J is for...

This week we will discover the letter J, brought to you by the state of NJ and Aleta de Fleur.  J is one of my favorite letters to cover in this state and here is why.


Jersey Tomatoes: They are hard to explain to someone that hasn't ever had one, but imagine a tomato with twice the flavor and size of the average tomato.  I promise that they aren't inflated due to nuclear waste or anything else, it's just because NJ has some of the best soil for growing tomatoes.  If you're ever in town, stop by a farmer's produce stand, and grab a few.

BonJovi: I know that we should have covered them in B, but we missed it then so we are playing the Jovi card.  John Bonjovi is a NJ native and is one of the stars of our state.  Now, I know that we are from NJ and are partial, but we think they are amazing.  Bonjovi, in our opinion, is one of those bands that withstands the test of time.  They adapt and grow musically to meet the needs of their fans through time.  So, to all of you Bonjovi haters, we are sorry but they are going to stay around for years.

Jelly Fish: Not our best trait, but jelly fish are a part of our shore town's beaches.  They are amazing to look at, but don't step on them - that hurts.

The Jersey Devil:  As promised, here is some more information about the jersey devil.  Supposedly the 13th child born to mother Leeds, the Jersey devil was born human but changed into something else.  Then there is the story of a woman that wished for her child to be a devil/demon and her wish was granted.  There is even a story of a woman that fell in love with a British soldier, during the revolutionary war, and was cursed by the town she lived in to have a deformed child.

There are many renditions, reports, and sightings that date back centuries that all stem from the pine barrens.

The child seems to have been born and was probably just a deformed child that mysteriously disappeared, but either way they have been able to determine that the child was born to the Leeds or Shroud family.  Both of these families were founders in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds.  The Leeds family was so large that Atlantic City used to be called Leedsville.

Nobody really knows where the legend started, but there have been thousands of sightings over the years from campers, travelers, and hikers.  I will say, with the number of sightings that have been documented, it makes you wonder and know better then to walk the Pine Barrens alone at night.