Cherry Pie Sale at Terhune Orchards

Terhune Orchards is holding its annual cherry pie sale from February 8 through February 24. Take $2.00 off the regular price of their fresh-baked cherry pies — a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day.

Store hours at the farm are Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Pies are also available on Saturdays at the Trenton Farmers' Market. Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton.

Photo by Peggy Greb, USDA ARS

Here

Just by being,

I'm here—

in the snowfall.

— Kobayashi Issa

Digging Out

Nature Guide: Red-tailed Hawk

We are fortunate to live in an area where several different species of hawks can be seen throughout the year — with even more species here during migration in spring and fall. New Jersey's most common large hawk is the Red-tail, named for the rufous color of the adult's tail. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer tells us about this year-round resident.

"Red-tailed Hawks, Buteo jamaicensis, are found in open country. They soar slowly in wide circles high overhead or perch on a telephone pole, fence post or tree along the edge of a field or highway. You are likely to see one any time you take a long car ride during daylight. You've probably heard one too. Whenever a hawk or an eagle appears in a movie, the shrill cry on the sound track is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk, no matter what species is being shown.

"Red-tails are large hawks with very broad, rounded wings and a short, wide reddish tail. Adults can grow to over two feet long and have a wingspan of over four feet. Their wingbeats are slow and heavy. They sometimes hover in the wind without flapping their wings at all, keeping their eyes fixed on the ground to catch the movement of a vole or a rabbit. When they spot their prey, they make a slow, controlled dive with their legs outstretched.

"There is some variation in the coloring of Red-tailed Hawks that can make identification difficult. Most have a rich brown back and a pale belly with dark streaks. Their tail is usually pale on the underside and cinnamon-red on top, with thin black bands near the tip. The tail of young birds is brown with light bands. However, 'dark-phase' Red-tailed Hawks are chocolate-brown all over with a warm red tail. 'Rufous-phase' birds are reddish-brown on their chest and have a dark belly. Even at a distance, if you see a flash of red on the tail of a bird of prey, you can be sure that it is a Red-tailed Hawk."

Your Moment of Zen . . . and Warmth

Jazz at Camillo's Cafe

Camillo's Cafe is hosting an "Evening of Fun & Romance" tomorrow night at 6:00 pm. There will be live jazz and a menu of grilled specialties. Camillo's Cafe is located at 301 North Harrison Street in Princeton Shopping Center. Call 609-252-0608 for a reservation.

Winter Sunset at Herring Cove

Photo by Patricia Zur

Nature Guide:Red Fox

Photo: John Sarvis/USFWS

The Red Fox is a member of the Canidae family, which includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes and the domestic dog. Although the Red Fox is a common and widespread species, it's still exciting to see one while walking in the area. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer gives us some information.

"A Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) usually has a rusty red back and head, but may be gray, brown or white. Its underbelly is white and its ear tips, legs and feet are black. Its bushy tail has a white tip which distinguishes it from the Gray Fox and the coyote. An adult Red Fox weighs from 7 to 15 pounds and can grow more than two feet in length with an 18-inch tail. A Red Fox has eyes like a cat, with vertically split pupils that are gold or yellow.

"Although Red Foxes are considered carnivores, they are actually very opportunistic eaters. Their most common prey includes mice, squirrels, rabbits and birds, but their diet ranges from insects and bird's eggs to berries, fruits and grasses. Red Foxes sometimes scavenge carrion and are even known to steal pet food from bowls left outside houses. They are nocturnal and usually hunt alone, relying on their acute sense of hearing to locate small animals in thick grass or even underground. They stalk their prey like a cat, sneaking close and then pouncing on it, sometimes jumping high in the air. Red Foxes are known to bury leftover food to save it for later.

"The Red Fox is native to Europe and Asia. It was introduced into the United State by would-be fox hunters in the 17th century and has since become an established resident everywhere except the Southwest. It makes its home in wooded areas, priairies and farmland, but it is also found in suburban and even urban areas.

