Female House Sparrow

A f emale house sparrow poised to take off from her perch.

NYC Architecture at Sundown

Skyscrapers of the Hudson Yards area of New York City reflecting the last moments of warm sundown color as they give way to the blues and purples of evening twilight.

Post Holiday Slump

I came across Rudolph at a local park last year after Christmas looking tuckered out and ready for a long rest. This year I had to go back to see if he showed up again in the same condition. He was and in spite of his condition. he made sure I got a smile out of my visit.

Lucy The Elephant

Lucy the Elephant, classified as novelty architecture, was built in 1881 of wood and tin sheeting. The structure was intended to draw tourists to the NJ shore town where she is located. There is actually living space at the top of the six story elephant. In the early 1900s it was rented out as a home for a time. In early 2020 the living space was refurbished and rented as a Bed and Breakfast. In 2021 after receiving a grant from the National Park Service, Lucy was closed down for major renovation including havine all of the skin replaced. The renovation is almost concluded and the scaffolding around the top of the structure was recently removed. Work is still being done on the bottom half and the grounds. Last I read, Lucy was having her toenails painted in time for the holidays and in preparation for a total unveiling of her gorgeous new self. According to Wikipedia ucy is the oldest surviving roadside tourist attraction in America

Little Red Steam Engine

This colorful, red, downsized replica of an 1863 steam engine pulls train cars full of happy kids and kids- at-heart around the Village Green at Smithfield Village Park in N.J. Here seen as a rainstorm began, sitting in front of the train station.n.

Snowman Decorations

This lineup of cute snowmen lawn/garden decorations made me smile. So I hope they do the same for you.

A Christmas Wish

Holiday Card with snow scene and Peace on Earth text. Wishing everyone a beautiful Christmas Day filled with good will, good times and good memories.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Greeting

Village Green Christmas Tree

A large beautifully decorated Christmas Tree, surrounded by decorative toys and gift boxes on display at the Village Green ub Smithville New Jersey.

Talking Christmas Tree at Smithville Village NJ

Smithville Village magic, talking Christmas tree. According to the folklore of the village, this magical talking Christmas tree comes directly from Santa’s private forest. The Christmas tree awakens to talk with children and young at heart when they come close to the tree. I can verity that - it thanked me for coming to visit and asked if I would please take its picture. So of course, I did.

Historic Red Mill Smithville Village NJ

The mill at historic Smithville Village in N.J. Tthe Village is known for its holiday light display that is turned on each evening during the season. Unfortunately, within an hour after I arrived, just before dark, the skies opened up, heavy rain poured down and I didn't get to see the lights. . A few miles from Atlantic City, N.J., in a rural area, the village began as a one room stagecoach stop in the 1700s. The one room grew, over the years into an inn with six room , the mill was built and the community grew into a small village. By the 1900s, the mill operation declined, along with the inn which was closed down. In 1952, the inn was purchased and restored as a restaurant to have long term success. . In the 1960s, the inn owners decided to develop and expand the historical inn site by renovating surrounding village structures to create a historical touristt area., with eateries and shops in the style of the times when the village thrived. In the 1990s, a development company expanded the site adding more shops and attractions. Children and adults alkie love the carousel and miniature train that runsthrough a section of the village.

Beach Christmas Tree Au naturel

Not sure where or when this tradition started but a few of our New Jersey Beach towns are putting up Chrismas trees on their beaches or beach walkways for people to visit and take holiday photos. The wonderful addition to this is that people have begun to bring shells that they have painted, initialed or have marked in some way, Many have holiday greetings; many are a tribute to loved ones lost or unable to be home for the holidays. At this location someone had left a large bucket of clam shells along with a supply of colored markers for those who came and did not have shells. There were thousands of shells left this year, so far, along the dune fences and under the tree. The sign has a message to "Please leave only eco-friendly items".

Santa at Ocean City N.J.

Santa Claus relaxing in a lifeboat at Ocean City, New Jersey. Caught him having a very brief break before the line started again for pepple to tell him their Chrismas wishes and get photographs taken with him..

Holiday Time Ocean City NJ

A beautiful clock on the boardwalk at Ocean City New Jersey, decorated for the holidays with an evergreen swag and red bows.

Rainy Day at the Beach

Frothy surf as it breaks on shore at the beach in Ocean City, NJ on a rainy, cold December day. Had a delightful overnight visit with my daughter last weekend in spite of nasty weather that curtailed photo shoot plans. We still bundled up and drove to my favorite beach for a walk in the rain which was light at the moment, but became a downpour by evening.

Harborside Meditation

Blue tinted shadows from the sky color and light from a bright sun starburst curve and tone the facial features of the beautiful Water's Soul sculpture, located along the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Quiet Space on the Waterfront

A front view of the public art sculpture "Water's Soul" with buildings of Jersey City behind. The sculpture, by Jaume Plensa, sits on a redeveloped pier area on the Hudson River Waterfront facing New York City. The base around the statue has lights for it to be lit at night and benches set along the waterfront for visitors to sit and enjoy the river view and meditate on the meaning of the statue. Similar to the old adage to take the time to stop and "Smell the Roses," the artist advocates taking the time to contemplate the flow of the water and the ways in which it ties and binds the world together. The thought behind it and the actual presence of the statue is quite powerful so I want to show it from different perspectives and also want to go back and see it in different lighting.

