A Visit to Styer's

   I took a ride to Styer Orchards today, which is a fairly popular destination in my area, or at least it was at one time.  Often, relatives who came by to visit made sure to stop there, since they were nearby.  I had my camera on me and took a few pictures of the fields around the market.  As can be seen in these pictures, the fields immediately behind the market are mostly empty, with a few cornfields.  And a row of small pines that look like they might be Christmas trees.  The actual orchards they are famous for are farther off. 

  Their specialty is apples, with basketfuls of different kinds of apples, as well as apple cider and apple pies.  They would always have a box of complimentary small apples that anyone can pick from.  They also had a cider fountain that dispensed for about a dime a cup if I remember right.  Today, the free apples are no longer there, but the fountain is still around.  The cups of cider are now 75 cents, which still sounds cheap to me, since it is under a dollar.  At one time during the mid-90’s, I was told that cider was no longer produced on the premises, but I think their mill is back up and running today, since their own brand is back on the shelves.  It must be exclusive, since I don’t see it in any supermarkets in the area, and most people I have shared it with are not familiar with it.

     Over time, the area around Styer’s has changed.  Other than the orchards on their property, the surrounding farmland has long since been replaced by housing developments.   Across the railroad embankment and Woodbourne Road once sat Buehl Field, which was a popular air field where people could take rides in a single engine plane for 10 dollars.  Sometime in the 90’s, the field was razed to make way for the over 55 community that stands there now.  There also used to be a small turkey farm right along the tracks, across the road.  I remember seeing and hearing the turkeys from outside the store.  I don’t remember exactly what happened to the turkeys, but they too are long gone. 

  Regardless of what has changed, I’m glad the best things (to me, anyway) about Styer’s still remain.  The orchards and the market are still there, and the apples and by-products they’re known for are still being produced and sold.  Hopefully the old line “some things never change” will remain true here for the foreseeable future.

Geese Crossing

Something about this makes me think of the Partridge Family Theme Song

  As I was taking my usual walk around the lake at Falls Township Park, I came across a flock of geese crossing the path ahead of me.  Not really unusual, but this time, I had my camera and was able to get some pictures.  Sometimes they can stop traffic when they decide to cross a busy road, but here they are only a temporary distraction to the joggers and bike riders who like to use the path here.  Wherever there is a park like this, with a river or lake, there always seem to be plenty of Canada Geese hanging around.

  I did a quick Wikipedia check on Canada Geese.  As their name indicates, they are native mostly to Canada and the Northern United States.  In the northernmost parts of Canada, and the southernmost parts of the United States, they are migratory.  They will fly south for the winter months, and return when the weather gets warmer in Canada.  In southern Canada and the northern United States, they are stationary.  That is why in my area there are flocks of geese that stay around and flocks that can be seen above, making their way to warmer destinations.

  Presumably, most geese can be seen in parks like this one because it is their natural habitat.  And I assume that, like the deer, heavy land development flushed them out of most wooded and rural areas they once dwelled in, and forced them to concentrate in the parks.  Some parks around me hold deer counts and when it is determined that they are overpopulated with deer, a one-day hunt is scheduled.   I don’t think anything similar exists with geese, although it seems that parks are dealing with an overabundance of them as well.  I don’t think that geese are as valued by hunters as deer.  Whatever the reason, the geese are out in the open much more than deer, as this photo shows.

Crazy from the Heat and Looking Ahead

Our backyard, showing the effects of heat on the grass

                                

Today, I guess I’m like most people around here.  I have been spending most of the last week indoors, since it is around 100 degrees at the moment.  Even at 9 o’clock last night, the temperature was 86 degrees.  It still felt like a steam bath with the only advantage being the absence of the scorching sun.  It’s not going to get a whole lot better in the next week, except for Monday and Tuesday, when the temperatures will dip back down into the 80’s.  That is, unless there is a change in the forecast coming.  Right now, it’s still a good time to be staying in.