"Red Foxes mate from January through March. The female, known as a vixen, will dig one or more dens or occupy a den abandoned by a groundhog or other burrowing animal. The extra dens are used if the original one is disturbed. A little less than two months after mating, the vixen gives birth to a litter of between one and ten kits. The male brings the female food while she is caring for the kits. The kits start playing outside the den when they are about a month old. The mother begins feeding her kits regurgitated food, but eventually she will bring them live prey. Kits leave their mother when they are about seven months old."

Winter Trees

All the complicated details

of the attiring and

the disattiring are completed!

A liquid moon

moves gently among

the long branches.

Thus having prepared their buds

against a sure winter

the wise trees

stand sleeping in the cold.

— William Carlos Williams

Attention Parents: The Grasshopper Hopped!

As the readers of this blog know, we often post information about the natural world. So we are especially delighted to announce the publication of The Grasshopper Hopped!, a book for children by Elizabeth Alexander. A determined little grasshopper sets out to find the right place to be. He checks out a too-hot soup pot, a too-cold fridge, a too-loud clock, the too-wet sea and the mouth of a hungry frog — but we're not going to give any more away. The captivating story takes children along on the journey and the fun interactive tabs allow them to join in and help the grasshopper find his best place to be. The illustrations, in a cut-paper style by Joung Un Kim, are a visual treat for both children and adults.

The Grasshopper Hopped! will amuse and charm children ages 2 to 8. It follows Elizabeth's success with Little Pumpkin's Big Surprise! Click here to order from Amazon.

Nature Guide: Mixed Feeding Groups

Photo by Susan Boyer, USDA ARS

As you walk around our area during winter, you may notice rustling in the underbrush and an unusual variety of bird calls. These are signs that you have come upon a mixed feeding flock. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer takes a look at one way some birds survive in winter.

"After breeding season has ended in midsummer, it is not unusual to see several different species of small songbirds feeding together. This behavior, known as mixed flock feeding or mixed foraging, can last through winter. Mixed flocks move from place to place, so you may run into one almost anywhere. Sometimes they stay around for only a few moments, other times you will find a flock in the same place for days at a time.

"Different flocks seem to combine birds of a similar size. A typical mixed flock of smaller birds usually includes chickadees and titmice. Chickadees regularly call out when they find a good source of food. This attracts other species. Nuthatches, warblers and small woodpeckers can often be found foraging in these flocks. Occasionally they are joined by cardinals and juncos, and sometimes by Blue Jays. You may even see a kinglet or Brown Creeper once in a while.

"Larger birds such as robins, starlings and cowbirds also form feeding flocks. These flocks tend to forage higher up in the forest canopy and are constantly in motion.

"There seem to be two main advantages to joining a feeding group. First, a flock has a better chance of finding food than a single individual. Competition between birds in a mixed group tends not to be a problem because different species seek different food sources.

"The second advantage is that a flock is more likely than a lone bird to detect a predator such as a hawk. For example, a chickadee's keen eyesight makes it an excellent lookout. Also, when threatened, many individuals fleeing in different directions may confuse a predator and allow all of them to escape.

"As the breeding season approaches in spring, feeding groups break up and each individual goes its own way."

Holiday Decorations Reminder

Just a reminder that FVCSA requires homeowners to remove outdoor holiday decorations by Sunday, January 17, 2010. For residents with live greenery, January 22 and 29 are the last pickup days for Christmas trees, wreaths and garland. These items should be placed where your recyclables are picked up at the curb. All decorations must be removed prior to disposal.

Attention Parents: Event at Terhune Orchards

On Tuesday, January 19, Terhune Orchards will host the first winter session of their Read & Explore Program at the farm. The topic of the session is The Gingerbread Man. The classic tale of The Gingerbread Man will be read and each child may decorate a large gingerbread man cookie to take home. The children will be able to see how many ingredients of the gingerbread man come from farms.

