Had to be in NYC today at Columbia-Presbyterian (I have a pain in my neck — no, I may be a pain in the neck, but that’s not why I went there!!)… Parked in the garage on Fort Washington Avenue and realized as I was getting ready to leave that there were some nice views from that garage…
George Washington Bridge
Ft Washington Ave & 168th St
The share given out Friday at the farm was smaller than it’s been. I spoke to one of the youngsters there and asked if the rain was good for anything there at the farm. She said it would be great for later in the season, but miserable for things now — they weren’t even able to plant. But fortunately there was a farmer’s market at the Woodbridge Town Hall on Saturday morning so I was able to make up for quite a bit. And today I sampled some of the best.
From the farmer’s market, I got fresh mozzarella (mmmmm), lettuce and tomatoes and a few early summer fruits…
Strawberry
Blueberry
The biggest part of the share this week was more kale and more scallions and more spectrum greens. I left the turnips behind, feeling that I had given them a serious try and just don’t like ’em. So off to the soup kitchen with my share! There were some really nice herbs this week, though. Chives and basil and mint…
Chives
Basil
Mint
Someone on the NJ bird list posted yesterday that there was an osprey nest with chicks near the visitor’s center at Sandy Hook. Since we finally saw the sun for a few hours this morning, I decided to head down and check it out. I’d never seen an osprey before…
Osprey with chicks
Osprey with chicks
Osprey with chicks
After a little while watching, the bigger osprey took off in flight. Now birds-in-flight skills are not among the ones I have developed. But I had it on AF servo, I was shooting at 1/2000th, and though they’re not nearly as good as any of the ones I’ve seen posted in the photography forum I participate in, they at least convince me that with practice and time I may someday get a decent BIF shot…
Osprey in flight
Osprey in flight
I drove home tonight under the strangest, most amazing skies I think I’ve ever seen. The weather here has been “unsettled” (defined as rain, hail, thunderstorms, clearing, rain, thunderstorms, and repeat at intervals) for days and tonight we got just about everything. Strong thunderstorm blew through about 7:15, it cleared by 8, and by 8:40, a brilliant setting sun reflecting back off the low cloud cover turned the entire sky a bright pink-orange. And that light in turn painted everything I could see…
Light after the storm
Another slightly different view (this one is actually toned down from what it really looked like):
Alternate view of after-storm light
Just for contrast, here’s what that church looks like in regular light:
Ordinary light
I took a walk over to the law school this afternoon and brought the camera. I liked the way the patterns repeated in these ironwork railings in front of buildings on James Street.
Repetitions
And if it isn’t GOING to rain,
Rain, rain, go away...
then it’s raining…
When it isn’t raining in New Jersey,
Storm clouds threatening
it’s about to rain…
I wonder if birdseed will last any longer this summer with the other options available to the birds…
Cardinal with berry
Still wet, overcast, chilly… bleah… I am so tired of this weather. Even the birds are miserable…
Male house finch
It is wet and rainy and nasty (again) (what else is new) in the metropolitan area again today. But that didn’t stop this little robin from deciding he needed a bath.
“Bath time!”
Bath time!
“Pbpbpbpbpbpb…”
Pbpbpbpbpbpb...
“Just a little more…”
Just a little more...
“That’s better!”
That's better!