Category: Trees

In Quest of Punxsutawney Phil

On By mvschulzeIn Adventure, Automobile, Car, Daytrip, driving, Exploring, Family, New jersey, Pennsylvania, Photography, Road trip, snow, Travel, Trees, Uncategorized, Vacation, Winter10 Comments

         February 2nd is Groundhog Day here in the United States (and Canada.) Although the tradition begs for a relatively large imagination, lore has it that this particular rodent, Phil, who lives just outside town, can forecast the weather. As it was my wife’s birthday, we added this somewhat iconic town, Punxsutawney,  to our weekend road trip through parts of Pennsylvania. So, despite some issues with snow, we did join the throngs of Phil worshippers, and made it back home by nightfall.  Oh, and he did NOT see his shadow, indicating an early spring!

Thanks for viewing. Zoom in for a closer look. Comments are always welcome. M :-)

 

 

Look Through My Window, To the Street(s) Below

On By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Explore, Home, New Jersey, Photography, snow, Telephoto, Trees5 Comments

Still “Winter Isolated” here in northern New Jersey, this morning I captured this image from our window, reminding me (obliquely?) of the classic Mamas and Papas song of forlorn love in the 1960s, here. And yes …those are still our trees in the foreground!

Thanks for viewing, and maybe even listening. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

 

 

Pine Barrens, Lost Railroad and Civil War

On By mvschulzeIn Car, Civil War, Daytrip, Exploring, Geology, Hiking, History, MGB, New jersey, Photography, Pondering, Trees3 Comments

A few weeks ago,  I explored a small but typical part of an abandoned single track railroad constructed in the early 1860’s. It transverses the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an immense area of 1.1 million acres of sandy soil characterised  by oak and pine trees, cranberry bogs, blueberry cultivation and underlying aquifers. When new, these now forgotten rails carried some 17,000 troops to America’s Civil War.

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Images captured with an I-phone 5s, a few steps off Savoy Blvd., Woodmansie, NJ

Alien to the peace and tranquility of this warm afternoon, I could almost feel the undeniable apprehension of regiments of soldiers riding these very tracks towards the inevitable battles to the south, 155 years ago.  

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