Read & Explore is Terhune Orchard's winter education series with sessions in January, February and March. The program combines reading stories and doing related craft activities. Parents/guardians and young children (ages preschool to 8 years) are welcome. Each session costs $5.00 per participating child, which includes the materials for the activity. Parents should call ahead to reserve a space. The number at the farm is 609-924-2310. Check-in for the session is at the farm store. Each session will last about one hour and children must be accompanied by an adult. Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton.

Cleanup Event at the Mapleton Preserve

You may have seen signs in the area about an upcoming cleanup at the Mapleton Preserve for the National Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The D&R Canal Commission has the following information about this event on the calendar on its website.

January 18

(Monday)

National Day of Service — Cleanup at the Mapleton Preserve:

Join members of the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for an invigorating Cleanup Day at Mapleton Preserve from 12:00–3:00 pm! We will be clearing small trees, brush, and trash around the historic Propagation House and the Flemer Arboretum in preparation for our ARBOR DAY EVENT to be held later in the spring. Volunteers are asked to bring tools such as saws, clippers, loppers and rakes. Dress for the weather, whatever it is. This is your opportunity to take part in this second National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. It is free and all are welcome. In case of extreme weather, the event will be postponed until Saturday, January 23, 2010 (from 12:00–3:00). For more information, see www.fpnl.org or call 609-683-0483. Interested participants can also sign-up online by clicking here. This special program is sponsored by the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands.

Miep Gies Remembered

Photo: Anne Frank House

Miep Gies

February 15, 1909 – January 11, 2010

Miep Gies died Monday night at the age of 100. She was the last surviving and best known helper of Anne Frank and the seven other people who shared a hiding place for 25 months in a canalside house in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. She also saved Anne's diary and became a worldwide symbol for those who unselfishly fight for their fellow men in times of war and oppression.

For two years Miep, her husband Jan and four other helpers (Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, Bep Voskuijl and Johan Voskuijl) risked their lives supplying food and other essential items to the Franks (Otto, Edith, Margot and Anne), the van Pels (Hermann, a business colleague of Mr. Frank's, his wife Auguste and their son Peter) and dentist Fritz Pfeffer. After the arrest of the people in the secret annex, Miep and Bep gathered up Anne's diary papers that were scattered all over the floor. Miep intended to return the diary to Anne, knowing how important it had been to her. She locked it away and never read a word. At the end of the war, Otto Frank returned from Auschwitz. Eventually he learned that both his daughters had died in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, less than a month before the camp was liberated. Miep was with him when he received the news. She gave Anne's diary to him. Otto had it published in 1947 with the title The Secret Annex. Since then The Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 70 languages and is one of the most widely read books in the world.

Miep Gies, born Hermine Santruschitz, came from a Roman Catholic family in Vienna. She was one of the many Austrian children suffering from the shortage of food in the wake of World War I. She was sent away to be cared for by a Dutch family, who gave her the Dutch nickname Miep and eventually adopted her. When she was 13, her adoptive family moved to Amsterdam where she later became a secretary to Otto Frank. In 1942 he asked Miep if she would help shelter the family and she agreed immediately, replying "Yes, of course." Her husband Jan also pledged his unconditional help. Miep brought food, books and news of the world outside. She was also a confidante to Anne, bringing her paper for her diary and her first pair of high-heeled shoes. Miep and Jan, who was involved in the Dutch resistance, hid an anti-Nazi university student in their own apartment as well.

Although she later lived quietly in Amsterdam as a homemaker, Miep began to travel widely after she published her memoir Anne Frank Remembered in 1987. She spoke about the Holocaust and against intolerance, often to schoolchildren who were reading Anne's diary. Miep Gies has been honored by many countries. She was knighted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for her heroism and dedication, honored by Yad Vashem, Israel's official authority for the commemoration of the Holocaust, and by the German government and B'nai B'rith in the USA.

