Isolation Photo Project, Day 3

It was another uneventful day of what I think is week two of "sheltering in place". Despite setting an alarm clock and going about my usual morning routine, I am losing a sense of time. Yesterday was Wednesday, but it had no significance. It was just another day. Thank goodness for Jeff's isolation project.

Bhavna and I decided to make a run to support the local craft microbreweries, which are very dependent on a sense of community and shared experience. Somerset County, one of the better to do counties in New Jersey, has just two craft micro-breweries with the closest, Flounder Brewing, and the second, Jersey Cyclone Brewing, about twenty minutes from Flounder Brewing. They were both offering online ordering with curbside pickup of cans of beer.

We have only visited, Jersey Cyclone brewing once. Mostly due to how far it is from home we have not added it to our normal rotation of breweries. We plan to change that whenever the "shelter-in-place" order is lifted for the state. We are regulars at Flounder Brewing, usually on a Friday or Sunday, where we've had a chance over several years to get to know the staff and some of the other regulars.

Craft Beer, Flounder Brewing, Hillsborough | 25 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/6.4 | ISO 12800

The weather was cold and damp again but I switched to black and white to reflect my mood. I don't like cold damp overcast weather. I don't mind rain and snow but I need a daily dose of sunshine. Fortunately, we have some this morning. I'm not sure how I'll use the opportunity but I want to be outside.

Submitted as part of the 100DaysToOffload project.

Haru no koke

Yesterday I deactivated my Facebook account. I deal with anxiety in my way. With all the news about COVID-19, I started to feel anxious, not about the risk of the virus itself, but the future for myself and my children. Some people assume or believe that we all "should" deal with the situation the same way. I was sick and tired of being told I had no reason to complain because "I have Netflix" or "Our ancestors fought in WWII blah blah blah". Oh, just STFU!!

I didn't want to be told how to be anymore. So, to shut them all up, I de-activated my Facebook account and retreated.

If it were not for Jeff's isolation project I think I would be going bonkers.

Isolation Photo Project, Day 2

Monday's weather put me in a gloomy funk. Today the sun appeared again, but the air was cold. I read a blog post by Mary Anne Borge about her walk on the Rockhopper Trail in West Amwell. Mary Anne encountered birds and plants and wildflowers. She mentioned that the warmer weather may have brought on some early budding and flowering. Normally the native wildflowers will appear in mid to late April in the Mid Atlantic.

With a bit of FOMO, I felt the urge to be outside in nature. My goal was to hopefully capture photos of round-lobed Hepatica or rue-anemone.

My first stop was at the Rock Brook along Hollow Road. I have encountered numerous specimens of native wildflowers here but today, the flowers I found only Ficaria Verna and invasive plant from Asia and West Africa.

Ficaria verna commonly known as lesser celandine or pilewort is an invasive species from Asia and West Africa | 24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/5.6 | ISO 400

It was sloshy along the trail in the Sourland Nature Preserve on East Mountain Road. I didn’t find as many plant specimens as Mary Anne, but I wasn't in the mood for bushwacking. Perhaps it's too early for Rue Anemone. I found no hepatica. I had no problem finding Spring Beauty.

Claytonia (spring beauty) | 24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/4.0 | ISO 200

There were other couples out hiking, and I encountered one family with four boys blowing of anxious energy. After ninety minutes walking around, I circled back to the trailhead. I was determined to find something. A few yards in I spotted singular bloodroot among the dried leaves.

Harusaki is early spring in Japanese.

rocks | 24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/4.0 | ISO 200
In the distance | 24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/6.4 | ISO 500
24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/8.0 | ISO 1000
24 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR | f/2.8 | ISO 200

This is my entry for Jeff's isolation project.

Submitted as part of the 100DaysToOffload project.