April at Friendship Bogs

[Teegate]

All,

I was told there were some old ruins at Friendship Bogs, and the person who told me and I have been playing phone tag for a few weeks trying to connect and get the location narrowed down. They don’t have email. Anyway, Ed Campbell has been working on this since he is quite familiar with the area. With little to go on yet we have not done much, but Ed informed me of a location he found something at a while back and Jessica and I went there today to check it out.

Heading off.

The blueberries are not all blooming yet.

Click the photo to make larger.


http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/04262009/IMG_1558a.jpg




The unknown item’s Ed found years ago.

We then roamed around and visited a location that Behr655 and I crossed years ago.

This landed and I pushed my zoom to the limit. Slightly blurry.

This is stuck on Jessica’s patented tick tape I could not get the lighting correct

In the end we almost walked the entire outside perimeter making for a great workout.


Guy

 

[james ungehajer]

Nice trip with the accompaying pics Guy minus the bloodsucker, in the fourth pic it looks like a large u-bolt for a hold down. How many tics did you and Jessica get on you ?

Jim

 

[NJBill]

Guy,

I was out wandering several of the Friendship Bogs yesterday morning and at each bog noticed a very loud repeated sound. The best I could describe it as would be similar to a quick hammering sound. It was rather loud and seemed almost to echo. Any thoughts as to what that would could be or was it obvious today?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Teegate]

Nice trip with the accompaying pics Guy minus the bloodsucker, in the fourth pic it looks like a large u-bolt for a hold down. How many tics did you and Jessica get on you ?

Jim

Jim,

We had about 10 or so. I had sprayed permethrin on our clothes last week, and it did not seem to be working today. They usually drop off.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Guy,

I was out wandering several of the Friendship Bogs yesterday morning and at each bog noticed a very loud repeated sound. The best I could describe it as would be similar to a quick hammering sound. It was rather loud and seemed almost to echo. Any thoughts as to what that would could be or was it obvious today?

Thanks,
Bill

Bill,

That I would say was the frogs. They were really loud today.

Guy

 

[NJBill]

Being a city boy I had no clue! Amazingly loud though! Thanks for the response.

Great pics and a very good closeup of the tick. I pulled probably a half dozen off of me between Frendship and later wandering back in behind Pleasant Mills Church. I was suprised to see actual Tick/Lyme Disease warning signs posted on the trail back in that area.

 

[bobpbx]

Carpenter frogs maybe?

Say Guy, remember the time we found that turntable for a milling machine table way back there? Odd.

 

[NJBill]

Bob,

Very interesting on the Carpenter Frogs. Upon reading further on them I would say that was it. I found it pretty funny in that as I was writing and trying to think of "how do I describe this sound" I could only think of hammering.

I thought I'd might be takin a hammerin on saying what I did!

Much appreciated,

Bill

 

[woodjin]

Nice report Guy. That is an area I frequent often. I will have to think about it, but I recall seeing some ruins in there. I will have to think about this for awhile.

BTW, if anyone comes across my favorite Old Timer Sharde I lost back there about six or seven years ago...let me know. I miss that knife.

Jeff

 

[whippoorbill]

Bob,

Very interesting on the Carpenter Frogs. Upon reading further on them I would say that was it. I found it pretty funny in that as I was writing and trying to think of "how do I describe this sound" I could only think of hammering.

I thought I'd might be takin a hammerin on saying what I did!

Much appreciated,

Bill

There's one bog in Friendship that's renowned for being home to many, many carpenter frogs. A billion, I'd estimate. And they're so loud at night (when all the hanky-panky goes on) that no man can bear standing next to the bog for more than five minutes or the sound will drive him insane.

I'm not lying.

Great photos and report!

Whip

 

[MarkBNJ]

Interesting stuff, Guy. I need to spend some more time out at Friendship. Great pictures of the blueberry blooms and the tick, and of course the... heron?

Speaking of ticks there were a lot in the Calico area too, mostly all lone stars. I found a few when I got home later, but no attachments (so far).

Regarding the metal pieces you photographed. The u-bolt looks like it might have had a block of wood between the plates at one time, the evidence being the square-headed lag screw still sitting there. Looks like the wood rotted away and left the metal. Would be interesting to see if there are a few more of those lags lying under and around it.

All of the pieces seem like hardware for use with stout timbers, as in a bridge, or weir or dam. The u-bolt could have been integrated into a weir gate, for example, and used to pull it up. It does seem to show some wear at the bend of the U, but I can decide from the pic if it is more on the outside or inside of the curve.

 

[manumuskin]

There's one bog in Friendship that's renowned for being home to many, many carpenter frogs. A billion, I'd estimate. And they're so loud at night (when all the hanky-panky goes on) that no man can bear standing next to the bog for more than five minutes or the sound will drive him insane.

I'm not lying.

Great photos and report!

Whip

he is definitely not lying.There is a large bog that the carpenters (not the musical family)rule the night.They will drive you away as if being physically hammered right out of the bog.
you can hear the roar of this bog a quarter mile away perhaps further.
Al

 

[Teegate]

All of the pieces seem like hardware for use with stout timbers, as in a bridge, or weir or dam. The u-bolt could have been integrated into a weir gate, for example, and used to pull it up. It does seem to show some wear at the bend of the U, but I can decide from the pic if it is more on the outside or inside of the curve.

There was wood there so we can be almost certain all of these pieces held wood between them. Most likely for the bigs but what exactly I am not sure of.

There are some really nice savanahs at Friendship Bogs. One of them when it is dryer looks like it would be interesting to cross. There are so many canals there it is hard to visit them all. That is a massive place!

Guy