Jan Gies died in 1993. Miep Gies is survived by their son Paul and three grandchildren. You can watch the six-part documentary "Dear Kitty" Remembering Anne Frank, with Part 1 starting here on YouTube. To see and hear more of Miep Gies, click here for her appearance in another documentary. The Miep Gies website is here, with videos that should not be missed.

Nature Guide: Snow

There's a language myth that the Inuit have a hundred or more words for snow. Although this idea has been disproved by linguists, it persists. In fact, English has many words for snow — blizzard, dusting, flurry, powder, sleet, slush, snowfall, snowflake and snowstorm are some that come to mind. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer tells us about this weather phenomenon.

"Snow is water frozen into small ice crystals that fall from the sky. These crystals begin to form from water vapor in clouds when the temperature drops below freezing. Water collects around tiny particles of soil or dust that have been carried up into the atmosphere by wind. As snow crystals grow, they become heavier and fall towards the ground. During their fall, anywhere from 2 to 200 of these ice crystals join together to form a snowflake. All snowflakes have six sides, but the crystals can be arranged in so many different ways that no two snowflakes are exactly alike.

"Snow is white because its ice crystals reflect almost all visible sunlight. Visible sunlight contains the complete spectrum of colors but appears to be white. Other materials have color because they reflect some sunlight and absorb the rest. The color they reflect is the color we see.

"You may have noticed that fresh snow absorbs sound. This is because air trapped between snowflakes minimizes vibrations. At low temperatures this trapped air also produces the squeaking sound you may hear when walking across newly fallen snow.

"Once on the ground, snow begins a cycle of melting and refreezing, eventually packing down into a dense mass called snowpack. Snow piles left by shoveling or plowing also pack down, forming very cold mounds of ice. These are often turned gray or black by dirt or automobile exhaust. But eventually even the largest piles melt and dreary winter turns into spring."

Good Luck, Matt

We are truly sorry to hear that property manager Matt Lubas is leaving Princeton Landing. His last day will be this Friday, January 8. He is going off to manage two other Signature Property Group communities in the area — a great opportunity for Matt but a real loss for Princeton Landing. We'll miss his fun sense of humor and friendly style. Good luck, Matt, and our best wishes to you and Jen.

Winter Solitude

Winter solitude—

in a world of one color

the sound of wind.

— Matsuo Basho

Translated by Robert Hass

Happy New Year, Princeton Landing!

Happy New Year, Zurich!

© MySwitzerland.com

"Anyway, it's about old friends . . . "

Who Has Seen the Wind?

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you.

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I.

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

— Christina Rossetti

Merry Christmas, Princeton Landing!

We wish our readers good tidings of great joy!

'Twas the night before Christmas . . .

A Visit from St. Nicholas

by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Holiday Greetings . . .

. . . from my godson and fellow nature lover, Tom Kulik!

Christmas Don't Be Late (1958)

Merry Christmas

Sal

Matt

Pat

Stacy

&

Vesele Vianoce, Walter!

Photos: Teuscher (1–4), Vollenweider (5)

O Christmas Tree

2009 Trader Joe's Favorites

Click to enlarge the image.

Holiday Greetings From The Grants

The following message is in reply to our "Season's Greetings" post yesterday. It's from Dave Grant, former FVCSA Board President and tennis pro, and his lovely wife Suzanne. The Grants moved to South Carolina from Princeton Landing this past summer. They asked us to share their holiday greetings with their friends in the community.

Wow! What a wonderful message. Sure is nice to have a President and wife who understand the value of the internet and who add such value to the community. The site is magnificent and very informative.

We are deeply touched by the message/thought and fondly remember so many great friends and neighbors. Am sure glad you got the picture before Saturday, as we saw on the Weather Channel that my beloved tennis courts must be loaded. Please send our best wishes to all the fine people in the community and tell them we are well and enjoying the South and if they are fixin' to travel to the western part of SC, they are most welcome.

