A little Gibran for a Sunday

Posted on February 23, 2020 by The Balsamean

Some things from Kahlil Gibran that fell into my lap recently, clipped from Sand and Foam; with smart-ass remarks added by some fat-headed clown.

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Starring Nuala’s Maple Tree

Posted on September 22, 2019 by The Balsamean

(continued from Nuala’s Tree and Concordia post)

Nuala’s Tree is a red maple (Acer rubrum) with four partly intertwining trunks rooted at the edge of a big old pine stump. I dedicated the tree to Nuala in 2009 or earlier. The oldest picture I have is from 2009, below.

June 6, 2009. Viewed from south.

September 13, 2019

The brighter background is because of the logging next door. It changes the habitat of Balsamea forever in several ways. I try not to think about it anymore.

Concordia is a park-like area of about 0.3 acre surrounding Nuala’s Tree. Almost all of the development of Concordia occurred in August-September 2019. Before that, there was just some minor maintenance to keep the tree from being overgrown by pines and balsam firs.

I don’t need to give special attention to a tree for it to have personal meaning, nor need I seek personal meaning in a tree. However, sometimes a tree seeks it in me, like a contemplative interaction probing the soul. That’s Nuala’s Tree.
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I live in a world of turkeys

Posted on June 20, 2018 by The Balsamean

This morning while washing hiking water bottles, one of our many wild turkeys enjoyed browsing the abundant wild food near the edge of the yard viewed from my kitchen window.

This is not an unusual sight here. Common, really. But not for me, and not for the turkeys, since they never get accustomed to being stalked by me. I am never common to them.

Turkey photos at Balsamea, June 20, 2018, ~7:30 AM. CLICK ANY PICTURE FOR FULL SCREEN VIEW.

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On Loving and the Seizure of a Balsamean

Posted on March 7, 2015 by The Balsamean

Buddy, Prince of Balsamea

Balsamea’s new veterinarian, Dr. Nick Sherman summed up the change when he said of Buddy, Prince of Balsamea, “He’s a seizure dog now.” That was the night he gave me a supply of phenobarbital, because Buddy had four general (i.e., “grand mal” or full-body) seizures in one day, February 10, 2015.

So he’s “a seizure dog” now, but he retains his royalty, and reigns here as ever.

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Dennis Koenig, The Balsamean, from Long Island to the Adirondack Mountains

Posted on February 23, 2013 by The Balsamean

The Balsamean; Scribblements from Balsamea (thebalsamean.com or thebalsamean.worpress.com) is a blog written by Dennis Koenig. This page is to identify him for people seeking to contact him.

Born in central Suffolk County, Long Island, New York
Graduated from Riverhead High School, 1974
Served in US Navy 1974-1980; Aviation Electronics Technician; tech school at Naval Air Technical Training Center, Millington, TN; served with Fighter Squadron VF-102 at Oceana Naval Air Station (Virginia Beach) and aboard the aircraft carriers USS Independence (Norfolk, VA) and USS Eisenhower.
Worked as service manager for computer dealerships in Riverhead, Rockland County, and Syracuse before joining the New York State Judiciary.
Worked for the District Administrative Judge of the ten-county Sixth Judicial District in Central NY, based first in Wampsville, then Binghamton, NY.
Founder and manager of the first statewide information technology unit of the four Supreme Court Appellate Divisions, including their statewide agencies: Mental Hygiene Legal Service, attorney discipline units, law guardian units, law libraries, court clerks / administrative offices, judicial chambers, and assigned counsel units.
Worked for a statewide law firm based in Rochester
Retired to “Balsamea,” a small, private forest preserve in the northern Adirondack Mountains.
No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other so-called social media accounts except YouTube Channel of (pen name) Balsamea Walker containing things posted in the blog.
Married to Jovita, then Ann. Two stepchildren.
To contact Dennis, use the CONTACT PAGE. Available via encrypted communication services by request.