Friday, February 05, 2010
Deer in the Backyard I
Caught a limping buck on camera in the backyard the other day. We were set up to videotape whatever birds showed up at the feeders and got the deer. He was with a doe, but we weren't able to get any good shots of her or the two of them together.
Just a another added benefit from birdwatching.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Feeding the birds that visit our backyard
The above video shows a flock of sparrows feeding. They were around for a couple of hours that day in the afternoon in mid-January. The birch tree style feeder on the left has normal openings for perching birds. The one on the right has the small, narrow openings for Finches. In the center there is the commercial suet "cage" and a tied-up small bundle of animal beef fat from our Christmas Day large roast. Note: We cut off the fat and shaped it in a small ball, then tied store string around it and hung it there.
The upside-down cone-shaped thing is a squirrel guard.
We bought the two birch tree style feeders at the garden center on Highway 10 when we bought the Christmas tree in mid-December. We bought the suet cage and it's block of suet along with the squirrel guard from the Maplewood Pet Shop at 168 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, NJ 07040. 973-762-3237. Note: We will have to look up the garden center. We have purchased our Christmas tree there for the last three years. They have always had an excellent selection.
We are set up for what we think will some great bird watching this summer. We can view the birds at these feeders from the kitchen window, where we have a pair of small 8x binoculars and our video camcorder on a tripod to capture the scene whenever there is activity. Note: We are using a Canon [we'll fill in the model no. later] and process the vidoe for YouTube on a Mac [we'll fill in the model no. later].
Raised bed gardening
Square foot gardening
Urban farming
Companion gardening
Enjoy!
Friday, January 08, 2010
Publishing a new Creative Expressions Quarterly
The Creative Expressions Quarterly concept is the brain-child of the project editor, Thomas J. Obrzut, LMSW – Tom – and is published by Hilding Lindquist – Gus. Tom and Gus plan to publish all types of creative expression – writing, photograpy, art – in the Quarterly that can be presented in a printed format. We also plan to support the development of video and audio formats for as wide a program as possible for providing an outlet for the creative expressions of the residents of the homeless shelter.
Tom and Gus also plan to offer the program to other homeless shelters to the extent we have funding for the expenses and volunteers to help out with effort. Note: The Creative Expressions projects are not for profit.
Hilding "Gus" Lindquist, retired, is the editor and publisher of this website—the Steese Review.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Post-Christmas thoughts on New Year's Eve, 2009


Then on January 16 we will host the 3rd Saturday Arts Night at Ethical Culture Society of Essex County. This is an ongoing program presenting artists, sculptors, poets, playwrights, as well as other authors—and their work—to the local community. The January 16th program is "Gloria Torrice: Up close and personal!">"
In the coming year we plan to place additional geocaches (See SRG-1) and travel bugs (See SRBT001) in the South Mountain Reservation here in Essex County, New Jersey.
Note: If you are interested in learning more about any of these programs or projects, please contact Hilding "Gus" Lindquist, Editor and Publisher, at steesereview@gmail.com.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Winter arrives in the South Mountain Reservation
With the first falling of fresh snow
winter arrives
snuggling me in its soft blanket,
muffling my world.
This is my fallow time.
Still, knowing spring will follow
I think of what I will do
when I awaken again.
-Hilding Lindquist
Winter arrived in the South Mountain Reservation in early December this year. I didn't write down the exact time and date ... because I was hibernating, going into snooze mode ... but I took the following photos. They are up flickr.com. You can view my account there by clicking on the links below the photos.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Bill on his trike
One of my best friends, Bill, recently finished reworking his trike motorcycle to carry his oxygen tanks and wheelchair.
He lives in Interior Alaska and since first meeting him in 1996, shortly after I arrived in Fairbanks in September, 1995, we have gone on many an adventure together. One of our best was a trip up the Haul Road to above the Arctic Circle on the 1996 Winter Solstice.
Bill wanted to have his trike ready before the first snow hit. He didn't make it, but not for want of trying. Most if not all other folks in his condition wouldn't have even tried.
I don't know anyone else like Bill, with his courage in the face of disability. He is a guide and mentor for me in my own lesser struggles, how to wrest the last drop of an active life from the relentless rising tide of our infirmities.
That's Bill's wheelchair mounted on the rear of his trike motorcycle. Incredible, wouldn't you say?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fall has come to Maplewood, New Jersey
Fall has come to Maplewood once again. This is my favorite season here because of the colors.
Check out the fall colors from last year, 2008.