Happy New Year to all,

Dave and Suzanne

Nature Guide: Poinsettia

Although they haven't been used as Christmas decorations for as long as holly and mistletoe, brilliant red poinsettias are also a popular holiday plant. There are more than a hundred brightly colored varieties, including some that are orange, pale green, cream, pink, white or marbled. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer provides some more information.

"Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a species of flowering plant found in Mexico and Guatemala. Although most of the plants we see grow up to two feet high, in the wild poinsettia grows as a shrub or small tree, sometimes reaching a height of 16 feet. Its colorful bracts, which are modified leaves, are sometimes mistaken for flower petals. But the flower of a poinsettia is actually the small green or yellow blossom found at the center of each group of leaves. Poinsettia also has dark green leaves that are 3 to 6 inches long.

"To keep your poinsettia healthy, it is best to keep it in temperatures of 60° to 70°F during the day. A sunny window works well, but don't let the plant touch a cold windowpane. Keeping it at 55° to 60°F at night will extend its blooming time. Water only when the soil is dry and do not fertilize while the plant is in bloom. Be careful not to break a stem. Poinsettias are not poisonous, but their milky sap can irritate the skin.

"The common name 'poinsettia' comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico. Poinsett was interested in botany and wandered the Mexican countryside looking for new plant species. In 1828 he found this beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to a road. He brought cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina and introduced the plant to the US.

"Poinsettia's association with Christmas dates back to colonial Mexico. According to legend, a poor young girl wanted to present a gift to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. She was inspired by an angel to gather weeds and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson 'blossoms' sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. The plants have been included in Christmas celebrations ever since."

After The Storm

Season's Greetings

Merry Christmas

Dave & Suzanne

From

Paul & Karen

&

Your Friends at Princeton Landing

little tree

by e. e. cummings

little tree

little silent Christmas tree

you are so little

you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest

and were you very sorry to come away?

see i will comfort you

because you smell so sweetly

I will kiss your cool bark

and hug you safe and tight

just as your mother would,

only don't be afraid

look the spangles

that sleep all the year in a dark box

dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,

the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms

and i'll give them all to you to hold

every finger shall have its ring

and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed

you'll stand in the window for everyone to see

and how they'll stare!

oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands

and looking up at our beautiful tree

we'll dance and sing

"Noel Noel"

Ready For The Snow

Last Night of Hanukkah

Nature Guide: Holly

A sprig of holly with its shiny green leaves and bright red berries is another symbol of Christmas. A holly shrub is also an eye-catching plant in the landscape, especially during winter when many other plants have lost their leaves. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer shares some information about this seasonal favorite.

"Holly (Ilex) is a genus of approximately 600 species of flowering plants. Our most common species is American Holly (Ilex opaca), which is widely planted as an ornamental shrub, hedge or tree. American Holly is native to the eastern United States, from coastal Massachusetts to central Florida, and west as far as southeastern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma and Texas.

"In the wild, holly typically grows as an understory shrub in forests. It develops slowly but can survive in either dry or wet conditions. Its white flowers are pollinated by ants, moths and other insects. If eaten by humans, its red berries may cause nausea and vomiting, but they are an important survival food for songbirds, including thrushes, mockingbirds, catbirds and bluebirds. Holly's prickly leaves also offer birds protection from predators and bad weather.

"In ancient times, followers of some pagan religions developed the custom of placing holly leaves and branches around the outside of their homes during winter as a symbol of hospitality. The ancient Romans decorated their houses and temples with holly to celebrate the midwinter feast in honor of the winter solstice. Early Christians adopted this tradition and decorated their homes with holly to celebrate the birth of Christ. As Christians increased in influence, holly lost its pagan associations and became a symbol of Christmas. Today we celebrate the holiday season with wreaths and garlands of holly."

Photo by Larry Stritch, US Forest Service

Ilya The Manatee's Release

Here's the video from Miami Seaquarium of Ilya the manatee's release into Biscayne Bay. Congratulations to the capable Seaquarium team!

