ONLINE VACATION
NATIONAL PARK, NEW JERSEY
9/12/13
HI EVERYONE. YESTERDAY, WE WERE IN THAILAND LOOKING THROUGH THE
CAVES TO FIND BUMBLEBEE BATS. TODAY, WE ARE GOING ABOUT
10 MILES FROM MY HOME IN NEW JERSEY. IT'S MY
GRANDGIRL'S BIRTHDAY, SO I DON'T WANT TO BE TOO FAR AWAY.
WE ARE GOING TO A SMALL TOWN CALLED NATIONAL PARK,
NEW JERSEY, ALONG THE DELAWARE RIVER. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL
PARK THERE THAT WAS PART OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
IT WAS FORT MERCER, BUT IS NOW KNOWN AS
RED BANK NATIONAL PARK. IT HAS MANY HISTORICAL THINGS THERE,
THE ACTUAL TRENCHES WHERE THE SOLDIERS HID. ALSO A HOUSE
THAT SERVED AS A HOSPITAL. WE ARE ON THE NEW JERSEY
SIDE OF THE RIVER TODAY, BUT IF YOU LOOK ACROSS
AT THE OTHER SHORE, YOU ARE LOOKING AT PHILADELPHIA.
YOU WILL SEE THE PHILADLEPHIA SHIPYARD IN ONE PICTURE,
AND YOU WILL SEE AIRPLANES COMING IN TO LAND AT THE
PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT IN ANOTHER. YOU CAN SPEND TIME AT THE PARK,
OR YOU CAN GO DOWN BY THE RIVER.
I AM GOING DOWN BY THE RIVER TODAY LOOKING FOR
NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTERS. THE PLAYFUL NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER
IS HOME IN THE WATER AND ON LAND. IT MAKES
ITS HOME IN A BURROW NEAR THE WATER'S EDGE,
AND CAN THRIVE IN RIVER, LAKE, OR SWAMP. OTTER ABODES
FEATURE NUMEROUS TUNNELS, ONE OF WHICH USUALLY ALLOWS
THEM TO COME AND GO FROM THE WATER...
THESE OTTERS SWIM BY PROPELLING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR POWERFUL TAILS
AND FLEXING THEIR LONG BODIES. THEY ALSO HAVE WEBBED FEET,
WATER REPELLENT FUR TO KEEP THEM DRY AND WARM, AND
NOSTRILS AND EARS THAT CLOSE IN THE WATER. THEY REMAIN
ACTIVE IN WINTER, USING ICE HOLES TO SURFACE AND BREATHE.
THEY CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH UNDERWATER FOR ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES.
RIVER OTTERS, MEMBERS OF THE WEASEL FAMILY, HUNT AT NIGHT
AND FEED ON WHATEVER MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. FISH ARE A
FAVORITE FOOD, BUT THEY ALSO EAT AMPHIBIANS, TURTLES AND CRAYFISH.
ON LAND, RIVER OTTERS CAN BOUND AND RUN AS WELL
AS THEY SWIM IN WATER. THEY LOVE TO PLAYFULLY SLIDE
DOWN SNOW-COVERED, ICY OR MUDDY HILLS, OFTEN ENDING WITH
A SPLASH IN THE WATER. OTTER FAMILIES OF MOTHER
AND CHILDREN CAN BE SEEN ENJOYING SUCH FUN,
WHICH ALSO TEACHES SURVIVAL SKILLS.
MALES DO NOT HELP RAISE YOUNG OTTERS. FEMALES RETREAT TO
THEIR UNDERGROUND DENS TO DELIVER LITTERS OF ONE TO SIX YOUNG.
WHEN THE YOUNG ARE ONLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS OLD,
THEY GET AN ADVANCED SWIMMING LESSONS BY THEIR MOTHER PUSHING
THEM INTO THE WATER. OTTERS ARE NATURAL SWIMMERS
AND GET THE HANG OF IT QUICKLY.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TRIP TO NATIONAL PARK, NEW JERSEY.
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT WE DIDN'T SEE,
SO I AM SURE WE WILL COME BACK HERE AGAIN.
ALSO, IN REAL LIFE, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO BE.
~MARSHA~
THE FIRST OF THE PICTURES IS OF BABY OTTERS BEFORE
THEY HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN. IT DIDN'T SAY, BUT I WOULD
ASSUME THEY ARE BABIES THAT HAVE BEEN BORN IN CAPTIVITY.
CANNON POSITIONED LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DURING THE WAR.
