Reflections of Allaire

There is a little pond in the middle of Allaire Village that is very calm and reflects the buildings and people all around it.

As I was focusing on the leaves in the water, this group of kids ran up to the bank to peer into the water. I loved the contrast between their brightly colored clothing and their serious expressions.

Getting in the Autumn Mood

The feeling of fall is in the air and the quality of the light is changing as the days grow shorter. While I am always sad to see the summer go, the colors of autumn are spectacular and the brisk weather is invigorating. Here are a few photos from previous years to get in the autumn kind of mood.

I found this hammock on the Raritan River in Califon, NJ about 5 years ago. It is one of my early photos but still a favorite.

Looking up into the canopy of trees into a mosaic of autumn colors.

Broken Shells

Broken Shells

When I was a girl
The start of my shell seeking days,
Not a glance did I give to any not perfect
Bright, Shiny, Complete.

As a young woman
Ventured further did I in my search
For more exotic in my collection to keep
Still no notice of any unless all complete.

Now something new
As I wander my way down the beach,
Thought “a beauty it once must have been”
Choose it - yes, though less than complete.

While walking and wondering
At the change in my tastes,
Choosing only the whole seems just a shame
Wiser in years now, no need for complete.

Though no longer young
But neither yet old,
My collection has grown through the years
The broken shells are what make it complete!

~Kelly S Andrews~

Barnegat Bulldogs Football

Zach in the 3 point stance.

The bulldogs won their second shut out game tonight with a final score of 38-0. Zach #72 provides great protection for the running back.

He plays on the offensive and defensive line. He had a lot of great tackles, recovered a fumble, and sacked the QB.

TOUCHDOWN!!!

Pretty in Pink

A couple of new bugs hanging out in the pink flowers in my garden. The monarchs are migrating so there have been quite a few stopping by for a quick drink.I'm not sure what this little bug is below, but he looked kind of cool.

I love all of the different kinds of honey bees constantly buzzing around the flowers.

Lots of little skippers flit around too.

A Surprise in the Garden

This afternoon I found a momma cat nursing three kittens in my garden. We have had several stray cats roaming around our yard this year, including a big orange tomcat and several "teenager" cats, and now a litter of kittens too! Momma cat looks very young to me; I don't think she is much older than a teenager. She is very pretty with green eyes and a sweet face.

None of them let me get too close, but if I moved very slowly I could get close enough to get some good photos with my big lens.

I named this one Lacey since she looks dainty and I think she must be a girl. The other two look a lot alike so they are Pete and Repete...

Of course the kids want us to adopt them, but I don't think our two indoor kitties, Lucky and Misty, would be too happy if we did. I hope to catch them and get them to a shelter soon where they can be taken care of and hopefully find new homes.

Moonrise Over LBI

September Sunset

I went to the beach after work tonight to see the moon rise, but there were too many clouds on the eastern horizon. Instead the clouds provided a beautiful light show as the sun set over the bay in Harvey Cedars.

LBI is very quiet during the week now as all of the weekly summer folks are gone. The weekends will still be busy for awhile, but the summer season is definitely winding down.