Ilya The Manatee Home For The Holidays

Photo courtesy Miami Seaquarium

Ilya (left) and his friend Glade

Ilya the manatee, who was stranded in New Jersey waters and dramatically rescued in late October, was released back into the wild this morning. Ilya's release follows six weeks of intense rehabilitation at the Miami Seaquarium, where doctors were watching the sea cow's weight and checking his blood. Once doctors deemed it safe, the 1,110-pound Ilya was loaded into a crate for the transfer and released into Biscayne Bay.

Ilya has been outfitted with tracking devices so scientists can keep an eye on him. Ilya has also been added to Save the Manatee Club's Adopt-A-Manatee program. You can adopt Ilya online here.

We've been following this story and are happy that Ilya is back safely in southeast Florida waters where he belongs. We hope he enjoys being home for Christmas.

This Week at Princeton Landing

On Tuesday and Wednesday Brickman will be applying dormant granular fertilizer to the lawns in the community. They are also continuing with the leaf cleanup. Work will be done in the following parcel order: 4, 3, 2, 10, 11 and 12. Property manager Sal Pirrera reports that other than routine work orders, there's nothing on the maintenance schedule this week.

A Great Miracle Happened There

To our Princeton Landing neighbors

celebrating the Festival of Lights,

Happy Hanukkah to you and your loved ones.

Lawn Maintenance

Property manager Matt Lubas reports that Brickman posted signs today to notify residents that they will be applying dormant granular fertilizer to lawns in the community. The work is scheduled to begin next Tuesday.

Nature Guide: Mistletoe

Kissing under the mistletoe is an ancient holiday tradition that is observed in many countries. In its natural setting, however, mistletoe's characteristics are less romantic. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer explains:

"Mistletoe is a partial parasite (known to botanists as a 'hemiparasite') that uses its roots to penetrate a branch or trunk of a tree and absorb nutrients from its host. But mistletoe is also capable of subsisting on its own by producing food through photosynthesis. There are more than 1,300 species of mistletoe, but the one most often used as a Christmas decoration is American mistletoe (Phoradendron spp.). It has greenish-yellow leathery leaves that grow up to two inches long and sticky white berries that appear in fall. American mistletoe grows on a wide variety of trees and ranges from Florida to New Jersey and as far west as Texas.

"American mistletoe berries are poisonous to people, but they provide essential food for an amazing number of birds, butterflies, insects and mammals. American robins, mourning doves, bluebirds and pigeons eat mistletoe and also use it for cover and nesting sites. So do squirrels and chipmunks. But mistletoe also gains from these relationships. Its sticky seeds are often carried on a bird's beak or feathers or on a mammal's fur to new host tress where they produce new plants.

"There is a rich heritage of folklore related to mistletoe. The ancient Greeks believed it had mystical powers. The Celts and Germans worshipped mistletoe, especially when it was found on an oak tree. Our custom of decorating houses with mistletoe at Christmas is a survival of a Druid tradition of decorating with mistletoe to celebrate the winter solstice. During the Middle Ages, branches of mistletoe were hung from ceilings to ward off evil spirits, or sprigs were placed above doorways to prevent witches from entering. Mistletoe was also believed to bestow fertility, and kissing under the mistletoe was associated with courtship and marriage. According to tradition, one berry should be removed from the sprig of mistletoe after each kiss. When all the berries are gone, the kissing must stop."

Photo by Steve Baskauf, US Forest Service

This Week at Princeton Landing

Property manager Sal Pirrera reminds everyone that community-wide gutter cleaning continues this week. Be aware that workers will be walking on rooftops.

Novo Nordisk Christmas Tree

In what has become a local holiday tradition, our neighbors at Novo Nordisk have once again brightened the season with their beautiful and distinctive Christmas tree. We're fortunate to have such a festive welcome home as we approach Sayre Drive on Route 1 South.

