My Hobby
Leslie’s hands with henna
I attended a great wedding on Sunday. My friend Leslie had her hands painted with henna as part of the pre-wedding festivities. I asked her if I could take a photo of them, so she held them out in front of her black dress in the sunlight. I took one snap, and I got really, really lucky.
I made my first visit to the Mill Creek Marsh in the NJ Meadowlands this weekend. The preserve is located a few miles from NYC next to the Mill Creek Mall. I really didn’t know what to expect, and I was initially a little put off by the place.
As you can see above, NYC is just a few miles away, and the area is bordered by a shopping mall, sewage treatment plant, and the NJ Turnpike. There was a distinctive “low tide” smell which I assume came from the actual low tide. The marsh itself was a bit strange looking, with cedar stumps poking out of the water. There is a good overview of the area at NJWildLifeTrails.Org
White Cedar Stump and Red Winged Blackbird
The first signs of life I saw were seagulls, and the ducks. Since it is still early spring, the foliage was just beginning to fill in. The trail around the marsh seems fairly new, and there are signs along the trail that give an overview of the foliage and wildlife to be seen. The place seems to be a work in progress, as I also saw tires, and other refuse scattered about in the marsh.
Lesser Yellowlegs near the waters edge
Red Winged Blackbird
Myrtle Warbler
As I wandered about, I began to appreciate the abundant bird life. Apparently, the recovery work at this site is already having a very positive impact.
American Robin
I’m not a regular Birder but I’ve added the Mill Creek Marsh to my list of places to return to. Check it out if you want to get a little taste of the NJ Wetlands. All of the photos were taken with a Nikon D200 and 300mm f/4 or 18-35mm lens.
My older brother is building a plane in his garage. He has been working on it for over 4 years now, and it is nearing completion. As a kid, he was always building model planes, modifying cars and anything else he could try. His dedication, skill and attention to detail are quite inspiring… I would love to have even a small bit of each. Over the years he has documented every step of the build with photographs, including the set up of his workshop. He has put up the site to help other builders (and let them know what they are in for). For a taste of the work he is doing, check out the “instrument panel” section.
Check out his site here : http://701builder.com/