Watching the Sun Go Down

Watching a bayside sundown from a public town gazebo. at Ocean City, New Jersey. Within minutes, other people arrived to watch the sun touch the horizon, hoping for a sky full of sunset color magic. It didn't happen - the haze built up, a cloud rolled by and the sky turned gray, obscuring the sun completely. But it was lovely to see this much of it.

Pink Hydrangea Cluster

A section of a large bush filled with beautiful peppermint pink hydrangea blossoms.

Bayside Waterfront NJ

A view, looking northward, of a section of the Great Egg Harbor waterfront in Ocean City, New Jersey. The causeway bridge that leads from the mainland into Ocean City is seen in the background. . The two mile bridge is a marvel of engineering with a walkway for pedestrians and bikers. It also features a large fishing pier area and a beautiful Ocean City visitor Center. The bridge is where I was standing to take the bay shots posted in previous days. I had several questions about those shots. The structure in the background is not a lighthouse. It is an old generating plant that is no longer in use. It has been sold and the buyer is working on plans to take it down. The green wetland in the foreground of yesterdays image is a small island. The path is for those who want to walk out to go fishing.

Rainbow Islands and Bay View NJ

A series of small wetland islands dot Great Egg Harbor Bay and the Rainbow Channel waterway in Ocean City New Jersey. Here seen with an azure sky and cotton puff clouds reflected in the water.

A Heavenly View of Water and Sky

Looking out over Great Egg Harbor in southern New Jersey with strips of a group of small islands named Rainbow Islands that have various boating channels between them. To the East (left of frame) , a short drive into the shore town of Ocean City.

Ocean City Bayside Sundown

A view of the sun beginning to set over Great Egg Harbor Bay, viewed from Ocean City New Jersey Had a wonderful overnight with my daughter in southern New Jersey We drove to Ocean City for dinner and a sunset view of the bay. Just perfect!

Carnival Magic in New York City

A cityscape view of the skyscrapers of the New York west side skyline, the Hudson River and the cruise ship Carnaval Magic in port. Photographed a few days ago just before the golden hour of the day with the lowering sun beginning to warm and reflect on the buildings.

Marshland Retreat New Jersey

A beautiful Spring day view photographed at Mill Creek Marsh in the New Jersey Meadowlands, one of my favorite places to visit for a tranquil, soothing, beautiful walk to enjoy nature. With luscious green wetlands grasses and trees, a Robin's egg blue sky and big puffy clouds in the sky, it was a wonderful place to be.

Mill Creek Marsh Spring Serenity NJ

A late Spring scene at Mill Creek Marsh in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Wetlands trees and grasses are lush with new green growth, skies are a rich vidi blue and white and gray clouds meander across the sky as a group of Canada geese swim across the marsh waters.

Great Egret and Reflection

A vertical view of a Great Egret standing tall and still as it pauses briefly while fishing for a mid-afternoon snack in the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Snowy Egret Reflected in Marsh Waters

a Snowy Egret standing at the base of a log seems to be distracted by its own reflection while watching for a meal to swim by in the marsh waters of Mill Creek Park. Blue skies are reflected in the foreground water while the green grasses along the waterside are reflected in the upper part of the image.

Two Pink Peonies

A close up portrait to two pink peonies and their green leaves against a shadowed background. The last of the peonies of the season that I saw. This is the first year that I've come across peonies that have this time of center when fully opened.

End of Season Pink Peonies

Came across these delicate looking pink and white peonies while out for a neighborhood walk. These were the last of the flowers on the bush for the season.

Napping on the Job

A new public art sculpture on display at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey. The temporary display, called "Reclining Liberty", was installed at the end of May after being in a New York City Park for a year. Conceived and created by artist Zaq Landsberg., the intent was to combine the symbolism of the giant reclining Buddha statues in Asia with The Statue of Liberty., encouraging "the viewer to reconsider what the Statue of Liberty represents, which is what many of us have had to do this past year" . (Quoted from an aritcle that I read.) The sculpture is 25 feet long and weighs 2000 pounds. It is intended to be a multi-sensory art piece with people able to touch and climb on it. I waited on line for numerous groups of people ahead of me taking photos of families and friends lying in front of the statue mimicking the pose, or posing next to it. It's quite fascinating to see this and contemplate the deeper context and symbolism of the pose with the eyes closed and, perhaps, purpose of the installation in the park where there is a clear view of the real Lady Liberty standing on her island in New York Harbor. While this installation is a temporary one, the artist is in the midst of creating a permanent version of it that will be placed in some unknown spot in Staten Island NY. and, PLEASE DON'T MAKE THIS A POST FOR POLITICAL COMMENTS - i JUST THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING TO SHARE.