"Two Buck Chuck" Coming to Trader Joe's

Many Trader Joe's fans were disappointed when they found out that the store wouldn't be carrying "Two Buck Chuck," the Charles Shaw California wines that cost between $1.99 to $3.49 a bottle, depending on the region. Well, here's some good news. According to today's West Windsor & Plainsboro News, the new Trader Joe's in West Windsor will be getting a liquor license. The township was able to make the license available as the result of a census survey that showed enough residential growth to grant another license. Even though the license has been awarded, it may take another three to four months before liquor will be sold in the store. Trader Joe's is located in the Square at West Windsor shopping center on Route 1 at Meadow Road.

Attention Parents: Holiday Event

Princeton Shopping Center will host Party with Santa & Snowy on Saturday, December 5, from 12:30 to 3:00 pm. Santa Claus and Snowy the snowman will arrive by fire engine at the main courtyard entrance at 12:30. The party will take place in the Holiday Party Room located in the store next to Ace Hardware. Rhythm 'n Balloons will provide holiday rock and roll. Bring your camera to take a photo of your child with Santa and Snowy. Children will receive a gift and are invited to take part in a holiday craft project. Princeton Shopping Center is located at 301 North Harrison Street in Princeton Township. Click here for directions.

Advertise on Princeton Landing News

If you're a regular reader of Princeton Landing News, you may have noticed that we now have a category in the right-hand column called Sponsor Links. As our audience has grown and the content has evolved, running the blog on a day-to-day basis has required an even greater commitment. So we have decided to accept advertising. We think that by including advertising from quality local and national businesses we will enhance the blog and make it even more useful to our readers. If you're interested in advertising on Princeton Landing News, click here to send an ad inquiry.

Nature Guide: Reindeer

In his 1822 poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, Clement Clarke Moore chose eight tiny reindeer to pull Santa Claus' sleigh because he knew they lived in the cold regions around the North Pole. In 1939 Robert L. May created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and added him to Moore's team, giving us our modern version of Santa's transportation. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer shares some information about the real wild reindeer, known as caribou in North America.

"The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) is a species of deer that has adapted to life on the Arctic plains (or tundra) and nearby forest and mountain areas of North America and Eurasia. Reindeer are sociable animals, living in herds that may contain as many as 500,000 individuals. Food is scarce in this harsh environment, so reindeer herds are almost constantly on the move. They migrate in spring and fall, covering more than 3,000 miles each year, the longest migration of any terrestrial animal.

"In March or April, reindeer leave their winter grounds and move to their calving grounds. Calves are born in May or June. In fall, which is mating season, males compete to attract a harem of as many as 14 or 20 females. They spend winter forested areas and must paw through the snow to find lichens or grasses to eat. This behavior led the Native American Mi'kmaq to name them 'qalipu,' meaning 'snow shoveler.' This name was passed along by French explorers and became our word caribou.

"Their reindeer is well adapted to its cold, barren habitat. Their coat has two layers of fur, a dense woolly undercoat and longer overcoat consisting of hollow hairs. This thick overcoat traps air to provide insulation and gives buoyancy in water, allowing reindeer to swim across wide rivers during migration. Reindeer have broad hooves that change according to the season. In summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, their footpads become soft and provide extra traction. In winter, the pads harden and shrink, exposing the rim of the hoof, which can cut into ice and snow to keep the animals from slipping. The reindeer is the only species of deer in which the female has horns, perhaps to help her complete for scarce food. Antlers of both males and females are shed and replaced each year.

"The reindeer's range has decreased dramatically due to hunting and the destruction of its natural habitat by humans. But reindeer are an important resource for the people of the arctic regions. They are raised for their meat, hides, antlers and milk and used for transportation. Reindeer are not fully domesticated, however. They generally roam free and traditional reindeer herders move with their herds during their annual migration."

This Week at Princeton Landing

We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Today is the voting deadline for the FVCSA Board of Directors. Anyone still wishing to vote must bring their completed ballot to The Smith House by 4:00 pm. Tonight at 7:30 pm there is a public hearing on the proposed adoption of a revised capital reserve policy. The association's annual meeting is tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at The Smith House.

