Always something new to see where pond and river meet

For the majority of days this past school year, except in the rain and when work doesn’t allow it, I have walked my kids to school and back. While I do enjoy the two 10-minute walks with my kids – most days – I also enjoy the two 10-minute walks I get by myself when heading back home in the morning and to school in the afternoon.

There are a couple of reasons why I find these walks are valuable. For better or worse, one reason is work related. I can kind of zone out and think about stories I’ve got to type. I recognize thinking about work probably doesn’t sound enjoyable, but I find the walk and the fresh air get the brain working and provide time for mental organization.

The main reason I enjoy the walk is because it takes me over the Mulberry Street bridge in Milton. It’s the area of town where the head of the Broadkill River and Wagamons Pond meet, and Mother Nature always provides something new to see. There’s a resident blue heron that can be seen stalking its prey nearly every day. Recently, a wind blowing out of the south left almost no water at the fishing pier during low tide, revealing how narrow the river channel really is. On a calm day, the pond surface is glassy, and the trees surrounding it look twice as tall.

I bring this up is because winter seemed extra long this year. The recent warm weather was nice, and being outside in it felt good. Seeing Mother Nature begin her daily change toward spring also feels good, and these walks allow for an up-close view.

Before leaving the subject of walking in Milton, I feel obliged to go off on a somewhat unrelated tangent, but one that can’t be avoided in a column that dedicates some of its space to dad jokes.

Due to Milton’s geography – hills on both sides of the river and the pond – and how the boundary lines are drawn for the Cape Henlopen School District, the kids who live in the Goshen Cemetery area of town get to tell their grandkids, in total honesty, that when they were kids, they had to walk uphill both ways to school.

Surfgimp Foundation’s Winter Bash this weekend

Anyone who reads the pages of the Gazette with any frequency knows the Cape Region has a number of hardworking nonprofits, charities and businesses that are doing their best to fill the needs of people who are often overlooked. 

One of those organizations is the Surfgimp Foundation, which is hosting its third annual Winter Bash at the Rusty Rudder in Dewey Beach this weekend. Last year’s event was canceled, and this year’s was postponed from January to Saturday, March 12.

“The foundation's mission is to support, through financial grants, individuals with disabilities who require assistance to participate in desired physical activities,” reads the Surfgimp Foundation website.

The foundation was established in 2017 in memory of Milton resident and Surfgimp Jay Liesener, who touched the lives of many people when he was alive, and through the work of the foundation's volunteers, continues to do so after his death.

The bash will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at surfgimpfoundation.org or at the door. Tickets include food provided by Jimmy’s Grille Catering, a 4-hour open bar and live music. There will also be a live auction and an extensive silent auction.

Joke of the week:

The week’s joke comes from Debbie, who thought her submission went well with the seagulls/bagels joke I featured in my first column a few weeks ago. As always, keep your PG jokes coming my way.

Q: What's the difference between unlawful and illegal?

A: One is against the law and the other is a sick bird.