A Delightful Swamp

There are obscure places to visit in New Jersey. Those who don't live in this state often think of either the shore or the Turnpike when they envision New Jersey. They think of oil refineries, jug handles, and Jersey barriers. They don't think of the Pine Barrens or any of our wonderful wetlands. There are empty places in our state and they are fascinating.

I often use scenes from New Jersey in my books. In Heaven's Blue, the heroine is a mosquito researcher in a swamp in southern New Jersey.

Daughter #2 led us on an excursion yesterday to a delightful swamp in Ocean Gate. It was a perfect day for taking photographs, sunny and a bit windy. There were lots of wildflowers and birds. The tide was high and only inches from the road. If I was a plein air painter, I would have set up my easel and captured the scenes on canvas. I think the scene above would be perfect for that activity. Instead, I'll save the photo and work on a painting of the scene during the winter.

We saw a variety of birds and several osprey nests, but I thought this one was the most interesting. The osprey had decided to use an old concrete bridge abutment for their home. Looks cozy. 😊

New Jersey has many huge swamps. In addition to being great places to visit, wetlands are important to our ecosystem. Check out https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/why-are-wetlands-important for more information about our useful swamps.