February 12, 1999

Dear friends,

A sunny afternoon with a 60-degree temperature encouraged me to take a walk along the old canal that runs through the nearby town of Rocky Hill. The dirt path between the canal and the Millstone River is always a favorite place for joggers, bicyclists, and hikers, and, judging by the number of cars parked in the lot, others were also enjoying the scenery. My purpose was less for exercise and more focused on photography.

A red-sided house floats inverted under a water-blue sky. One wonders about the history of such dwellings. There is another structure nearby, possibly where the bridge tender lived with his family. Remnants of locks (there were 14 between Bordentown and New Brunswick) remain here and there along the route, but little is left around Rocky Hill to suggest the active commerce that once existed.

The Delaware & Raritan Canal was built in 1834 and carried great amounts of coal and other cargo. The peak years were 1860 to 1880, with significant use even into the 1920s, before the steel rail replaced water as an economical means of transportation. Now, automobile roads frame the east and west banks of the park-like setting that encloses the river and canal, offering easy access to a scenic drive that is most delightful during a colorful autumn.

The Millstone River was active from recent rain that has eased last summer's drought, and the sun danced busily on distant ripples, while a nearby pond lazily reflected the trunks of randomly-leaning trees. A few years ago, a massive ice flow felled many trees along the entire river, and their decaying remains (very important to wildlife, by the way) created a jumbled pattern on the moist ground, in this high-contrast rendition, below.

The completed camera walk took only minutes, an infinitesimal shutter-click of time compared to the decades that hosted a thriving mode of travel through forested country, between cities on both sides of New Jersey. How peaceful must have been the journey, so different from the Interstates and Turnpikes of today. How fortunate that this tranquil reminder still exists to help us relive thoughts of an earlier era.

Have a quiet day,