LOOKING DOWN ON THE AREA BY THE RIVER
CAVES TO FIND BUMBLEBEE BATS. TODAY, WE ARE GOING ABOUT
10 MILES FROM MY HOME IN NEW JERSEY. IT'S MY
GRANDGIRL'S BIRTHDAY, SO I DON'T WANT TO BE TOO FAR AWAY.
WE ARE GOING TO A SMALL TOWN CALLED NATIONAL PARK,
NEW JERSEY, ALONG THE DELAWARE RIVER. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL
PARK THERE THAT WAS PART OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
IT WAS FORT MERCER, BUT IS NOW KNOWN AS
RED BANK NATIONAL PARK. IT HAS MANY HISTORICAL THINGS THERE,
THE ACTUAL TRENCHES WHERE THE SOLDIERS HID. ALSO A HOUSE
THAT SERVED AS A HOSPITAL. WE ARE ON THE NEW JERSEY
SIDE OF THE RIVER TODAY, BUT IF YOU LOOK ACROSS
AT THE OTHER SHORE, YOU ARE LOOKING AT PHILADELPHIA.
YOU WILL SEE THE PHILADLEPHIA SHIPYARD IN ONE PICTURE,
AND YOU WILL SEE AIRPLANES COMING IN TO LAND AT THE
PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT IN ANOTHER. YOU CAN SPEND TIME AT THE PARK,
OR YOU CAN GO DOWN BY THE RIVER.
I AM GOING DOWN BY THE RIVER TODAY LOOKING FOR
NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTERS. THE PLAYFUL NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER
IS HOME IN THE WATER AND ON LAND. IT MAKES
ITS HOME IN A BURROW NEAR THE WATER'S EDGE,
AND CAN THRIVE IN RIVER, LAKE, OR SWAMP. OTTER ABODES
FEATURE NUMEROUS TUNNELS, ONE OF WHICH USUALLY ALLOWS
THEM TO COME AND GO FROM THE WATER...
THESE OTTERS SWIM BY PROPELLING THEMSELVES WITH THEIR POWERFUL TAILS
AND FLEXING THEIR LONG BODIES. THEY ALSO HAVE WEBBED FEET,
WATER REPELLENT FUR TO KEEP THEM DRY AND WARM, AND
NOSTRILS AND EARS THAT CLOSE IN THE WATER. THEY REMAIN
ACTIVE IN WINTER, USING ICE HOLES TO SURFACE AND BREATHE.
THEY CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH UNDERWATER FOR ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES.
RIVER OTTERS, MEMBERS OF THE WEASEL FAMILY, HUNT AT NIGHT
AND FEED ON WHATEVER MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. FISH ARE A
FAVORITE FOOD, BUT THEY ALSO EAT AMPHIBIANS, TURTLES AND CRAYFISH.
ON LAND, RIVER OTTERS CAN BOUND AND RUN AS WELL
AS THEY SWIM IN WATER. THEY LOVE TO PLAYFULLY SLIDE
DOWN SNOW-COVERED, ICY OR MUDDY HILLS, OFTEN ENDING WITH
A SPLASH IN THE WATER. OTTER FAMILIES OF MOTHER
AND CHILDREN CAN BE SEEN ENJOYING SUCH FUN,
WHICH ALSO TEACHES SURVIVAL SKILLS.
MALES DO NOT HELP RAISE YOUNG OTTERS. FEMALES RETREAT TO
THEIR UNDERGROUND DENS TO DELIVER LITTERS OF ONE TO SIX YOUNG.
WHEN THE YOUNG ARE ONLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS OLD,
THEY GET AN ADVANCED SWIMMING LESSONS BY THEIR MOTHER PUSHING
THEM INTO THE WATER. OTTERS ARE NATURAL SWIMMERS
AND GET THE HANG OF IT QUICKLY.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TRIP TO NATIONAL PARK, NEW JERSEY.
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT WE DIDN'T SEE,
SO I AM SURE WE WILL COME BACK HERE AGAIN.
ALSO, IN REAL LIFE, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO BE.
~MARSHA~
THE FIRST OF THE PICTURES IS OF BABY OTTERS BEFORE
THEY HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN. IT DIDN'T SAY, BUT I WOULD
ASSUME THEY ARE BABIES THAT HAVE BEEN BORN IN CAPTIVITY.
CANNON POSITIONED LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DURING THE WAR.
LOOKING DOWN ON THE AREA BY THE RIVER
Information from various sites and personal experience.
This is a MelloMarsha creation
I do not take credit for the pictures
Thanks to the respective photographers
9-11-13