Liberty State Park - Liberty Statue Ferry

Miss Gateway pulling into a pier at Liberty State Park in Jersey City NJ, returning from a trip to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. A view of lower Manhattan is in the background. The park is one of only two locations where one can take a ferry trip to visit the Statue of Liberty and historic Ellis Island.

Liberty State Park Flag Day

A view of the Liberty State Park Flag Plaza with the Statue of Liberty and New York lower Manhattan Skyline in the background. Photographed on Flag Day.

NY Skyline-Sundown Gold on Blue

The last warm gold and bronze reflected colors from the setting sun transform the skyscrapers of Hudon Yards in mid-town Manhattan contrasting with the deep blues in the sky and Hudson River of the start of the twilight hour.

Least Tern

You know it's summer here in the NJ Meadowlands when the terns arrive. Came across this one while on a walk in one of the marshland parks. As their name implies, Least Terns are among the smallest of 19 species of terns across the globe. In the US, their nubers have been declining over the years due to loss of breeding grounds to development , among other factors. They are on the endangered list in some states. In New Jersey, their numberhave increased slightly, but they are still close to threshold.

Red Roses out of the Shadows

Red roses and green leaves reaching for the sunlight out of the deeply shadowed rose bush.

One World Trade Pink Sundown Skies

A vertical format view of NYC One World Trade Center and surrounding lower Manhattan skyscrapers at sundown with the tower gleaming in silver tones surrounded by a coral,-pink and blue sky.

Hot Pink Peony on Green

A close up portrait view of a single- layed peony with petals in shades of hot pink, framed against a green grass background.

Pink Peony Portrait

A vertical format close up view of a single layer, deep pink peony with white center and yellow and green carpelm stigma and stamen.

Hudson River NY-NJ Waterfront Vista

A late afternoon vista of a section of the Weehawken, New Jersey waterfront with the upper midtown New York skyline across the Hudson River. In the lower left of the frame, you can see the helix roadway leading into (and exit from) the Lincoln Tunnel. One of the first test shots from my new Nikon D850 - I'm so excited to explore and learn what this camera can do.

Iris Pair Marinella

A pair of two beautiful historic tall bearded irises in yellow and wine hues. Named Marinella, this cultivar was introduced in 1937 by hybridizer Ferdinand Cayeux.

Tall Bearded Iris Portrait - Rhages

A close up portrait of the historic tall-bearded iris named Rhages. This delicate looking lavender-violet pink iris variety was registered as a cultivar in 1932 by Mead-Riedel It is part of the collection seen in the beds devoted to historic irises at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.

Coppelia - Tall Bearded Iris Portrait

This lovely historic tall bearded iris in pink, lavender yellow and gold, named Coppelia, was developed/introduced in 1939 by Ferdinand Cayeux, Photographed at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair, New Jersey.

Cascade Splendor Bearded Iris Portrait

A clse up portrait view of the historic tall bearded iris named Cascade Splendor. This iris was cultivated by Rudolph Kleinsorge and registered in 1944. The tan, yellow and gold iris was awarded an Honorable Mention: in 1945 and an Award of Merit in 1947.

Tall Bearded Iris - Red Amber

A portrait view of the historic tall bearded iris named Red Amber. Cultivated in 1942 by hybridizer Loomis, this bi-tone iris has red/maroon colored falls, lighter hued red/maroon standards and a tan/gold beard. Photographed at the Presby Memobiral Iris Gardess in Montclair New Jersey.

Iris Garden Beauty New Jersey

A view of the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in bloom with the Victorian Walther estate home in the background. The 6.5 acre gardens were established in 1927 to honor Frank Presby, who was a founding member of the American Iris Society and a well known horticulturalist. Currently the garden display includes more than 3,000 named varieties of irises. It is the largest non-commercial iris garden in the world.

Blooming Iris Garden

A scene at the Presby Memorial Iris Garden in Montclair New Jersey as the garden reached peak bloom., featuring hundreds of varieties of tall bearded iris flowers. in various color combinations. Photographed in late May.