April 2005
Spring Visitors

Well it's time for Grandma’s garden to come out of hibernation. All the spring flowers, the tulips, daffodils and crocus are in full bloom. Even the cherry trees are showing off those dazzling pink blossoms. The birds are singing their delightful tunes in appreciation of spring and the eye-appealing visit to Grandma's.

There were so many visitors -- robins, cardinals, finches, catbirds, grackles, orioles, blue jays, wrens, sparrows, bluebirds, humming birds, and also those raucous crows. Just a quick walk out back, if the flights were passing through, you could kick up woodcock.

I'll never forget my first encounter with a covey of wild quail. While heading to the pond to fish I was traipsing through the field when up went the birds rocketing through the air. Believe you me it was quite an experience for this Huck Finn city kid – which reminds me of another springtime encounter traipsing through the field.

This particular day Uncle Paul took my brother Carl and me fishing to the canal. Yes, the canal I'm speaking of was the Delaware and Raritan. It was quite a walk from the house but it was an eagerly awaited chance to fish a new spot. I was so eager that I took off running up ahead, heading for the canal. What a surprise!

I almost ran into a kangaroo! Well not really – it was actually a deer that jumped up from its bed. As it sprung up to navigate its way over the high weeds, to this young boy (I think I was 9 or 10) it looked like a kangaroo hopping on its hind legs. I turned and shouted, “Look, it's a kangaroo! A kangaroo!”

Boy did I ever take a ribbing. Uncle Paul asked me what in the world I thought a kangaroo would be doing here in NJ and my answer was that maybe it had escaped from the circus. I still hear it from my brother — some things just follow you all your life. None-the-less, it was another page in the book for this city kid with that Huck Finn character hidden inside.

by Lance L. Casper

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