  I was over at my brother’s house earlier today, helping him and his family to get ready for their trip to Long Beach Island.  I actually didn’t really help with any of the packing for the trip.  My way of making myself useful is by keeping my toddler nephew occupied so they could focus on getting their packing and other details taken care of.  Now, he and the rest of my family are at the Jersey shore.  I’ll be joining them on Thursday, since two or three days at the shore is enough for me.  I love the ocean and the LBI area, but I just don’t get into the activities as much as they do.  For one thing, I stay off the beach most of the day.  I usually only go out there in the early morning, and late afternoon and evening, which is enough for me.  I just enjoy the shore itself and the area around it, as well as the ride there and back.

  One other thing about the shore that is really appealing to me at this time is the ocean breeze, and just the much needed cooling off that it brings.  Sometimes in the evening, when there is a strong wind blowing in from the ocean, it can actually feel almost like October.  I always bring a sweatshirt, because sometimes I’ll need it.  Everyone around here could sure use a wind like that, but right now, we’ll have to stick to our swimming pools, fans and air conditioners.

  I just noticed something yesterday, and that was that there are now some leaves falling.  That’s the first visual sign I got that fall is around the corner.  But the leaves may just be drying because of the heat and lack of rain.  It seems that every summer we get a dry spell, and watch our grass turn to hay.   Right now, however, the leaves have started to fall, and we’ll start to see more and more leaves on the ground. Other than that, I start looking forward to the fall once I return from the shore.  Our rental time has been the last week in July for the last 10 years.  When we come back, it’s always on or near August  1.  The official end of summer is around September 21, but to most people in America, it runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  So when I return, it means there is about a month left to go, and it is then that  I start thinking then about the football season, the fall foliage ,and all other things associated with that season. 

  In the meantime, I’ll still be experiencing more of this heat.  Until I head to LBI on Thursday, I’ll be watching my brothers’ homes and taking care of their pets.  That will require me to head outside into the heat, at least for brief times.  It won’t be pleasant going outside, but I don’t think I’ll have to be outside for long, just a few inconveniences.  But I can sit in the air conditioning in their houses and take care of business on their computers.  I’ll just be looking forward to joining them at the shore, and then after that start looking ahead to the fall while trying as much as I can to enjoy the rest of the summer. 

A River Runs to It (and past it)

Philadelphia skyline down the river

Beverly, NJ across the river from the park

Dirt path through the meadow

Another shot of the meadow

 

  Last week, I took a ride to Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem, to get some more pictures of Center City Philadelphia.  It was hot and humid, but sunny, so I thought this would be a good day to do it.  The skyscrapers are visible from the banks of the Delaware at the park, which is just outside the city limits.  I’m guessing the spot where I stood is about 10-15 miles up the river from Center City.  Aside from that, I also wanted to get some more shots of the interior of the park, and maybe of the mouth of the Neshaminy Creek.

    I got a better picture of Center City this time, but the buildings still appear fairly small.  The haze also affected the picture a little.  However, it is an improvement, and I think the best I can get with the zooming capabilities of my camera.  Next, I pointed the camera across the river to Beverly, New Jersey.  I usually only pass through Burlington County twice a year, going to and from Long Beach Island, and Beverly is out of the way.  However, I have been in that area a few times, having been to a friend’s house in nearby Willingboro, and I also rode the River Line from Burlington to Camden last year.  Although it is not visible from where I stood on the Pennsylvania side of the river, I did hear the horn from the River Line, which is basically a light rail train going between Trenton and Camden, and paralleling Route 130.

  Lastly, I took my walk alongside the macadam, and then I went a little off alongside a gravel trail.  It took me through the meadows, which I have pictured here.  It was hot, and I didn’t know exactly where the path would lead or how long it would take.  I didn’t pick up a little map pamphlet.  It took a little while, but I eventually found my way around, as the path went in a kind of semi-circle around the park, and back to the parking lots.  I did look around for a place to get some pictures of the Neshaminy as it flows into the Delaware, but I couldn’t find a clear path that could cut through the woods.  The creek wasn't visible from where I was at, except for a spot where I was faintly able to see the cattails which line the Neshaminy in the park.  Maybe I’ll try again in the fall.