Welcome to the Delaware-Raritan Canal on a cloudy Sunday afternoon in December. While the past 6 days have been quite bitter - a few with highs of only 35 degrees or so - today began with heavy rain and 50 degrees or so.
During a few hours in the middle of the day, when the air began to feel like downright spring like at 60 degrees, I went for quick walk on the canal.
It is now fully winter - if it had not rained all day, there probably would have been ice on the trees along the cinder canal trail.
The heavy clouds and brown grasses seemed a little sad in that they remind me that summer is now aways off in the future. While the season has had only a few very cold days, already I have had enough of being chilled and I begin to wonder what Christmas in Florida is like - I hear you can jump in the pool to cool off after opening presents.
Further, the power lines in a clearing along the trail reminded me of past seasons. Celebrating holidays in December is a long tradition, but only recently has electricity become available across the nation, and the world. Our we blind to our accomplishments? There is no way to truly know what the world was like for past generations, as only recently has the retention of information become so widespread. Paper deteriorates, but our electronic copies will live on for future generations.
Sure, I like to tease folks about their stream of consciousness blogs on Brittany Spears, but as these last few weeks pass by I feel the time to transition to a new, more text based blog has arrived. After all, there is nothing wrong with passing thoughts - it all depends on who is doing the thinking...
As I headed back to my vehicle, I say my footprints were the first on the trail since the rain.
I was thrilled to catch a photo of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) above. Coming around a bend, we both froze at the sight of each other, then he calmly swam away, vanishing underwater. I think the scaly tail of the muskrat is awesome because it has scales and moves like snake, swirling around behind them as they swim along. It is good to know that animals may still appear during the winter if conditions are right.
As the year draws to the close, I have begun brainstorming ideas for my 2011 blog, which I plan to create via the Wordpress blogging platform. I have posted may great photos throughout 2010, and I am also considering a photo blog - you know what I mean: onward and up-ward!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
During a few hours in the middle of the day, when the air began to feel like downright spring like at 60 degrees, I went for quick walk on the canal.
It is now fully winter - if it had not rained all day, there probably would have been ice on the trees along the cinder canal trail. 
The heavy clouds and brown grasses seemed a little sad in that they remind me that summer is now aways off in the future. While the season has had only a few very cold days, already I have had enough of being chilled and I begin to wonder what Christmas in Florida is like - I hear you can jump in the pool to cool off after opening presents. 
Further, the power lines in a clearing along the trail reminded me of past seasons. Celebrating holidays in December is a long tradition, but only recently has electricity become available across the nation, and the world. Our we blind to our accomplishments? There is no way to truly know what the world was like for past generations, as only recently has the retention of information become so widespread. Paper deteriorates, but our electronic copies will live on for future generations. 
Sure, I like to tease folks about their stream of consciousness blogs on Brittany Spears, but as these last few weeks pass by I feel the time to transition to a new, more text based blog has arrived. After all, there is nothing wrong with passing thoughts - it all depends on who is doing the thinking...
As I headed back to my vehicle, I say my footprints were the first on the trail since the rain. 
I was thrilled to catch a photo of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) above. Coming around a bend, we both froze at the sight of each other, then he calmly swam away, vanishing underwater. I think the scaly tail of the muskrat is awesome because it has scales and moves like snake, swirling around behind them as they swim along. It is good to know that animals may still appear during the winter if conditions are right.
As the year draws to the close, I have begun brainstorming ideas for my 2011 blog, which I plan to create via the Wordpress blogging platform. I have posted may great photos throughout 2010, and I am also considering a photo blog - you know what I mean: onward and up-ward!
