Tuesday with Alfie

[whippoorbill]

Mohammad Al-FIE(!) and yers truly braved not-so-great elements and wandered areas near the Mullica and Wading rivers this Tuesday. Ice was pelting my truck when driving to pick Al up this morning and there was serious contemplation of postponing the journey. I'm glad we didn't. This first series of photos was taken as I puppy-dogged behind Al while he "island hopped" adjacent to the Wading River.

We were so close to the Wading; a view could not be resisted.

"Woof! Woof!" (Wait up!)

Mullica River

We visited a couple of nearby cemeteries.

The photos below were taken at the one that spells cemetery cemetary. I'll add a few Johnson Cemetery photos later.

This little guy, plus the stones in the photo below, were outside of the fenced-in main area of the cemetery. Beautiful.

Bury me under a stone such as this ...

Clark's Landing was the on the agenda. On the way there, Alfie noticed a nice cellar hole and property along the road. We pulled over. Here is a stitched pair of photos, viewing the hole from opposite sides.

Clark's Landing (proper) has a small grave on it, but my photos failed. Accessing the grave required crossing a bridge which would be aptly described as being in far from stable condition. One was also required to correctly answer three questions, offered by an aged bridge keeper, to cross. My three were "What is your name?"* "What is your favorite holiday?"** and "What is the WONK velocity of a pine barren tree frog in its most heated moments of spring passion?"*** Piece of cake. Reaching the other side was another story.

Views from the bridge...

Thanks for looking,
Bill

* whippoorbill
** Thanksgiving
*** 3600 WONKS per hour

 

[manumuskin]

The cellar hole right before the pictures of our daring bridge crossing had walls of a kind I've never seen before.The walls appeared to be made of rock with concrete applied over them put in with wood forms (the plank impressions were visible on the concrete)I have never seen walls made of various kinds of rock and then coated with concrete.is this common?
Alfie

 

[Teegate]

An interesting day for both of you for sure! If Al has water on his glasses in the second photo I feel his pain

Guy

 

[oji]

The cellar hole right before the pictures of our daring bridge crossing had walls of a kind I've never seen before.The walls appeared to be made of rock with concrete applied over them put in with wood forms (the plank impressions were visible on the concrete)I have never seen walls made of various kinds of rock and then coated with concrete.is this common?
Alfie

Possibly to save concrete. The foundation under my porch has a bunch of beer cans for filler.

 

[manumuskin]

An interesting day for both of you for sure! If Al has water on his glasses in the second photo I feel his pain

Guy

what i was doing was peering over top of my glasses to read the gps because yes,I did have water on my glasses.The only reason i dislike rain in the woods.Even if it's just wet with no rain I seem to sweat easier and it doesn't evaporate and my glasses touch my forehead and steam up.Also I seem to be getting a common old age ailment.It seems reading lately i find myself either peering over my glasses or moving the book further away.I think i may be headed for bifocals.
It's good to have a fellow in pain when it comes to wet glasses.Whip doesn't care if his glasses are wet but he has a poop fit when he gets water on his lens.
Alfie

 

[whippoorbill]

Alfie,

Yeah. You know my weak spot. I have all the patience in the world, but let somebody
toss a stick in a pool of calm water when I'm shooting, or let a drop of rain land on my camera lens ... back off!!

Great day today, dude.

Bill

Johnson Cemetery

 

[woodjin]

Great stuff. I've been to Clarks landing but never really got out and looked around. Thanks for all the pics.

Jeff

 

[lowerbankman]

I've seen the two gravestones out at clarks landing it was by shear happenstance that I ever came across them in the first place, I went out looking for scrap and then found that cleared path into the marsh and went across that treacherous bridge, the stones are made out of bog iron and are now cemented into the ground to preserve them, nice pictures of the ruins of herman city I went out towards them today when I was coming home from hunting and a lovely picture of the big white victorian house on river road, I actually live about a mile from there, Heart of the Pines report that the owner in the 1930's hung himself in the garage behind his house for reasons that will never be uncovered.

 

[james ungehajer]

Excellent photos as always, i always pass by the Adams-Leek-McKeen Cemetery but have never stopped to view the place, thanks for showing me what it looks like.

