Over the weekend New Jersey was hit with a snowstorm! I love snow! I still need to get my butt outside and go cross-country skiing. I meant to on Sunday (the day after the storm) but after shoveling my driveway and deck for an hour and a half I was just too exhausted! Tomorrow I should be out of work early enough to get some skiing in! But anyway, I just wanted to share some pictures that I took Sunday of the snow! Hope you all enjoy them!
Photo by Michelle Corvino (my mom's car)
I dug this out! You’re welcome mom!
Photo by Michelle Corvino (my car)
Dug that one out as well!
This is one of the first Christmas Trees my mom, Dad (technically step-dad but I don’t feel like he is anything but my dad) had as a family! Goodness has it grown!
Stay tuned for more snow pics!
Categories: Park Posts
Ok, so I braved the cold to bring you this garden post. Alright, it really is not that cold out today, in the 40’s and sunny. Not sure what I was thinking when I thought that anything in my garden could possibly be alive! I didn’t take any shots that show the whole garden but that is probably for the better since it looks like a plant cemetery.
Photo by Michelle Corvino
These carrots may look like they have some life left in them but don’t let their green exterior fool you! They are only green because they were frozen in their youth. Ah, my poor poor baby carrots.
Photo by Michelle Corvino
That is a tiny little carrot in the photo above.
Photo by Michelle Corvino
A shot to show you just how frozen the ground is! My poor little cold carrots!
Photo by Michelle Corvino
My teeny carrots ready to be cut up and made into soup! Just kidding! They wound up in the garbage : (
Photo by Michelle Corvino
The broccoli doesn’t look so great but it was the only other green plant in the garden. There is a tiny broccoli head, I probably should have just picked it but I am still holding out hope that it may grow. However, I am sure the broccoli will end up much like my carrots!
Next year I will make sure not to plant my fall garden quite so late so that maybe I can actually harvest something edible!
Categories: Garden · Park Posts
Tagged: broccoli, carrots, Garden
It has been cold. Really really cold. Today my dad informed me that it was 13 degrees out with the windchill. I haven’t made it out to my garden in awhile but if I can remember I want to see if by chance anything has actually and miraculously survived. Somehow I have a feeling everything will be dead though.
I have been so busy lately too. I have really slacked on this blog and just wanted to apologize to the three people who normally read it ; ) If you want to check out what I have been writing elsewhere go to www.momaroo.com and healthkicker.com. The momaroo site is about parenting/children and the healthkicker site is a little more self-explanatory, it is about health. Both sites have great posts (usually 5) daily so you won’t get bored with them like you might here, where I hardly ever write anymore!
Hopefully, I will be hitting up some more parks soon as well as just writing more interesting posts too. I am actually sick at the moment so going to a park in this weather just does not sound like fun! Hope you all have had a great Friday!
Categories: Garden
Tagged: Garden
Yesterday was less windy than it was on Sunday but no matter, I still wound up on the treadmill. I guess I would have gone to the park possibly if I hadn’t been alone. Sometimes I don’t mind walking the park alone and other times I either can’t find the motivation to go by myself or I actually am a little worried about being there alone. When I do go alone I try to stick to the fields (I only go to Tatum alone). It makes me feel safer to be out in the open, I feel that someone would be less likely to attack in an open area. Anyhow, I started this post not really knowing where it would go and I guess it took a creepy/paranoid turn! Whoops.
So let me bring this post back to something happy and positive : ) The other day I found an article titled “8 ‘extinct’ species found alive and kicking”. Pretty cool to find out that some critters we had thought were no longer with us still actually are! Yay!
The Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog is one survivor you will find on the miracle list. These little guys are from Panama and have been in trouble for some time due deforestation and a fungal disease. Though these creatures are not extinct they are still in trouble.
Another critter that is alive after-all is the Pyant Cheezar, an Asian turtle whose name translates to “turtle that eats rhinoceros feces”. According to this article the turtle must be surviving on some other food since the Sumatran Rhino has been extinct for half a century. Actually, I wonder if the turtles ever ate the feces at all or if it was a misconception. Interesting, anyhow, glad these turtles are still around, I just love turtles!
Check out the article to see what other animals are still around and still need our help to stick around for years to come!
