An Afternoon Moon

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
A short afternoon trip yesterday, made necessary by ungodly traffic on the turnpike that delayed an arranged meeting with my friend Jack by over an hour. We headed south from the ranger station on QB Rd. and then peeled off on Middle to follow the Batsto down. I'll begin with the moon over the river.



Not too far south of there we stopped by a small concrete structure that Jack had seen on an earlier trip. I can't say what it was. It almost looks like a water gate, but there's no immediate evidence of what it might have drained. I guess it could have been a base for something. Who knows?



It was just a gorgeous day, a little on the warmish side to be called autumn crisp, but bright and sparkling nevertheless. The sun was just angling toward the western horizon and beginning to paint the world with that best kind of picture taking light. Just to prove it, here's a shot of an old, dead pine not far from the concrete thingamabob.



We continued down along the river, passing five or six riders on horseback who kindly moved out of our path. I stopped just above the lake to grab a few shots and spotted this kayaker.



At this point we passed through Batsto, and headed out 542 to check out a property my friend had been considering. It's just a little shack on a hardscrabble, bramble-choked bit of bottom land.



I love the way the light hits this old place sitting in its little clearing. It doesn't look like it has long to stand, but have a look at the door detail. Looks like 3" planks, and I would call that hardware... stout.



We continued on down Turtle Creek Rd. to the turnaround at Swan Bay and hopped out to let the dog stretch her legs and get some pictures. Here's the view west, sometime after 4:30 PM.



I wasn't pleased with the sunset shots I got with my Powershot. Jack's DSLR captured some really nice ones, though. While we were hanging around shooting a large flock of honking birds overflew us. We had some debate over what they were. I initially called them geese, which Jack objected to as they were too noisy for Canadas. I managed to get the following shot.



Looking at this I thought they might be swans, but now I am not so sure. I see a long neck and dark/black wingtips. Do any swans have black wingtips? I know whooping cranes do, but I don't know if they are in Jersey, or if they flock like that.

I'll end as I began, with the moon hanging in the east.

 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,154
4,258
Pines; Bamber area
Nice photos Mark. I love sunlight and I happen to love the word "hardscrabble". Its a great descriptive word isn't it? I imagine the sodbusters in rough work clothes on their hands and knees scraping at the hard pebbly ground and trying to get something growing out of it.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
Nice report Mark! I have a photo of that unknown item in your second photo and was wondering the same thing. I am trying to figure out who was with me so I can find the photo. I did not have a name for it so I am having problems searching for it.

Guy
 

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Nice report, great photos!

You travel some distance to get to the pines.

Chris

Not so far, actually. NJ is a small state :). I used to live in Cherry Hill back in the 80's, and that's when I became familiar with the pines. I still have friends down that way, and we get together every month or so and go exploring.


Nice report Mark! I have a photo of that unknown item in your second photo and was wondering the same thing. I am trying to figure out who was with me so I can find the photo. I did not have a name for it so I am having problems searching for it.

It could have been almost anything I guess. It really does look like a water gate, and if you cross Middle Rd. and walk toward the river at a bit of an angle to the left you can almost talk yourself into seeing the remains of a canal or ditch... but the land going the other way rises to Batsto River Rd., and I am not sure whether it was ever low enough to drain through this spot.

Nice photos Mark. I love sunlight and I happen to love the word "hardscrabble". Its a great descriptive word isn't it? I imagine the sodbusters in rough work clothes on their hands and knees scraping at the hard pebbly ground and trying to get something growing out of it.

Heh, yeah I like that word too. It's right up there with roustabout, and windraked.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
Bob,

Do you remember seeing the item in the second photo on one of our PBX hikes? I am trying to find the photo and can't.

Guy
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
Mark,

Can you PM the coordinates of that? I sometimes file my photo's by coordinate. It may help me find the photo.

Guy
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
I still can't find it. I know there was a large group of people with me, so it had to be a PBX hike, and I know I took a photo of it. It was the PBX hike where we visited the water gage along the river nearby.

Guy
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
It was the PBX Batsto Africa hike.


IMG_0951.JPG



Guy
 
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