Autumn Colors

My intended trip to the Water Gap went ultimately unsuccessful. As much as I desire to visit there to capture Fall Foliage, time constraints restrict me from driving that far to visit such a marvelous place. In addition, heavy winds stripped many of the trees bare and overall landscape shots would yield a mix of trees completely bare sticking out. Nevertheless with time running out and limited day light hours each day, I made an attempt to capture the beautiful foliage of 2011 before it ends for the year.

Most of these were taken at the Rancocas Woods. As mentioned many of the trees were bare and I was perhaps too late; for if I wanted the best Fall photographs, I shouldn't have gone to the Virgin Islands just weeks before. But at least I enjoyed that trip very much.

Normally snakes such as this relatively harmless Garter would be hibernating by now. I was surprised to find him still "awake".

A tale of two (haunted) bridges

It's Halloween and I thought I might dedicate a blog on two local haunts that I have encountered in the past. What they have in common is that they are both bridges. I visited both several times without seeing anything paranormal, but each one has a story to tell about their ghostly legends.

Van Sandt Bridge: New Hope/Solebury Township, PA

Built in 1875, this covered bridge sits in a rural area in Bucks County, PA. This area is almost as haunted as much as it is historic. New Hope, PA is home to many local legends which does not surprise many. This bridge, is among them.

There are two legends that account for this bridge's reputation for ghost stories. The first story is that this bridge was used to hang horse thieves. You supposedly can hear ropes dangling when in fact there are no ropes. The second story is that a teenage mother committed suicide on this bridge along with her baby. You supposedly can hear a baby crying if you visit this bridge at a certain time. This bridge thus has a nickname "Crybaby Bridge".

The roads leading to this bridge are narrow and curvy. It is certainly hazardous driving through this bridge at night; especially if you are not familiar with the roads. One sharp turn will bring you to a head on collision with a rock embankment if you are not careful. Deer and foxes frequent the area and can suddenly appear; calling for an accident to happen. So whether visiting this bridge is a haunting experience or not, just trying to get to and out of there can scare you.

Forlklanding Road Bridge: Cinnaminson, NJ

This is a small one lane bridge that serves both ways over a creek that flows into the Delaware River. Unlike the aforementioned bridge, this one is not as well known, but with numerous issues of Weird NJ in circulation, this location may one day earn a spot.

Rumor has it that some twenty years ago on a cold winter night, one car got caught up into the creek just off the bridge with two occupants perishing. If you were to cross the bridge at midnight, a phantom car will follow you until you reach the end of the bridge.

Driving through this bridge is already a risk. Since it has only one lane, cars must yield to each other in order to cross. In days of heavy rain, the creek can easily flood and surround the bridge with water, making the road and bridge impossible for most cars. Immediately North of the bridge has two tricky sharp turns that one must navigate driving slow and with caution. The creepier part however is that the very next intersection with Rt 73 just a few hundred yards from the bridge is a known traffic death trap. Numerous car accidents have occurred there; I even witnessed one myself.

Though I have never seen anything paranormal in my life before, I know people who have. I do not want to say that these bridges are indeed haunted. These locations may or may not be haunted. The story behind them may perhaps be local legends that have spread through rumor. If you wish to investigate, do so with caution and do so professionally. I believe that many places that are supposedly haunted like these could simply perhaps be old structures that have had mishaps in the past, but due to their poor or dangerous conditions, have earned a reputation of being "haunted".

Happy Halloween!

Old Glory by the Rainbow

As the day came to a close after heavy rain, the opposite side of the sunset produced a red glow against the sky as well as a rainbow. Right where I was standing, I also saw Old Glory standing with the rainbow directly behind her. I photographed the scene, hopping the sign was a good omen as we can all use one; especially this country.

Dingman Falls - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

In the middle of big news as I post this, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake has struck the East Coast, putting an abrupt halt to everyone's daily activities including my own. Nevertheless, I am back from a weekend road trip and must continue with my post. For those who do not live within this area and want to know more, you can read news about this earthquake. As I write, my hearts and prayers continue to go to the casualties of the recent earthquakes that are far worse; especially in Japan.

The Delaware Water Gap, is one of my favorite places to visit. A water gap is an opening which flowing water carves through a mountain range. In this gap, the Delaware River begins its journey from New York State, and flows through the Appalachian Mountains dividing New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The river then continues south into the Delaware Bay. As one of the units of National Park Service, it is a quintessential representative of the beautiful majestic scenery that the United States East Coast has to offer. Since the drive was long and I was not prepared to camp, my main objective of this trip was to capture one of the waterfalls. My favorite is Dingman Falls with a drop of nearly 40 meters or about 130 feet. I will surely be back there in the Autumn season, when the foliage is at its greatest in the area. As an enthusiastic outdoors person, I should be camping, though I have not done so in a while.

I photographed this falls before on a previous trip, however, it was during a dry time with no rain. As a result water flow was limited. You can tell from these photographs below. Notice the major difference. I also had much more cloud cover on the new visit, effecting the color tones. With a water level low like this, the falls reminds me of one of those miniature fountains often purchased as stress relievers. Think of this one as one of those water animated stress relievers at a much larger scale.

Here is a video clip I took while I was there photographing. 

Orchids

Perhaps one of the world's best know flowers, the orchid brought beauty and awe to people around the world. While I had the season and leisure on my side, I have made a collection of orchid photos from various encounters at gardens.

Death By Dragonfly

Most of us see dragonflies as graceful little creatures flying about. We often forget about their carnivorous behavior. I know that dragonflies are often difficult to photograph unless they are preoccupied. In this case, it was a meal. This fellow did not mind me coming in close to photograph what he was doing.

The dragonfly's predatory behavior is quite beneficial to us humans. Among the many prey items on the menu include bitting insects such as mosquitoes and black flies, only to name a few.

Zoo Portraits

I had my telephoto lens only and this Black Bear was really close. Nevertheless, I photographed only his face to catch whatever expression he was willing to show. It appears he does not like it in the zoo and that it is more like a prison. 

Rough skin, yet this American Alligator continues to smile. 

Forget the rooster and the alarm clock. This peacock will wake you up really good. From the looks on his face, he means business.