Welcome Autumn!

Fall arrived last night at 11:09 p.m., but I was already getting my beauty sleep...so welcome to the first full day of fall!

With the temperatures in the upper 80s it's a little difficult to get in the mood, but I'm shedding more than usual, so I know it's autumn.

TeTe's Post

Okay, TeTe here. I saw yesterday's post by Rose and although I was mentioned, I wonder if anyone noticed that I was the only one whose picture was not included. Well, I complained, so here I am in my very own post...

Before you ask, of course I know it's not a real bird. What do you think I am, a dog?...

I enjoy watching Animal Planet, even when they show penguins...

You can't even nap at our house without having your picture taken, but I am still beautiful even when I am asleep...

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This is me and my sister Silver who died in December. We were only about 7-days-old when one of our human's Dobermans found our litter and our mother in a construction site debris pile and took us home. Silver is the only person in our house with whom I would have my picture taken...

Happy Anniversary, Rose!

Today I am HNJJ's guest poster - Rose. One year ago today I left a dog pound in north Jersey - these days called an animal control facility - and came home to my family in Hillsborough.

Before that happy day, I spent three months with the nice people at animal control after being turned in to the animal control officer with my step-brother (we were supposed to have been wandering around a neighborhood). They arranged for some surgery that I needed for a large bladder stone, helped me to recover, and then put my picture up on Petfinder.

I don't know why it took so long for someone to come and adopt me, but the animal people were adamant that my new parents had to understand my special diet.

One Friday a couple from Hillsborough who had seen my picture on Petfinder brought their dog Sweet Lady up so we could all meet. Things went very well, so they arranged to pick me up on Monday after I made one more trip to the vet for some final shots.

We had a nice trip home and I settled in with Sweet Lady and the two cats Silver and TeTe.

There were a few minor glitches. A few housebreaking problems after three months in a kennel and bladder stone surgery. A habit of emptying garbage cans, unrolling toilet paper, and emptying all the items out of unzipped gym bags. Removing wallets from pants pockets and then emptying the wallets; luckily I didn't chew up any of the paper that I took from the wallets.

The second week of December Silver, one of the cats, and Sweet Lady both died. They were each thirteen-years-old and had been sick. I helped the rest of the family to get through that. We gained another cat, Toonces.

I spent this past year going to a lot of stuff around Hillsborough - concerts, the bank, Somerville Cruise. the tow path - and lots of walks. I made a lot of friends.

I have contributed a lot to the HNJJ blog by posing for photographs. Valentines' Day, Christmas, rabies clinic, Labor Day. I am very photogenic and pretty much willing to pose most of the time - although it takes a while sometimes.

Well, I hope to see you more as the years pass and, please, consider adopting someone like me if you are looking for a dog. (or like Toonces if you want a cat).

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This is in remembrance of Silver...


...and Sweet Lady...

Ag in Action 2010

Yesterday was drizzly which apparently discouraged a lot of people from attending this year's Somerset County Agriculture in Action Day, which is a shame. The activities were interesting and those who attended had a great time.

And the hamburgers were great.

I guess we need to be reminded that farming happens every day, no matter what the weather.
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Enjoy these pictures, courtesy of Susan Gulliford.

Today's Ag in Action Day

Today is the Somerset County Board of Agriculture's Agriculture in Action Day with this year's activities being held in Hillsborough at Rainbow Run Farm and Laine Farms from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to Rainbow Run's website, the farm specializes in cutting horses and cattle, while Laine Farms is a hay and grain farm.

Rainbow Run Farm is located at 86 Rainbow Hill Road (off Amwell Road in the Clover Hill section of Hillsborough). There is a suggested $2. per car parking donation.

For more information telephone (908)526-6293 X3 or go here.
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The photographs below, courtesy of Susan Gulliford, were taken at two previous Agriculture in Action days held in Hillsborough: 2004 at Norz-Hill Farm and 2006 at Duke Farms...

Somerville's September 11th Memorial

Dog Lover's Heaven

Central Jersey dog lovers have an opportunity to indulge their doggie devotion this weekend with some of the largest dog shows in the tri-state area being held right here at the 4-H Fairgrounds on Milltown Road in Bridgewater.

Today (sorry, too late) the Tuxedo Park Kennel Club Show was held with 1,400 dogs registered [see above slide-show]. Tomorrow, Saturday, is the Somerset Hills Kennel Club Show with 2,000 dogs entered. Sunday the Westchester Kennel Club Show will be held with about 1,600 dogs.

