Autumn has arrived

Ah, Autumn, our favorite season!  Just a few leaves down so far ... The maples here in northern New Jersey are just starting to pop.  Beautiful!

Lost pigeon in our yard

This isn't a remarkable photo, but this lovely bird has been our focus since last Wednesday when he appeared at our main bird feeder.  He's been coming back nearly every day, feeding for a few hours at a time.  He's a lost homing or racing pigeon, wearing a leg band with incomplete identification. We can only make out 3 numbers, "479".  We want to get him back to his rightful owner, safe and sound.

In order to do that, we've been advised by several racing pigeon people that we have to capture him to get his full i.d.  Evidently, *IF* we can do that, we can simply look him up online and get him back where he belongs.  I love a challenge. Tom'w, we'll start plotting how to make this happen .. We have some ideas and a large cage for him, in case we are successful.  Stay tuned.

UPDATE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23

The pigeon is still with us!  We contacted all of the local racing pigeon associations, had another blog entry put up by a local bird sanctuary, and even put up an ad on Craigslist, but no luck.  Nobody has claimed him.  We learned that if this bird had been racing, he would have been wearing a second leg band.  Our considerable efforts to capture him have been unsuccessful.  We were told that these birds are smart .. and they are!

We tried the old "box, stick and string" trick but he wouldn't fall for it.  We even set up a blind with a blanket on the nearby fence, but to no avail.  Our squirrels, Sparrows and Mourning Doves waltzed under the box, not a care in the world, but not this pigeon.  He studiously avoided it.  After a few days, we took it away.

He just calmly watches us from his perch on a nearby tree and comes down to feed as he pleases.  We see him nearly every day.  His weight is good, his feathers look clean and he seems to be thriving.

We had our first frost warning last night .. We hope he makes it through the NJ winter.  We feed our wild birds all season long, even when it snows, so he will be well fed as long as he hangs around.

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Cradle of Aviation Museum trip

My husband Eric, the Curator of Aviation and Aircraft Restoration for the Intrepid Museum, invited me along for the first Museum members field trip, an enjoyable excursion by bus to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, Long Island, NY.  Above is the Lunar Module, my all-time-favorite outer space vehicle!

Not all museum curators of fond of mannequins, but I was fascinated by those at the Cradle.  They were all so life-like and well lighted!

Eric's middle name is Charles, after Charles Lindbergh.  Eric's late father, George Boehm, was a turret gunner on an Avenger at the age of 17.  Pictured here are some wonderful Lindbergh ephemera.  I have a small connection to him too, having attended Lindbergh School for kindergarten.

Eric did a wonderful job of entertaining and educating the members, regaling them with true stories of the aircraft on display which have connections to Intrepid's history.

(Click on any image to enlarge, use back arrow to return).  



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Jersey Shore on a quiet Friday

The Jersey Shore was very quiet today, but relaxing. We didn't make it down at all this summer, so we decided to head down today and make sure the ocean is still there.  It was socked in by fog, but yep, its still there.

Jenkinson's Aquarium on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk.  Delightful!

Desolate Boardwalk scenes were just meant to be black and white.  You can almost hear Bruce singing in the background ... (Click on any image to enlarge, use back arrow to return).  

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Mushrooms after the rain

Ordinarily, mushrooms wouldn't catch my eye, but these were so classic, the kind you'd find a fairy dancing around ... I couldn't resist.  Lighting was very low when I shot them on Thursday afternoon in our side yard garden. I used my 70-200 mm 2.8 VRII at f2.8 for 1/100s.  By this morning,they were gone!

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U.S. Open - Kim Clijsters shines

As a tribute to those lost on 9/11/01, U.S. Marines stationed in Brooklyn unfurled the flag and everyone observed a moment of silence.  Chaka Khan sang America the Beautiful.

Kim and her daughter, Jada

Immediately after her win, Clijsters climbed over seats and up into the stands where she ran to the arms of her husband ... 

So romantic!!!

Tonight's US Open Tennis match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium was terrific.  With thanks for the tickets from friends Dina and Bob of the USTA, we enjoyed a wonderful match. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert made a special appearance.  Eric spotted TV actor Denis Leary in the audience.  It took exactly one hour for 2nd seed Kim Clijsters to triumph over 7th seed Vera Zvonareva, 6-2, 6-1 in the Women's Final.

Kim is a resident of Wall Township, NJ, one-time home of the F9F Cougar aircraft which Eric and Dina are currently restoring aboard Intrepid.  Kim has won 21 consecutive matches at the U.S Open.  Tonight was her 3rd U.S. Open Championship which earned her a $2.2 million paycheck. (Click on any image to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

On the way home to New Jersey, the George Washington Bridge was lit up and we saw the twin spotlights lighting the skyline where the Towers once stood at Ground Zero.

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The "Dark Ages" of Photography ... Back behind the camera again

I just couldn't put my camera down for very long.
A trip to Medieval Times over the Labor Day weekend called for my Nikon D300s and my 70-200mm lens.  The pageantry and horsemanship were impressive, as was the lighting. (Click on any image to enlarge, use back arrow to return).

I'm walking well now, even with the surgical boot which I will need to wear for another 2-3 weeks.  No driving yet, but hopefully soon. 

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