Washington State Police reported possible James Nilson sighting yesterday while on patrol. A man fitting Mr. Nilson’s description was seen along side the interstate apparently foraging for food. “He was kinda hunkered over a bush, pickin at it, for berries I guess. When he spotted us, he high tailed it outa there.” Unable to call for backup, the officers opted not to pursue.
Possible explanation for difficulty in finding/identifrying Jim Nilson through the use of this photo: This photo is actually Larry Nilson, venerable father of Jim, and hard working instructor of the 8th grade science course; IPS, standing for; Intermediate(Interesting, Imaginary, who cares/knows, and why am I even writing this?). Well, using the wrong photo might explain some of the difficulties, though to his credit, if that was indeed Larry spotted foraging along the side of the highway, kudos to him for eluding capture in the wild at his age, maybe his genes for running wild were passed on to Jim explaining the difficulty in tracking him down. Peace and Love to all WHS Runaways , your Pal, Pat Tally
Addendum to above comment; Unfinished Inaccurate course Title needs finishing; inserrt Physical Science to above incomplete guess at full course name (who really needs proofreading anyhow? NOT ME). XOXOXOXO PT
Pat: I think you are thinking of Larry Niven, famed science fiction writer. Anyway, Jim did indeed have mad feral skills, and would not be taken alive easily.
I believe you are both thinking of David Niven, the fine British actor whose body of work included “The Guns of Navarone,” and the original “The Pink Panther” and “Casino Royale” flicks. David Niven was in our third grade class at Loker. Easy mixup.
No, no guys. That’s Jim’s photo. It’s the aging process man, the aging process!
I wll not be denied, though I enjoyed a few of L. Niven’s books, I’ve never seen his picture. David Niven? C’mon, I may be brain damaged but I’m not friggin’ retarded (I’m allowed to say that I’m a special educator)! But seriously, anybody else remember Mr. Nilson? Just ask Akerman or Bossung, they were members of the Damon Farms commune. PT
I think you’re thinking of Johnny Damon.
Hey, man — as a commune-child myself, I can tell you that what happens in Damon Farms stays in Damon Farms. So if I happened to see Jim Nilson huddled in a lean-to in the stretch of woods between Bald Rock and Snake Brook Road, well… you’re not gonna hear it from me.
Actually Steve, that is a picture of both of us. Jim has aged a bit, at
least as last I saw him, and I have gotten younger since retirement so we are
frequently taken for each other. But Jim has gone underground yet again.
We did get a postcard this summer from Pyongyang, but that’s it.
In my retirement years, I enjoy lots of exploring in the woods (and
roadsides – gathering berries) of the Northwest as well as reading
more broadly than I(Intermediate)PS teacher manuals, writing, sorting through mountains of slides and digital images and making tri-weekly workouts at the “Y” trying to stay in shape. And I do surf the web from time to time searching for life changing sites such as “Worst Attitudes Ever.” I have good memories of the
class of ‘86, one of my first, after the first half of my career as a
biology teacher at Weston High. Thanks for allowing me to practice on your
class, branching out to other areas of the physical and earth sciences. It
was a great ride. Wayland Middle School was an outstanding school, a great
environment for kids to learn and to grow. I’m pleased that Pat is helping
the kids that struggle. Hang in there Pat!
Larry Nilson
P.S. Steve – When I left Wayland a year ago I brought a tape of you making
snow angels on one of your morning “wake up” activities. I wanted Jim to
have a piece of his rich heritage. Someday you may be a star TV meteorologist. It seems more New Englanders are interested in the weather than in the 8-12 second “news bites.” Keep bringing smiles to the masses in the Boston area. If I can find Jim I’ll give him the tape. If you get any info on his location please let me know!