This is an opportunity to see the breeds that may interest you and, when they aren't showing, talk to the owners, handlers, and groomers working with the dogs.

Don't only watch the breed competitions (sometimes called the beauty shows), but take time to see the obedience dogs do their thing.

There are also a number of vendors there. Although they aren't likely to be the cheapest around, they will probably have that one odd item that you have been trying to find. Food is available for purchase, although, once again, not the cheapest around.

Also, notice how quiet the show grounds are with thousands of dogs there.

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Just a few dog show etiquette tips:
*Don't try to talk to handlers who are waiting to go into the ring; they are working at that moment. The same with the groomers.
*Don't distract dogs who are in the ring by hanging on the fences, calling the dogs, or offering them treats. It isn't fair to distract them after all the hard work they put in to get that far.
*Keep your children well-behaved and under control. This isn't a playground.
*If you dog is well-behaved, under control, and up-to-date with all shots, you may take them onto the show grounds at these shows. [This is not true at all shows.]
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I don't know why they had to go to a dog show to see other dogs when they have me...

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For more information on the Somerset Hills Kennel Club show schedule, go here.

For information on the Westchester Kennel Club Show go here.

Mary from Neshanic Flea Market

Yesterday morning I saw a familiar photograph in the newspaper obituaries with the name Mary Frances Weiss. I knew the lady, but not under that name. I knew her as Mary Stone or Mary from the flea market.

I first met Mary in the mid-1970s when I bought a house in Neshanic Station and began visiting the Sunday Neshanic Flea Market - which Mary owned and ran. By the 1980s I had accumulated enough stuff (much of it at the flea market) that I took a space to sell some of it.

Now, you have to understand how "getting a space" at Neshanic worked. The night before you packed your merchandise in your car/van/truck/trailer. At 4 or 5 a.m. you rolled out of bed, drank a lot of coffee, and drove through the dark night to Neshanic. Once you arrived you got in the line of cars so that Mary could assign you your space.

When you got to the head of the line, Mary would slowly walk up to your vehicle and peer at you. This was a good time to roll down your window, wave, and let out a cheery "Morning, Mary!" Mary would point at you and then crook her finger indicating that you were to follow her. She would slowly cross the market (a large dirt field) with you trailing behind at a safe and respectful distance until she pointed at an empty space. You pulled in to that space while she went back to the next vendor.

A few vendors who had been selling at Neshanic for several decades had regular assigned spaces and didn't have to go through this.

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One day we ran across a friend who told us that recently his wife had gone to sell some of her parents' stuff at Neshanic Flea Market and Mary had yelled at her. We were surprised and asked exactly what happened.

"Well,I don't know," he said. "My wife drove over there nice and early. There were some other sellers there so she asked them what to do. They told her she should just pick a spot and drive in, so she started to drive..." Okay, this is the place where we started laughing so hard that he couldn't finish his story.

The old-timers had sure set up that newcomer.


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Mary's obituary.

Hillsborough Samosas

Ask and you shall receive!

It was only yesterday that the HNJJ crew was trying to locate a source of vegetarian samosas, an Asian pastry served at a cricket match we attended over the weekend.

Unfortunately the ones at the match were supplied by someone from out of the area, but we were referred by an Indian friend to Divine Curry in Kingsbridge Center (the mall catty-corner from the Municipal Building/Library).

We went there and found what we were looking for and tried both the vegetarian and the lamb samosas. They were smaller than the ones we had over the weekend - more like an appetizer than a meal - but just as tasty. The lamb filling was a little dry, but served with three different dipping sauces that made up for it.

Divine Curry has a buffet lunch during the week which seems like a perfect chance to sample a other Indian/Asian dishes without committing to an entire meal of something you may or may not like.

We'll let you know how it goes.
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The Divine Curry website can be viewed here. They also have take-out service.

Something New: Samosas and Cricket

Sometimes when you attend a sporting event it turns out to not be about the game, but about the food.

Yesterday we attended a cricket match; one of the sponsors was a Hillsborough business - DreamCricket.com. While at the game we tried a vegetarian samosa, a triangular pastry stuffed with what seemed to be potatoes, peas, onion, and some spices.

Fabulous and, if baked and not fried, a seemingly relatively healthy dish.

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The HNJJ CHEF staff has been researching samosas (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) and is unsure if they can reproduce what they tasted yesterday.

