Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Day 1

This past weekend I had to head to the Noyes Museum of Art in Galloway to pick up some photographs I had hanging in their "Aftermath" exhibit.  It's really a wonderful place, and I highly recommend it.  One of my favorite things about the museum is that it is about a quarter of a mile from the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.  

The Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite places in New Jersey.  I sometimes wish I lived close to it..  However, when I think about it, I realize that's not such a great idea, because I might never leave.  The problem I have when I go there is that I am so smitten with the wildlife I usually forget to enjoy the beautiful landscape. 

I was determined to not do that on this visit.  It's helpful that in the winter there isn't as high a concentration of birds.  Also, because most of the water close to Wildlife Drive was frozen on this visit, a lot of the birds, like that tease of a snowy owl, were beyond the useful range of my 300mm even with a teleconverter.

That said, patience and determination do eventually pay off, but you'll have to wait for day two and three for that.

Here is some of what I saw on Sunday.

Sunlight glistens off the bay between the refuge and Atlantic City.

The colors and textures of the grasses are magnificent.

Mallards

McDade Trail

I, finally, got my camera out to McDade trail, which winds along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

 

This is an unharvested field of soybeans

 

This is an unharvested field of soybeans

A Voice in the Wilderness

I feel like I'm talking to myself, here.  Of course, it's my own darned fault, since I haven't posted anything since.......................ummmmm.......................October.  Blogging seemed like a good idea at the time, but I've been busy with my freelance work (okay excuse), and it was really freaking cold out last winter (absolutely pathetic excuse).  Usually, the cold weather doesn't stop me.  I really wussed out--but not completely.  Of course, the cold winter doesn't really explain April through June. 

I've got quite a bit to show you.  While I'm getting all that together, enjoy today's journey to Schooley's Mountain Park.  I'll have you know that I was up at 4:30 am, as in "the morning", so I could get to the waterfalls before the sun screwed up my pictures.  No one I know will believe that I was up that early on purpose, but it's true.

Here ya go:

 

Am I the only one who likes this photo?

Every year at Christmas I give certain family members and friends a photo book filled with images from my previous year's adventures.  As said friends or family members turn each page, my commentary usually goes something like this, "Ooh that's one of my favorites......That's one of my favorites.......That's really one of my favorites."

So basically, every photo is pretty much one of my favorites.  Otherwise, I suppose, it wouldn't be in the book.  However, if you put a gun to my head and said, "Choose or die," I would have to pick the above photo.  The repro on Blogger really doesn't do it justice, but if you click on the link below it, it will take you to the photo on my website.  That's a much better representation.

I'm not certain that others love this photo as much as I do.  My attachment to it may have to do with the circumstances in my life at the time.  One day I was on my way home from work and was stopped in traffic, when my car was slammed from behind.  I won't go into all the exciting details of what happened or what I went through.  Suffice to say, it really screwed up my back.  The pain became worse and worse as the days went by until I was barely able to walk.

A couple weeks later, we happened to get one of those late fall snowstorms.  It was a heavy, wet snow that stuck to everything.  It was gorgeous.  I'm going to try to not say anything rude about people who don't like the snow, but ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND?  You're nuts, cuckoo, looney, one brick short of a full load.

Oops.  Sorry.  I tried.  Okay, not really.

Hmmm.  Where was I?  Oh yeah, snow.  I love snow, and I wasn't going to allow a little excruciating pain stop me.  It was only a year earlier that I had decided to begin building a nature and wildlife portfolio, so it was, basically, get the hell out of my way pain.  I'm on a mission.  Plus, it was so beautiful.

I threw my gear into the car and headed out.  I'm not really sure why I picked this particular spot to stop.  However, as I pulled my car over it immediately became evident that it was not the best place to park, and I decided to find another spot.  Mother nature had other ideas.  My wheels spun, and I rocked her back and forth but the car made no progress.

Now, it would have been blatantly obvious to anyone who passed that I was stuck and, as luck would have it, a snow plow came slowly ambling along.  I continued to spin the wheels and rock back and forth, so that Mr. snow plow driver would see that I was having trouble and would, hopefully, come to my aid.  But do you think that *bleep*ing [expletive deleted] would stop?  No, the *bleep*ing [expletive deleted] continued on his merry way like the *bleep*ing [expletive deleted] that he is.  He even stopped briefly right in front me, just to taunt me, I'm sure.

*bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* you!  Okay, deep breaths.

I finally just said, "Screw it.  I'm already stuck, so I may as well just get the pictures and deal with the car later."

 I threw on my backpack and dragged myself across the road.  As I started walking into the woods with my back screaming at me, all I could think was, "This is not a good idea."  But that's never stopped me before.

Fortunately, the scene above was only about 50 ft. in.  When I saw it, I stopped immediately and was in awe.  It was so quiet and peaceful and beautiful.  And for just one moment I forgot about my pain. 

Ummmmmm.  The End.