The Point Pleasant Inlet

It is a pathway for boats to and from the Atlantic Ocean...

It is the place the hubs and I went on our first date...

It suffered a lot of damage during 

Super Storm Sandy

But the town has rebuilt the surrounding area making it better than ever.

Everything pictured here is new and I can't wait for summer to see everyone enjoying it.

There are so many picnic tables and benches, 

all are wonderful improvements to the area.

There were a lot of the Long Tailed Ducks on this day.

They are so incredibly adorable, a diving duck associated with open seas in winter.

This is a male, I saw and photographed some females as well, 

I'm saving those pictures for the Saturday Critter Party.

I have learned just this year, 

that there are a lot of beautiful ducks that visit and stay here during the Winter.

This is another of the ducks that will only be here for the season.

Yarn Along

When I posted last Wednesday, 
I had just finished my "first", crocheted

Farm Girl Shawl

here I am wearing it, just before I went out to show it off.

I am super proud of this shawl and I am keeping it for myself.

When a pattern is fresh in my mind,

and I have memorized it as much as I can, I like to make another.

And so I did!

Crocheting, moves fast, much faster than knitting.

I am keeping this shawl for myself as well, I crocheted it with a purpose.

This shawl will keep me warm at 

The Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival in October.

The yarn is hand dyed and the variations are notable.
Malabrigo
Rios
Pure Merino Superwash yarn
This yarn is made in Peru

I must say, I am in love, and also quite proud...

learning new skills at my age can be a bit of a challenge...

thank goodness for great teachers, 
who become your friend!

Mr. and Mrs.

Undeniably one of the most recognizable birds at the backyard feeders is the 

Northern Cardinal.

Both the male and the female are beautiful, 

the male always garnering more attention than the female.

Their song is an insistent series of rich, fluffy whistles,

I most often hear them before I see them.

Easy to spot in any environment, I see the Northern Cardinals at my feeders year round.

Asbury Park, New Jersey

I love Asbury Park, a small seaside city on the New Jersey Coast.

 It is famous for it's beautiful sandy shore 

and beachfront boardwalk... 

lined with shops, arcades, cafes, bars and restaurants. 

It is also notorious for it's live music venues which include the 

Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar.

New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi started their careers here.

Through the years, 

the area has become blighted but there is a big push to 

bring Asbury Park back to what it once was.

I still see it's beauty, I grew up in the area and remember...

Asbury Park was where it's at.

After eating at Modine we took a drive, admiring some new construction.

We happened upon these older apartment buildings that had been given a face lift of sorts.

I believe this art work is new, I have never seen it before.

This type of art would not fit in every town, but it does in Asbury Park.

Some were signed by the artist "PORKCHOP" 
I think these paintings/murals are exactly what Asbury Park needs.

You can find information about PORKCHOP here.

Plan B

Saturday Critters ~ 271 ~

I did not see any birds yesterday morning, still I opened the window and stood next to it.

I am a believer you know,

the kind of person who thinks they can "will" things to happen.

Do you remember that story??

Well it happened yesterday - the second I lifted the camera to my eye, a 

Dark Eyed Junco 
appeared right in front of my lens.

I have not seen one at my feeders in years and I have never seen one outside of a snow day.

I thought those small reddish brown spots on the back of it's head and back,
"may" indicate that this is a female.
My favorite bird book says:
"the female is similar to the male but in the slate colored gray elements of plumage,
are tinged rufous, especially on the crown and wings".
If you look closely, you can see that in the first picture as well.

The bill is a soft pale pink color.

I had forgotten how good this felt...to stand at the open window

 and snap 30 pictures of a bird I rarely have the opportunity to see or photograph.

The hubs had forgotten just how cold the office gets with the open window.
But he was thrilled with my delight!

Sharing today with

Eileen at Viewing Nature With Eileen 

Long Branch Beach

We live in New Jersey, it is the only place you can have 3 inches of snow one day,
then sunshine and 60 degrees the next.
I adore these entrances to the beach, when you reach this spot, you can hear and feel the ocean,
and you know you are almost there.

When I first saw this from a distance, I thought it was made of sand but obviously it isn't.
I'm not sure how it got there?

Snow Day

I finally got my snow day.

I have been waiting all winter for snow, we didn't get a lot, but we got enough.

Enough for a walk in the snow...

Enough for me to use my snowman making kit, that I feel like I have been waiting forever to use.

It wasn't big but it was beautiful!

There was a snow angel...

this might be my only chance this year to lay in the snow and freeze my butt off.

It was beautiful as it fell from the sky...

it looked so pretty laying on the bushes.

It's raining now, and his head fell off, 

good thing for pictures so we have recorded the memory.

ps...I thought everyone had a "snow person kit"...
The kit supplies all of the needed accessories to "dress" your snow person,
a hat, a very large carrot nose, eyes, mouth, buttons and a pretty red scarf. 
We provided the sticks!

pss...