of the photos I took at Branchbrook Park. The park saddles on the Belleville/Newark area. It is quite a view to cherish.

A Note about The Lady

She was born on October 28, 1886 and lives in New Jersey since then.

The Lady is a Jersey girl.

Mid-April Spring

It is mid April and it remains chilly in Tewksbury. Trees and plant bulbs appears hesitant to bloom. I checked out the cherry trees at Branchbrook Park, Newark and these trees were bare of their flowers. I will visit the this weekend, again. The weekend weather is predicted favorable.

Deer in the backyard...

Peeper frog sound.... a welcome tune at night. It feels and sounds healthy.

No street lights....just the sky, stars and the crescent moon.... no light pollution.

Yes!

Ellis Island

On April 17, 1907, 11,747 immigrants passed through the Great Hall. It was the busiest day in the life of Ellis Island. Almost 1.3 million immigrants arrived in that year, a hundred yeas ago.

Landed on a foreign land and could barely speak English, they went on to build and shape this nation.

Tragedy and so much Grief

My utmost sympathy to the families of the victims. As a parent, I can emphatize to this profound lost.

I have a son who goes to college this fall. We will give our love and hope for the best.

The parents of the perpetrator of this heinous act had a good deed for their son but it did not happen. The parents will be shamed for the rest of their lives and will be judged by this event.

Our community will need a lot of courage, understanding, forgiveness, and love/care for another.

School has changed.

Planet Earth

The Planet Earth Series was engrossing that I forgot to blog yesterday, narrated by Segourney Weaver. How a about that!

It is a program for the whole family.

It is a legacy for Mother Earth.

To be red, white and blue, is to be green.

Have a nice day!

A Very Busy Week for New Jersey

It was a busy week for New Jersey. There was the Rutgers women basketball team and now the Governor of New Jersey, who had an almost life threatening accident on the Garden State Parkway.

I hope the authorities can find the driver of the red pick-up truck who created this tragic chain of events.

Being a dense state, commuting in this state is not a walk in the park.

It is so important to observe road courtesy on our roads. There is no point to get to our destination a few seconds or minutes ahead or on time. One thing I am sure of... it can create a tragic consequences.

Also, wearing safety belt while on the road saves lives and prevents major injuries.

I wish Mr. Corzine a speedy recovery.

Manhattan and Tewksbury, NJ

I love living in Tewksbury. The greatest thing about it is you can visit Manhattan in an hour and a half. Drive to Penn Station in Newark, take the Path or NJ train to Manhattan and enjoy what the city offers.

Visit to the City and retreat to the countryside, priceless!

Live Earth Concert in Jersey

Live Earth concert will be held at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on July 7th. Major song artists/bands will hosts the event. Proceeds will benefit to fight global warming.

Jersey is getting green.

Check it out.

The Rutgers Team

There have been many comments and features, both the newspapers, major TV networks and internet in the 48 hours or so.

Here are some of the comments on this blog.

The Rutgers University is an excellent institution of higher learning. The members of the women’s basketball team deserve to be in this respectable university.

Have a nice day!

Another Ecology Come Back to New Jersey

Fisher (Martes pennanti) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_%28animal%29, the size of a cat or red fox, is a carnivore and a hunter. It does not prey on fish but preys on squirrels, mice and a natural predator of porcupines. It feeds also on carrion of deer, which is abundant in New Jersey.

It belongs to the weasel family. This animal was virtually wiped-out in New Jersey because of excessive logging and expansion of human habitat.

Despite our dense population, its come back has been documented. It seems like New Jersey is becoming eco-friendly.

Away from New Jersey

My family spend the holiday weekend with my in-laws in Ohio. Our trip out west consists the four of us, a few baggage of personal clothes and stuff, and an almost full truck load of used bricks. My pick-up truck hauled them with ease but we met an unexpected situation of snow squall on the western part of Pennsylvania that went more challenging as we enter Ohio. It was a blizzard condition for a few minutes then followed by a clear road, no snow. As a driver, it was not a pleasant experience. I had precious cargo with full load of used bricks. Being a New Jersey driver, we made through the ordeal.

The good part of it is my family spent a quality with my in-laws. Helping them out preparing and cleaning their beautiful property for spring and summer. My wife's nephews and nieces were also present. Our chores ended with putting up the new flag pole with a new American flag.

Dinner, prepared by my mother-in-law and wine, made by father-in-law, was a memory I cherish with my wife and my children. We had dinner with my sister-in-law, her husband and their children. Catch-up with its other's lives and talked about some silly thoughts and experiences during past few months.

It was a sense of family.

We tripped back to New Jersey today without any situation. No snow squall on I-80.

Back to my home.

Back to my work.

Back to my blog, e-mail and filckr.

It is nice to be back home in Tewksbury!

Union Square, Manhattan, NYC

A visit to Manhattan always include Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, 5th Ave, Central Park, South Street Seaport, Empire State building, Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center site. And perhaps, a tour of the city on a double decker bus.

There is place called Union Square at 14th Street. It provides wholesome family activities in spring and summer. It is famous for their green market. It is not unique to Manhattan. New Jersey farmers has been providing fresh produce to urban areas in the state for many years. Jersey farmers has extended their markets to the City in the early 80's.

On April 28, the site will host NYC Grows Garden Festival. It is about garden and nature.

A place to visit.

A city turning green.

Binary Star J0806

These two suns are nearing its doom. They are losing their orbital energy and about to collide creating massive gravitational waves.

It will soon be a black hole!

Light will bend and suck into it.

Nature is powerful.

The Primaries

New Jersey primaries is moved to Feb. 5, 2008. Governor Corzine signed the bill at the Drumthwacket mansion in Princeton, the Governor's residence.

It is about time that New Jersey has a claim to the economic and political issues of this country. Being a melting pot, we have issues on immigration and homeland security. Our ports and major financial institution in this region is very vital to the economic health of the whole nation. New Jersey is not a newbie to information and telecommunication technologies. AT&T and Verizon have its roots in the state.

The commerce of this nation will not move without the above.

New Jersey is reclaiming the status of the thirteen original states!

Keeping Earth green in our own small ways

The issue of global warming has been in forefront lately. Time magazine has most of its articles related to global warming. My family has finished watching the second series of 'Planet Earth' on Discovery Channel that portrays how we and the rest are so closely interdependent ecologically.

My family has started doing its share to our keep our Earth a little bit greener. My wife bought a set of CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs to replace existing light bulbs as they burn out. I have been wearing lighter and looser clothes to work and at home. I keep trees as much as I can in my property, nurture and protect the tree saplings that grows in my backyard. I would run my diesel pick-up on vegetable oil.

LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) are seen on traffic lights, tail and break lights, building signs and garage lights.

One more and a wild thought. If we could correct obesity, there would be less CO2 in the air. We eat less. The body becomes more efficient, less heat and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

I thought of wind turbine but my town does not get enough wind to generate energy.