Hear the Wisdom of the Water

Stop, stay quiet, close your eyes and listen to the water speak. This 80 foot high statue, erected in Jersey City NJ in 2021, shows a woman doing just that with her eyes closed, finger to her lips requesting silence. The statue was created by international artist Jaume Plensa in his Barcelona studio and shipped here in parts to be installed along the Hudson River waterfront. He envisioned it to be a connecting icon between New York and New Jersey. Quotes from the artist: Water is the great public space that unites and embraces communities as well as people around the world." "The water, when it moves, makes a special sound, very special," “Water is a marvelous metaphor; one drop of water is quite alone, like a single person, but many drops can create a tidal wave or immense rivers and oceans, much like individual people come together to create community, exchange ideas and build something incredibly powerful.” Seen in te background, is the clock tower of the historic Hoboken Transportation Terminal.

NYC Dawn Light and Reflections

Midtown Manhattan with the Hudson Yards neighborhood in early morining as the night skies brighten and orange and gold horizon hues signal the approach of sunrise. Nighttime city lights are still on and all of the colors reflected in the Hudson River.

Gray Squirrel on a Branch

A Gray Squirrel on a tree branch taking a short break from its busy food finding activities.

New York City Sunrise Starbust

Gold, yellow and orange dominate the horizon line over the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan at sunrise, and a sun star that seems to reach across the Hudson River.

Red-winged Blackbird Female

Red-winged Blackbird female sitting on a branch just before a rain shower. Surprised to see it since I didn't notice any males around and expected that most of the blackbirds have already headed to their wintering grounds.

Male House Finch on a Branch

The red of this male house finch stood out against the cloudy sky recently as I had a quick, chilly walk in a local park.

Vintage Gun Fort Hancock N.J.

A view of a vintage 10 inch Rodman Gun on display in front of Officer's Quarters Row at Fort Hancock in Sandy Hook N.J.. The site is a former United States Army fort, constructed during the mid-1850s (Civil War) as a coastal artillery base to defend the Atlantic coast and entrance to New York Harbor. It's first gun batteries went into operation in 1896. As wars and weapons evolved, so did the fort. In 1874 the Sandy Hook Proving Ground was established as a weapons testing area, primarily for coast defense weapons. In 1946, being considered obsolete, the Fort guns were removed. The Fort was deactivated in 1950, but reactivated as a base for 90 mm and 120 mm antiaircraft guns for Cold War defense. It was deactivated again in 1953 for a short time before it was back in action in 1956 as a Nike missile base, until 1974. The location is now part of the National Park system, where one can visit the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and see the shells of the Fort barracks, officers homes and quarters, the chapel along with a few displays of the vintage guns.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse Autumn Landscape

Another view of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. A view of the historic Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters at Sandy Hook New Jersey framed against a deep blue sky. Historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in the USA. It was built in 1764 to aid boats and ships navigating into New York Harbor from the Atlantic Ocean . Early on it was owned by New York but in 1790, it came under federal authority under legislative acts by George Washington. The lighthouse is listed as a National Historic Landmark and also on the National Register of Historic Places. The lighthouse is located on the grounds of Fort Hancock within Sandy Hook National Park. A third order Fresnel lens which can be seen up to 19 miles at sea was installed in 1856. It was almost destroyed during the Revolutionary War because it was considered a beacon and aid to British soldiers. During WWII the light was turned off to protect New York Harbor.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse Scene

A vertical format scene of the historic white lighthouse at Sandy Hook, New Jersey sitting on a grassy knoll and framed against a richly blue sky. The vintage lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in the USA. It was built in 1764 to aid boats and ships navigating into New York Harbor from the Atlantic Ocean . Early on it was owned by New York but in 1790, it came under federal authority under legislative acts by George Washington. The lighthouse is listed as a National Historic Landmark and also on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located on the grounds of Fort Hancock within Gateway National Park. A third order Fresnel lens that can be seen up to 19 miles at sea was installed in 1856. The lighthouse t was almost destroyed during the Revolutionary War because it was considered a beacon and aid to British soldiers. During WWII the light was turned off to protect New York Harbor.

NYC Sunrise Silhouette in Orange and Blue

The midtown Manhattan skyline at sunrise with the sun just peeking over the horizon between two buildings, spreading it's orange and gold colors across the horizon line. The waning twilight blue sky higher above is reflected in the Hudson River.

Mourning Dove Camouflaged

This beautiful Mourning Dove was sitting so still on the tree branch, and blending in so well with the gray cloudy sky and tree branches, that I would never have seen it had another bird not flown by just in front of the dove.

Pastel Hued Sundown NYC

Soft, pastel hued clouds and reflected sundown light on the towers of NYC as a rainstorm cleared and sun broke through the clouds.

Autumn Central Park Boathouse

A view of the famed Boathouse Restaurant at Central Park Lake NYC, surrounded by autumn foliage. Calvert Vaux designed the original two-story Victorian style boathouse in 1874 to be located at the the eastern end of Central Park Lake. It became a favorite place to rent rowboats, enjoy refreshments and sit to enjoy views of the lake.. That structure was torn down and the current one built to replace it in the early 1950s.

Autumn Reflected at Bow Bridge Central Park

A view of the famous Bow Bridge at Central Park Lake with a backdrop of colorful peak autumn foliage, all reflected in the lake water. The cast-iron, 87 foot long pedestrian bridge was built in the Classical Greek design in 1862 and was restored in 1974.