Yes, unfortunately it was a cat. Probably just out for a stroll and became a meal. I was a bit of a distance away when I was photographing and couldn't tell what it was until the eagle flew away and I went out in the field and checked.
So I recently got to spend a few days in San Francisco doing some "work". It was my first time to the city, and my first to California at all. I really enjoyed it. The weather was awesome, the food was superb, and the people were great. I could prolly live there, after I negotiate cost of living with The Governator. Inbetween work, my boss and I managed to do some sight seeing. Thanks to a GREAT tour from the S.F. PD Marine Division, I got some great, and truely unique views of "The City". Enjoy!
10-20-2009, 09:36 AM (This post was last modified: 10-20-2009, 09:43 AM by jmp883.)
It was an absolute gorgeous day in northern NJ on Monday October 19 so I thought I'd get some fall photography in. This is the Monksville Reservoir in the Stonetown section of Ringwood. It's hard to believe that as a Boy Scout I used to camp and hike under all that water. As a teenager we used to party in those same woods since it was a rather remote area.
Next I crossed Ringwood to Ringwood State Park. Ringwood State Park consists of 3 separate areas: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor, and Sheperd Lake. This is Ringwood Manor. Ringwood Manor was one of George Washington's HQs during the Revolutionary War. Ringwood was a major iron mining area and iron from Ringwood mines was used for the chain drawn across the Hudson River just south of West Point, NY. Over the years Ringwood Manor was home to Robert Erskine, Martin Ryerson, Peter Cooper, and Abram Hewitt, all prominent names in Revolutionary, as well as Ringwood, history.
Next I went from Ringwood Manor just down the road to Skylands Manor. Skylands Manor was a private residence for many years. It then became a campus of Shelton College until it was sold to the state of NJ in 1966. In 1984 it was designated as the state botanical gardens. Several modern additions have been made to the manor house to allow catered events such as weddings and formal dinners to be held there. Unfortunately, between the trees and the size of the house I've never been able to get a satisfactory picture of the manor house.
10-20-2009, 09:53 AM (This post was last modified: 10-20-2009, 09:54 AM by jmp883.)
After I got a few pictures at Skylands Manor I went to Sheperd Lake. Shepard Lake offers swimming, boating, picnic areas, and a skeet shooting range. At one time there was also a ski slope, complete with ski lift, but that was shut down years ago. We used to go sledding down the slope when I was growing up but the slope is far too grown over to do that now.
This is the monument and the main entrance to the lake.
10-20-2009, 09:55 AM (This post was last modified: 10-20-2009, 09:56 AM by jmp883.)
This is the lake as viewed through the trees. There were many people just walking around, plus a temporary fence set up across the beach so this was the best 'pure' shot of the lake that I could get.