Isolation Photo Project, Day 5: Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve

Last night I had to ask my wife what day of the week it was. I'm losing track of time as each day blends into the other. Regarding Jeff's isolation project, I'm not sure what day this is1, and I'm not strictly following the rules2, but I want to continue using the project as a distraction. Having something to look forward to is helping with my anxiety. I've also decided to write these posts as the day goes along instead of waiting to the end of the day.

The alarm clock sounded off at the usual 6 AM, and I woke up to take my Synthroid3 then went back to bed and slept for another half hour. I'm using the fact that I don't have to commute to get just a bit more sleep every day, which is helpful considering that I'm going to bed late.

I have a regular rotation of breakfast foods which includes either yoghurt (Siggi's is my favourite brand), bagel thins, lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese, or homemade sausage, egg and cheese biscuit, or oatmeal made in the InstaPot. All of these meals are around 30g of carbohydrates, usually less. I find that my blood glucose stays in range more often if I limit my carbs per meal to about 30g.

This morning I wanted to try something different, and for some reason, French toast popped into my head. I thought it would be easy to make, but I searched a recipe for a recipe anyway. To keep the carbohydrates to under 30g, I sprinkled Monk Fruit in the Raw instead of powdered sugar and skipped the maple syrup.

D&R Canal State Park Trail | 27 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

I had my regular endocrinology appointment today. Every six to eight weeks, I do a fasting blood test which the endocrinologist reviews and we discuss and adjust any items to improve diabetes care management. My A1C is down, but I still need to lose some of the weight I gained from the steroids. She wants me to try afrezza. On the drive back home, I stopped on Middleton Road in Plainsboro to capture this photo of people walking along the D&R Canal State Park Trail.

Once I was home, I noticed a group text message started by my friend Angel. We haven't had our regular weekly evening beer at the Brick Farm Tavern. She suggested that we do a virtual drinking session. We kicked around some times and agreed on 7 PM.

Bhavna came home around 2:30 PM, and we decided to enjoy the warm and sunny weather with a hike in the Sourlands Ecosystem Preserve in Hopewell. It had been a while since we had hiked the trail and we got turned around on the path a few times. Kiran remembered that when she was a child, we had attended a session with Sourland Stewards during which she had learned about vernal pools and the amphibians of the Sourlands.

Sourland Ecosystem Preserve | 27 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Mud, rocks, and wood planks | 27 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

The trail was even more wet and soggy than the Pryde’s Point-Alexauken Creek Trail that Bhavana, and I hiked earlier in the week. I didn't find many flowers, but I did find the early leaves of Trout Lily. I want to return to this area next week. I am still on a hunt for round-lobed Hepatica, the most beautiful flower I have seen in the Sourlands.

27 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

We kept misreading the hiking trail signs and had to double back a few times to find the yellow trail around back to the car. We hiked for about an hour and were exhausted by the end of the hike. My favourite bar and restaurant, The Brick Farm Tavern, re-opened offering a limited selection menu for pickup only. Bhavana called ahead and ordered the Wood Grilled Double Brook Bratwurst.

Beepeeper by Flounder Brewing Co. | 27 March, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

We made it home just in time for me to get a quick shower, pour a teku glass with Beepeeper craft ale from Flounder Brewing, and sit to eat dinner, while on the Zoom session with my friends.

Submitted as part of the 100DaysToOffload project.
Sourland Ecosystem Preserve Trail Map
Sourland Ecosystem Preserve Trail Map

  1. I think it's day 5. 
  2. Jeff had mentioned photographing around the house and the back yard or the surrounding woods. I'm going much further afield while still maintaining physical distancing recommendations. 
  3. Synthroid must be taken on an empty stomach a minimum of thirty minutes before eating. 

Growth

This morning I convinced Bhavna to take a walk with me along the Raritan and Canal Park Trail. The sun was out, the air was ... well cold, but I wanted to find some images for Frank's challenge keyword, "Growth".

We slid on a few layers of clothing and drove over to the park entrance just off Mapleton Road on the border with Princeton and Plainsboro. I fully expected to find nothing but leafless trees and my first image was just what I expected.

Bridge between the Millstone, D&R Canal and Carnegie Lake — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (30.2 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

We walked along the inner trail closest to Carnegie Lake and talked about our youngest going off to college this fall, our future travel plans, life etc., while I kept an eye out for "growth". We passed a young Asian couple going the opposite way. The man wore a Michigan beanie hat and we spoke briefly. It was a gift from his brother in Michigan. I mentioned that I completed my master's degrees at the University of Michigan.

The man with the Michigan hat — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/5.6, ISO1600), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

Bhavna and I walked past Harrison Street to Washington Street then turned around for the walk back.

 

Washington Road, Princeton, New Jersey — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (30.2 mm, f/5.6, ISO1600), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

We found the young couple still wandering near the water's edge. I heard what I thought was a bird so I approached them where they were standing. I was hoping I might get a photo of the bird.

Making fozen lake sounds with rocks — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (28.3 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

They were tossing rocks onto the frozen water of the lake. The rocks bounced around making this very cool noise that sounded like a laser or chirping bird. The sound seemed to depend on the size of the stone and where he threw the rocks.

Underneath the ice, the water of the lake isn’t solid. The ice vibrates up and down, similar to a drumhead or cymbal vibrating after being struck. The lake amplifies the sound which we heard as chirping.

I found this video on YouTube showing what it sounds like. It's so cool!

Extant Lifeform — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (37.6 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

Bhavna saw some holly shrubs so we stopped so I could take some photos. We continued on our way. That young couple must have walked past us because they were in front of us taking some of something in a thicket of fallen tree branches. They called out to me excitedly. They had discovered some interesting mushrooms growing on the fallen branches.

Fan Blades — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

I had finally found the growth of photography I was seeking!

The mushrooms were growing in clusters and stuck out from the sides of the dead tree branches like little shelves. According to my research, these shelf mushrooms are a parasitic wood tree rotting group. However, the infected trees provide nesting sites for birds and squirrels. These rots attack the top of a tree, the heartwood inside, and the base of the stem. The tree stem often breaks as a result even though the tree is still alive. The mycelium, body of the fungus, decomposes chemicals in the tree cells.

Steps — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

After photographing our find we drove to the REI store to get some hiking shoes for me and Bhavna. In the past we have "hibernated" for the winter, staying inside to avoid the cold. I wanted to find ways past that to enjoy the outdoors even in winter. That means dressing in layers so we could take hikes in the Sourlands Mountains or along the D&R Canal towpath. Last month, I bought some clothing for this purpose.

I hope that being outside during winter, pushing past my discomfort and loathing of the lifeless grey of the skies and the tree line, will help me grow my photography skills.

Dead Growth — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
Other signs of growth on the lake — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (24.9 mm, f/5.6, ISO1600), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
Jolly Holly — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (19.4 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
Nature Trail — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (31.1 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/5.6, ISO200), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams
Millstone River — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/5.6, ISO1600), Copyright 2019-02-10 Khürt L. Williams

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