There is an online video showing how to make fried vegetarian samosas. As with all things internet, there are numerous variations posted - from the fillings to the type of pastry used for the wrapping, to the baking-versus-frying cookstyle - like this receipt or this one.

Maybe we can find a local source or discover who supplied the ones we ate yesterday.

Happy Labor Day!

Music Lesson

When my parents sold their final house,downsizing and moving into an assisted living/nursing home facility, these Sing Along With Mitch music books were among the things they saved.

Raising four children, my mother and father suffered through decades of music lessons, but being a Welsh family, it was expected that music was always around.

Offhand I remember four choir members (plus my parents), four sets of piano lessons (ranging from one year to maybe just over a decade), five-or-six years of clarinet, two sets of violin lessons(one for only a really pathetic year *ahem*), and - last but not least - a year of bagpipes.

Well, not exactly bagpipes. I believe this set of lessons only made it as far as the chanter stage. Actually I'm not sure they lasted for a year. Or maybe it's that my parents didn't last for a year. It's the only instrument that was dropped by the mutual consent of parent and child. No it wasn't me.

Mitch Miller died July 31st, about a month after my father. I don't believe that having to listen to beginning bagpipe lessons contributed to either one's demise.

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This is a photograph of real bagpipe players - none of them remotely related to my family - taken at a Hillsborough Township Parade, .

HTs Internet Vehicle Processing Facilities???

Hillsborough Township's Planning Board voted to recommend Ordinance 2010-26 to the Township Committee for consideration:

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 188 (DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS),ARTICLE V (DISTRICTS AND STANDARDS) OF THE CODE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HILLSBOROUGH, COUNTY OF SOMERSET, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TO ADD A NEW DEFINITION FOR INTERNET VEHICLE PROCESSING FACILITY IN SECTION 188-3 AND TO AMEND THE CONDITIONAL USES IN THE I-1 DISTRICT.

And what, you may well ask, is an "Internet Vehicle Processing Facility?" It is a storage yard for "...intact,damaged and used vehicles..." only sold through Internet auctions.

These facilities would be allowed in the I-1 light industrial zone district on lots with a minimum size of 7.5-acres and minimum lot width of 225-feet.

The public hearing is scheduled for September 14th.

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This is an interesting concept.

How many lots actually meet the requirements? Are actual bidders allowed to show up to look at and test drive the car they have virtually purchased? As the lots will contain "...intact,damaged and used vehicles..." how do you prevent it from becoming a junkyard? Is there any limit to the number of lots allowed?

How does the township verify that the sales have only been made through an online auction? What if someone never goes on the Internet and just walks into the lot to purchase a car or some portion of a car. Will they be allowed to do so and if that is the case why have a special ordinance called "Internet Vehicle Processing Facility", when it's just a "Vehicle Processing Facility" or Auto Salvage Yard?

What makes this different from the junkyard/salvage yards on Camplain Road?

And, finally, where the heck did this idea come from? I Googled the term "Internet Vehicle Processing Facility" and the only hit I got was Hillsborough's proposed ordinance. Nothing like being groundbreakers.
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Here is the proposed ordinance.

Last Cruise of Summer

This evening is the last official Somerville car cruise of summer 2010. A cruise aficionado told me that one of the best things about the Somerville Cruise is that the cars actually cruise, that is they drive around, they move, they aren't just parked.

So the theme of this weeks cruise album is classics in motion...

Until next year.
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Photographs by Susan Gulliford

Sonic Boomlet

This evening the Hillsborough Township Planning Board began hearing the application of Tom Mascia/SONIC to construct a restaurant at the corner of Route 206 and Oxford Place.

The applicant presented testimony by Robert Mascia regarding operations and engineer Brett Skapinetz testified regarding the site plan.

A dozen neighbors from the residential development behind the proposed SONIC attended the meeting and asked questions regarding lights, safety, privacy, stormwater management, and complaints from neighbors at other SONIC locations.

The hearing has been continued to the October 7th Planning Board meeting when the applicant's traffic expert will present his testimony.

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For additional HNJJ information regarding this application, go here.

Nanticoke, PA to Hillsborough, NJ

The HNJJ post of August 17th titled From Black Lung to White Lung discussed the connection between Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, and the Hillsborough-Manville area. Manville was part of Hillsborough until April 1,1929.

I am still trying to follow the migration from Nanticoke to Central Jersey, meanwhile enjoy these Nanticoke photographs taken about two weeks ago.

More information may be available in the book Ellis Island, The Coal Mines to the Asbestos Capital of the World by Ed Purzycki if a copy can be located.