15 May 2026 Mantua: Indoctrination into the Birding Experience for Kristine

 

Kristine, my sister, seems to have caught the birding bug.  Symptoms were already showing.  She had a bird feeder and has purchased new seed to fill it.   She was already aware of her neighborhood flock.  The catbirds were the beginning with their cat like calls and when there are many in the area it was an easy start.  I showed her the Merlin app and how to use it.  We drove over to Tall Pines park early to do a decent walk through.  I came away with three new birds for my list and she scored with many more!

Eastern bluebirds

Norther House Wren my lifebird #1

Eastern Kingbird

Blue Heron

A nice water area

Tree Swallow

Baltimore Oriel lifebird #2

Indigo Bunting lifebird #3

A mockingbird

Very wooded

Those catbirds!

More Cedar Waxwings also seen on the first picture

Heading back!

 It has been 3 years and 341 days since we began our Migration

14 May 2026 Mantua: Pool Maintenance and Pizza Pi Day

 

Dave had a pool system that is very complex.  It involved liquid chlorine and it needed to be calibrated so that his semi-automated system would work correctly.  I helped him carry up a heavy umbrella system for the deck and we planned on taking the pool cover off but it was not quite the right time.  We headed out to a fine Italian dinner and cruised through town on the way to see all the quaint old houses.

Dangerous chemicals!

This chipmunk is sniffing the decorative mushroom

Stay clear, it is meticulous work 

All glued up!

We moved the plants soo we could take the pool top off 

Lots of fancy houses

Most of them nice but this paint job....

A fancy blue

Grandiose 

Pizza is in the name

A converted house 

Vary quaint

Generous portions

Hand painted walls

Yes a veal parmesan 

Broccoli, chicken and noodles in a white sauce

Where will this giant pizza fit?

In the boxes of course

Not a real person

 It has been 3 years and 340 days since we began our Migration

13 May 2026 Mantua: Making Art and Visiting Strip Malls

 

Mantua is a slice of small town New Jersey.  There is a tank in the park, funky shops in the strip mall where Leslie got her nails done (rather poorly).  So here is a view of one section of this small town.

Leslie and Kristine admiring the new flowers

A rock duck!

A little bit of epoxy

Add the epoxy and then tape to keep it in place

A Target parking lot with what might look like a red kick ball, fyi it is a concrete sphere and definitely not for kicking

So the tour of the shops in the strip mall, laser skin care

Get ready to kick some....

What?  Huh?

This is where you can get a IV when you are hungover

Pal Joey was a Frank Sinatra movie

Hoagies, subs, sandwiches!

Do not frequent this nail salon

We also got haircuts for only $15 each

What might this place be?  USA USA USA!

Banana!

 It has been 3 years and 339 days since we began our Migration