Nature Viewed Through an Old Man’s Eyes

By Jim Pfiffer of Elmira, NY.

Hello and welcome to a new series of blog posts about Mother Nature and human nature as viewed through the sometimes-bloodshot eyes of a 66-year-old Baby Boomer.

I’ll share advice and adventures and pertinent knowledge about our rivers, environment, and how and why humans exert a powerful impact on our environment, for better or worse. I’m a former newspaper reporter and humor columnist. I hope to use levity to make most of my posts entertaining, provocative, and fun.

I was born and raised in Elmira, N.Y., a small semi-rural community in upstate New York. My home town is rich in rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, woods, meadows, and an abundance and variety of nature. I live in West Elmira with my wife and dog. I recently retired as a co-founder and executive director of Chemung River Friends, the nonprofit organization sponsoring this blog. River Friends promotes and protects our waterways and encourages the public to better use, understand, and respect our environment.

Knowledge and how to use it are vital skills in preserving our clean water and Mother Nature.

This blog will tell you about nearby outdoor places to enjoy and scenic outdoor recreation opportunities from kayaking, hiking and cross-country skiing, to bird watching and dog walking. I’ll share river history, safety tips, conditions, and fun ways to enjoy our plethora of nature alone and in COVID-19-safe groups. I’ll weave in personal anecdotes, humorous experiences, river lore, and a few bald-face lies to keep you on your toes.

I spent the first half of my adult life as an award-winning newspaper reporter and humor columnist for the Elmira Star Gazette and several other newspapers. I judge myself a good wordsmith. I’m adept at discovering the humor in human nature. It’s second nature to me.

I want to initially post weekly, but because I am often irresponsible and unreliable, it may take a while to get back into the creative groove and to post several times a week.

You might enjoy my blog if you like the outdoors and share some of the same experiences, interests, views, and depravity as me. Here are a few examples of my upcoming blog topics:

  • How to partner with nature for recreation, exercise, education, and stress relief.
  • Interesting facts about the animals, plants, fish, insects, and people who share our outdoors.
  • Safety and environmental protection tips, problems, and solutions.
  • How my views and enjoyment of rivers, nature, and human nature have changed as I have gotten older.
  • Retentive people who use bulleted lists.

 Pfiffer is also writing a humor column on a Facebook page called Hidden Landmarks TV that celebrates the area’s rich history, amazing people and quality of life. The column is posted by 7 a.m. every Sunday.

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