Jim

 

[maxwellandson]

I like this picture Bill

My Great Great Grandmother (Adam's) was born and lived in this house. My Aunt has pictures of from years ago.

 

[HawkinNative]

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[manumuskin]

I like this picture Bill

My Great Great Grandmother (Adam's) was born and lived in this house. My Aunt has pictures of from years ago.

I wanted to sneak into the house but Billy wouldn't have it.Now I knows about the hanging I think I'll leave it alone.I'm such a sissy

 

[manumuskin]

Where is the Adams-Leek-McKeen cemetery located? My paternal Grandmother's middle name was McKeen and we've never been able to make the connection. We figured she was named for a friend of the family as the name doesn't show up in the bloodline. I'd love to check out the names on the stones. Do you recall seeing any Corlis/Corliss/Corlies stones?

39.61853
74.49517

here it be
ifn you not be gps savvy it's on the east side of the wading river bridge on 542 on the left side behind the big white house just over the bridge.go around to the east side of the house and go in that way since the drive up the west side of the house is private and posted.
Alfie

 

[HawkinNative]

All posts have been deleted

 

[maxwellandson]

39.61853
74.49517

here it be
ifn you not be gps savvy it's on the east side of the wading river bridge on 542 on the left side behind the big white house just over the bridge.go around to the east side of the house and go in that way since the drive up the west side of the house is private and posted.
Alfie

Hey Al,

Did you and Bill happen to see the French cemetary. It is about another mile up 542 heading into New Gretna.

 

[manumuskin]

Hey Al,

Did you and Bill happen to see the French cemetary. It is about another mile up 542 heading into New Gretna.

i have been to the french cemetery but when I told Bill it was in someones front yard and not as photogenic he wasn't interested.thanks for the tip though.we does like old cemeteries
Alfie
by the way i see the stone claims it's one of the oldest.just how old is it and why is it called french?a family name?

 

[manumuskin]

Thanks! I know right where you described and frequently go by it. I look forward to a photo ramble there soon.
Nope, no GPS yet....some day. I still have a bunch of topo maps and a compass I keep in the old truck. It seems like when ever there's a few "extra" $$$ to be had I always find books, music, photo gear or fine wine and spirits that needs buying! It's hard getting used to this very limited income retirement because I DO love my "toys".

I do miss the days of map and compass and i still practice so i don't lose it.I do like orienteering but stones are hard enough to find as it is.The gps makes it possible.bearing are semi easy to follow depending on the terrain but measuring distance without a gps is very hard to do accurately
Alfie

 

[maxwellandson]

i have been to the french cemetery but when I told Bill it was in someones front yard and not as photogenic he wasn't interested.thanks for the tip though.we does like old cemeteries
Alfie
by the way i see the stone claims it's one of the oldest.just how old is it and why is it called french?a family name?

according to The Heart of the Pines,
in a book called (history of Little Egg Harbor) It says the family of Francis French were one of the wealthiest and most influential families of Bass River.

 

[HawkinNative]

All posts have been deleted

 

[whippoorbill]

...and a lovely picture of the big white victorian house on river road, I actually live about a mile from there, Heart of the Pines report that the owner in the 1930's hung himself in the garage behind his house for reasons that will never be uncovered.

Ya know ... we were cruising along River Road after meandering around Johnson Cemetery and I saw the house and did an instant-brake double-take. "Alfie!" I simply threw the truck in park and snapped the photo from the road. But I think it's the first house that's ever made me stop in my tracks.

Chuck, I'd love to see one of your old photos of the place in its heyday.

I kept telling Al yesterday that I wanted to come back. Seems every time we pick a day to wander the pines of late, the weather has failed to cooperate. I want to go back to those islands and meadows along the Wading, back to those beautiful little graveyards, and walk again on the banks of the lower Mullica (the roots and trees laying there are begging for photographic attention -- shame the one I posted is marred by a wet lens) -- all with a little sunshine to make it work better. Is that too much to ask? I'm not scheduling next Tuesday as a vacation day until AccuWeather promises just that.

Whip