There are tales of a land across the river called New Jersey that’s so foul and smelly that my friends in New York City groan and moan with displeasure. One day, Faith disappeared to a place in the mountains, and I was naturally upset that I could not join her. I am a Rocky Mountain pup and I love to chase the clouds, but Faith packed my bags and assured me that George would take me to the country for a weekend adventure.
George and Olga picked me up in the morning and we drove away in the box-on-wheels. We took a bridge & tunnel, and there were industrial facilities and swamps as far as the eye could see, crisscrossed by highways and railroads. There were ominous clouds spewing from tall chimneys but these were different than the ones I chased in Colorado. The boxes-on-wheels were growing boxier and boxier and there was a sense in my nostrils that these stinky wetlands were made of garbage.
George and Olga picked me up in the morning and we drove away in the box-on-wheels. We took a bridge & tunnel, and there were industrial facilities and swamps as far as the eye could see, crisscrossed by highways and railroads. There were ominous clouds spewing from tall chimneys but these were different than the ones I chased in Colorado. The boxes-on-wheels were growing boxier and boxier and there was a sense in my nostrils that these stinky wetlands were made of garbage.
All of sudden it occurred to me: this was the “shithole” they call New Jersey.
George explained to me that the Hackensack Meadowlands were once-upon-a-time a gigantic wetland and one of the richest ecosystems in the world, but in the last few hundred years, humans have literally created new land on piles of garbage to build giant stadiums and runways for jets, leaving toxic sewage and sludge where life once thrived. Paradoxically, New Jersey also has a tremendous amount of beautiful open space that its citizens have managed to protect. We passed a Great Swamp with hundreds of species of birds and amphibians that were saved, and dogs like me could enjoy nature.
We arrived in Mendham, NJ.
There was a huge field and a big old tree. We had a great time running around, wearing leaf hats.
…and wallowing in the grass.
We went to a farm with pumpkins fields and all kinds of gourds of different shapes and colors.
We picked pumpkins...
...and I picked a baby one for Faith.
Then we went for a long walk in a giant corn maze.
George and Olga were hopelessly lost, but with my nose we sniffed the path to freedom.
We went back to town where we had cappuccinos, pumpkin pie, apples, and bison hearts!
Dr. Pingeon, George’s 94-year old grandfather from Switzerland, was very friendly: “Hello Little Monkey!” he said, but he wasn’t sure if I was a cat or dog. After dinner, we fell asleep.
It was all very cozy! What an adventure!
And I learned that New Jersey isn’t such a terrible place after all…
-Madge's New Jersey Adventure as dictated to George Pingeon.
