Carnival Time

The carnival is in town..... it opened Wednesday evening to lack luster crowds. I expected to see more teenagers there on opening night, but it was nice to spend a night there with the kids without a huge crowd. These pictures were taken much later, after the kids were in bed and I returned with the new Finepix s1000f in hand and good friend Amy in tow.

I have to admit that we were a little disappointed. The place was basically deserted with only handfuls of people wandering around. Most of the rides were vacant with only the carnival workers hanging out on them. The Ferris wheel wasn't working, but at least it was lit.

But despite the disappointment ...

It's still time for cotton candy, carmel and candy apples, fried dough and corn dogs....

Even if most of the rides looked like this....

which reminds me of the really creepy abandoned amusement park exhibit that Mass MoCA had in Building 5 a few years ago. That exhibit was awesome, but totally creepy at the same time. The rides all moved really slow, giving you the feeling that you were in some horror movie and left you feeling like you needed to keep your guard up because zombies could be hiding anywhere.

The Untamed Beauty of the Glen

Over the weekend, my friend and I hiked Gould's Trail at the Greylock Glen in Adams, crossing over to West Mountain Road and eventually doubling back around to view both upper and lower Peck's Falls. I still don't know why anyone would want to disturb the natural beauty of this place, spoiling the landscape with campsites that will only bring trash and humans.

I'm also wondering why people are pretending that the wildlife in the area will go undisturbed? If you've been to the glen, you know that there are plenty of animals -- beaver, wild turkeys, fox, deer, and bear. There's some dispute between my friend and I over whether or not a large footprint by the Peck's Brook belongs to a cougar or a large dog. But despite our difference of opinion, there's no doubt that there are predators in those woods.

Then there's the issue of endangered species, both fauna and flora. I'm not sure if the jack in the pulpit is still on that list in Massachusetts, but finding these beauties along with red and white trillium is a rare one for me. It's actually been years since I've seen them growing up there and they happen to be located in the area for planned camping. I'm also disturbed by the fact that the plan calls for parking on grassy areas. Cars leak - oil, gas, anti-freeze, etc. - just look at any parking lot on any given day. Isn't that defeating the purpose, not that I want to see portions of the glen paved.

Why should such beauty be displaced for the benefit of a few. We need to be protecting these natural beauties, not coming up with some contrived scheme about how the glen is going to be the needed shot in the arm of economic stimulus the town needs for the future. PUH-LEASE. Putting campers in the glen is not going to get people into the downtown, nor is an oversized amphitheatre.

What the town needs to be doing is focusing its resources on an economic development plan that works with the owners of the two or

three empty factory buildings and helps brings something in to fill them, whether it be manufacturing, or a more creative use. They also need to work on being business friendly, not making arbitrary decisions about who can and can't have seating for their deli, or who would need extra insurance for a hanging sign and who doesn't.

Requiem

Requiem

In a world torn apart,
drenched in chaos,
bleak and wreathed in despair,
I found myself.

My pain,
my sorrow,
my suffering
were becoming too much to bear.

I was tired.
Alone.
My soul hungered.

And then I found you.

Being near you
calmed my inner most fears,
contented the hunger,
ripped away my rage.

The sun shone
its golden rays,
and I saw them as if
it was for
the very first time.

And then I loved you.

However, you did not
feel the same.
Your words tortured me,
gnawed at my mind
and stilled the beating
of my heart.

I grew cold.

And then I hated you.

As the darkness and the pain
crept closer,
threatening to engulf
my soul once more,
I realized that
I needed you.

As so we began again ...

as friends.

A new stand-off begins...

Bulimia never goes away. It hides and waits for an opportunity to resurface, like the old friend you can't say no to. It's a dance that goes round and round. Mia has been off the dance card for years, but recently showed up on my list. We've been dancing for sometime behind closed doors. I've been taking comfort in her euphoria when stressed. Other times, she doesn't show up, but the binging still takes place. Sometimes I take the lead. This time I have, but only because I let another old vice return in her place. So please forgive me if you see me doing it; it's a way to survive.