Categories: News · Park Posts
Tagged: animals, extinct, pyantcheezar, treefrog
December 6, 2009 · 1 Comment
This morning Scout and I were trying to decide where we were going to exercise today. It was cold as it had been raining and snowing on and off the night before. It was also extremely windy which just makes being outside on a cold day unbearable. So Scout sensibly wanted us to head downstairs and hop on the eilliptical and treadmill. I, however, felt the need to get outside. I hate winter. I love being outside but never when it is cold. So why did I want to go outside you ask? This year I have decided that winter won’t bring me down. So far, I am not really doing such a great job but I still want to try.
After some grumbling on Scout’s part, the two of bundled up and headed out. We went walking at Tatum and I have to admit I was second guessing the outing when even while in the woods we were being whipped by the wind. However, in the end I was happy we had sucked it up and stepped outside. Dealing with the cold was better than being stuck indoors once again.
Categories: Park Posts
Tagged: monmouhcountyparksystem, tatum park, WALKING
After being oh so disappointed over the summer when our groundhog, Mr. Hoggy, stole my favorite vegetable, broccoli, straight out of our garden, I am finally getting a second chance to harvest this yummy veggie! Hopefully, this broccoli has a chance to grow more before it gets cold!
Photo by Michelle Corvino
I can not wait to pick these carrots! Vegetables that grow underground fascinate me for some reason!
Photo by Michelle Corvino
And last but not least-parsley. The parsley is really doing well right now, now what to do with the parsley! Any ideas, anybody? I seem to have lost the photo of the parsley, whoops!
Categories: Garden
Tagged: broccoli, carrots, fallgarden, Garden, parsley
We are still having amazingly mild weather in New Jersey for this time of year!
Photos by Michelle Corvino
The garden is looking a little bare but believe me there are still some vegetables growing in there.
Photo by Michelle Corvino
The little stake I placed near these plants say that they are turnips but I pulled one out and there was no turnip at the end. The roots smelt sort of turnipy so maybe I just picked the plant too soon. How do you know when these things are ready?!?
Stayed tuned for more garden news!
Categories: Garden
Tagged: fallgarden, turnips
Photo by Michelle Corvino
The path is not the only place for action, many kayakers and canoers can be found paddling down the canal. I have even seen people fishing from small rowboats in the middle of the canal. Unfortunately, I purchased my kayak late in the season and did not have a chance to use it in the canal yet but come spring you better believe I will be paddling down the canal. For all of you who are interested in kayaking or canoeing but do not own your own vessel don’t worry you can rent one at Griggstown Canoe Rentals (they have kayaks as well).
Photo by Michelle Corvino
Categories: Park Posts
Tagged: canoe, d&rcanal, griggstowncanoerentals, kayak
Happy Thanksgiving! Ok, so here is something special for all of you meat-eaters out there! A Turkey! For Thanksgiving! Ok, not the kind of turkey you and your family probably eat but you get the idea. Have a great holiday!
On our way home from the D & R Canal the other day Scout and I saw this Turkey Vulture chomping on a dead possum. Ah, the circle of life right before our eyes.
Photo by Stephen Desch
You can see in this photo that the Turkey Vulture was not pleased to have an audience. We had actually stopped the car and put our hazards on to take this shot so I am sure he felt threatened or at least felt that his lunch was. Shortly after this photo was taken he flew up into a tree nearby.
Photo by Stephen Desch
Categories: Park Posts
Tagged: dandrcanal, possum, turkeyvulture
Even though I have some more information to post about the D & R Canal I will be straying from that topic for the next few days. I just have so much I want to cover at the moment!
For starters, the beautiful berries I posted about earlier in the week have been identified! My mom sent me a link to the name of the berry, it is called Porcelain Berry Vine. This website says that the Porcelain Berry is often confused with a grape. See I am not the only one who thought this plant resembled grapes!
Photo by Kathleen Coyle
This site I found is also very anti-Porcelain Berry since it grows over other plants and eventually blocks out sunlight causing other plants to die. Most things I find beautiful do this…bittersweets, wisteria. Why is there such a heavy price for all things beautiful?
Categories: Park Posts
Tagged: bittersweets, grapes, porcelainberryvine, wisteria
This is one of the first Christmas Trees my mom, Dad (technically step-dad but I don’t feel like he is anything but my dad) had as a family! Goodness has it grown!
Shelby
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