At this time of year these are a few of my favorite things:
The magnificent colors of red, yellow gold and brown.
Blue sky and crisp cool days, crystal clear nights letting stars and moon cover the earth with a blanket of brilliance.
Halloween: Yards decorated with creative pumpkins, scarecrows, and cornstalks.
Festivals and special events.
On Sunday, October 18 my friend and I visited the historical Batsto Village Country Fair Festival. Batsto Village is located on Route 542 in Green Bank, NJ.
It's a rewarding experience at the one day festival, but it is also a pleasant place in the Pinelands to reflect on a once upon a time community that played a vital part in our country's beginning. There were a number of towns in the Pines, but few remain with the splendor of Batsto.
These pods are sending their seedlings into the wind, but before they go we capture a ghostly figure and fish like characters.
Many things related to the village, books on the area, prints and treats were some of the items for sale in the Gift Shoppe.
The dulcimer played by these musical individuals was very entertaining.
This crafter's booth had many items for sale using the soft and cuddly wool.
Of all the photos I have taken, this incident will always be remembered as a special time in a child's life. The little girl was with her parents and she was mesmerized by a doll that looked like he was having trouble with his little car. She physically and verbally tried to console the "little boy." She gently patted him on his back and tried to look at his face. It was heart warming to see the gentleness and compassion this child had for someone she thought needed comforting.
Handmade Brooms are a combination of science and art - since 1977. Dr. Moyer's broom making heritage comes from his Pennsylvania Dutch roots. He has published a "book" on how to make many broom designs and simple equipment for making them. e-mail: moyerbase@aol.com. www.broomcrafters.com
Tuckerton Seaport is located on Route 9 in Tuckerton New Jersey. It's a peaceful place to visit in the afternoon or early evening. There's a museum, beautiful views and a wonderful restaurant called "Shorty's."
For over 150 years, Barnegat Bay has been at the heart of a rich culture that relied on the bay for its livelihood. Early settlers who tried their hand at farming found they could supplement their diet and income with clams, fish, and water fowl taken from the nearby bay.
Decoys made of locally harvested white cedar were proportionately small and hollow to reduce weight in the sneakbox. Highly collectibles, early carvings by famed area craftsmen have sold for as much as $203.500.
Baymen created shallow draft boats perfectly suited to the shallow depths of Barnegat Bay. The Garvey is a flat bottomed, open boat originally designed to be sailed or rowed. It is still in use today, though usually powered by motor.
On May 20, 1920, the Tuckerton Beacon newspaper wrote an article on floating bungalows. In 1920 statistics showed that more than 3000 persons living in New Jersey gave houseboats as their permanent place of residence. These crafts could be bought at almost any price. The smaller ones cost from $150.00 to $500.00, while the larger could be purchased in the thousands of dollars. The furnishings were of the simplest kind, the secret was to eliminate everything not necessary. The houseboat Periwinkle is on display at the Seaport. Unfortunately Hurricane Sandy did considerable damage to many of the historic displays.
The children's playground had considerable damage during the hurricane. Many of the Seaports displays experienced eighteen inches of water.
There is a very nice boardwalk where you can walk, rest and just enjoy the scenes.
For many years the residents of the area were able to support themselves entirely from the waters of Barnegat Bay. They trapped muskrats, hunted shorebirds and water fowl, collected moss, fished for striped bass and bluefish, tonged for clams and oysters, tended lobster and eel pots, caught snapping turtles and blue crabs, carved decoys and built boats.
Thank you for visiting the Seaport with me. To my friends around the world and in the United States, I hope your day is peaceful and happy.
