The Hudson and Me

a short memoir i started

Back home I grew up along the shores of a river not all to far from yours... mine was the upper end of the Hudson just south of Albany nestled in the valley just east of the rolling Catskills.... There was a boat launch that I'd frequent..., sitting on the jagged rocks placed there by man himself. I would just sit, listen, watch, smell, my god did that river smell at times..., back before the Clearwater sailed the river's tides shouting to all who'd listen; "Our river needs cleansing!"

 

I was also one of those who'd fish. Whether I caught a 40 pound Cat or 80 pound Striper during their season never really mattered much to me; as long as I could spend time with my old friend... The mighty mighty river... Hudson.... nestled in the valley...

 

Through each season I'd sit there with my thoughts, sometimes with a friend or two. Sparking up some of Mother Nature's finest of weeds... The memories all come flooding back now. The floods when she was swollen at her banks, debris floating by that could easily sink a small vessel. Vessels that I'd often ride. And her waves, white caps built in fury from the wind and rain. Summer thunderstorms all around as I'd bob up and down; in aluminum I'd become a natural lightening rod more than once. Lucky for me I didn't light up like a Christmas tree! Lady luck had run out for a friend however, who was gripping his windshield during one such storm upon that mighty river! That poor b*****d lit up like a thousand watt Christmas tree!

 

Many summer nights during those fierce storms I even thought I'd die out there floating along the river... No, no death ever came... But I'd walk along her banks and remember the stories of my family history. Many who fought along the Hudson when the British sailed north to burn Kingston then onward to Albany.

 

My roots came from the Hudson, when the Dutch arrived and settled in Rhinebeck, back in 1620.

 

Here I am now, living in a desert. No rivers close by to sit along and ponder life. Nothing but the remains are left... Dry river-beds that once flowed..., and washes that come alive during our Monsoon. The desert however..., well that's another story I'm sure I'll write.

 

Reviews

[Arlene Fleisher]

Loved reading this again! Always love reading what you write. ;) You have a way with words that comes to you so naturally! (I'm jealous lol)

Great story... great imagery about our river - even though I grew up down river from you, I will always think of it as ours.

Well done as always, my love! :) (I give it 100%!)

[Alla Antsis]

"No rivers close by to sit along and ponder life..." Absolutely tender and sad! Love your work!

[D Connolly]

This is a nice tribute to a bit of nature that impacted and shaped your life.

[Alex Cook]

Excellent story. Felt like I was there. I would love to post this on my site. It is new but it is a good site. Please check it out and let me know. The address is
http://alexdeancook.wix.com/cooksworld-sci-fi
Thank you and have a great day. Alex

[Missphit]

When I first came upon this I wondered how you were going to tell a story with so few words. You definitely surprised me and I very much enjoyed the read.
I have to be honest in saying it was very different than I expected, and very unique from what I usually read.
Anyone who can take 10 words and create 50 images in my mind out of them impresses me and that is hard to do, truly.

Well done!!

[laceyjane23]

i really like this piece because i can relate to it a lot, i grew up on the st louis river bank, spent a lot of time hanging out there and fishing, camping, our river had a paper plant next to it so oh yeah we had some wierd smells there too lol, your piece really made me realize how much i miss home and all the things i took for granted when i was growing up. i live in the desert now too as you know and its beautiful, but its a different kind of beauty, thank you for writing this and helping to remind me of so many memories i thought i had long forgotten, i really enjoyed reading this! You rock!
laceyjane

[PianoandPage]

hudson river sounds powerful.

"The floods when she was swollen at her banks, debris floating by that could easily sink a small vessel."

i liked the little

"Sparking up some of Mother Nature's finest of weeds... The memories all come flooding back now."

you definately did a great job of conveying history and a sense of nostalgia and a certain sort of homesickness (well naturesickness)

having lived in AZ myself i can relate to the feeling of "nothing". you should write about the monsoons though. i miss them.

[Robert Luna]

I truly enjoyed that piece. I think it was wonderfully written and has such a beautiful clamming feel about it. Looking at the world just a little different than the way most do, be caught up in the only focusing on ourselves and not seeing the beauty that dwells there around us. I am glad that you sent this my way. I appreciate it greatly.


Well DOne!!!!!!

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Read this quickly... i will reread .. but to go from green and cool water to dry and stark sand must
have been quite a change..

I liked it ,, see you again soon .

Chloe
xoxo

Peace and love !

Nice description of a part of your life. Great story!