Property manager Sal Pirrera reminds everyone that community-wide gutter cleaning will start today and go on through the next two weeks, weather permitting. Property manager Matt Lubas tells us that leaf removal will continue for the next couple of weeks as well.

Advent Begins

© swissworld.org

Advent windows in Lucerne, Switzerland

November Night

by Adelaide Crapsey

Listen . . .

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts,

The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees

And fall.

Happy Birthday, Caroline

Photo by Cecil Stoughton

Happy Thanksgiving

Freedom from Want

Norman Rockwell, 1943

Forrestal Village Holiday Event

Click here for details.

Palmer Square Holiday Events

The Palmer Square Annual Tree Lighting will be held on the Green on Friday, November 27, beginning at 4:45 pm. Santa Claus will be on hand to light the tree, a 65-foot Norwegian spruce that holds over 32,00 lights. The event will feature Holiday Brass and a performance by the Princeton High School Choir. There will be a reading of the poem 'Twas the NIght Before Christmas. After the tree lighting, Snow, Sleigh Bells, and Saxophones will perform from 6 to 8 pm.

On Monday, December 14, at 5 pm, the Annual Hanukkah Celebration will take place on Palmer Square North Plaza in front of Mediterra restaurant. There will be the lighting of the Menorah and music by the Odessa Klezmer Band.

Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in December and on Christmas Eve, musicians and carolers — and Santa Claus — will stroll throughout Palmer Square. Click here to go to the official Palmer Square website.

This Week at Princeton Landing

It's a short work week at Princeton Landing. Our management office will be closed on Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving.

Property manager Matt Lubas reports that landscape contractor Brickman will continue going parcel by parcel removing leaves from fronts, backs and beds, and doing the final mowing. With the short holiday week and rain in the forecast, leaf efforts may be limited, however. The focus will be more on the fronts of homes, walkways and driveways to make everything as safe as possible for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Property manager Sal Pirrera says that community-wide gutter cleaning will begin on Monday, November 30. We appreciate this heads-up. Otherwise the sudden stomping on the roofs can be a little disconcerting.

50 Years of "The Sound of Music"

Fifty years ago this past week, The Sound of Music, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. For those fortunate enough to have seen Mary Martin as Maria, this must bring back memories. For the rest of us who grew up with the 1965 film version and the incomparable Julie Andrews as our Fraulein Maria, we can only wonder where the time has gone and appreciate how lucky we are to have had this wonderful musical in our lives.

Tell Us What You Think: The Front Entrance

This week a new seasonal foliage display was installed at the front entrance to the community by our landscape contractor, Brickman. Use the Comments link below to tell us what you think. Click the photo to see a larger image.

Ilya The Manatee's Rescue

Here's something for you wildlife lovers who have been following the odyssey and rescue of Ilya, the manatee who was stranded in New Jersey waters. This video, filmed and edited by Bryan Kaus, shows the incredible rescue of Ilya at a Linden refinery.

Since his rescue and return to Florida, Ilya has been recovering in a tank at the Miami Seaquarium with a female manatee named Glade. When the veterinarians think he is ready, Ilya will be released into southeast Florida waters.

Watch Ilya's remarkable rescue:

This Week at Princeton Landing

It sounds like it will be a quiet week at Princeton Landing. Property manager Sal Pirrera would like to remind those interested that there will be a Covenants Committee meeting Tuesday night at 7 pm and a Landscape Committee meeting Wednesday night at 7 pm.

Property manager Matt Lubas reports that Brickman is blowing leaves from the fronts and backs of homes and doing a final mowing. They are also edging the walks for the last time this year.

Annual parcel meetings take place throughout the month. Click on the the calendar link at the top of the right-hand column for the schedule.

Lake Carnegie — Saturday, 4:19 pm

Rainy Day

Photo by youngdoo

Homesick for a rainy day in Zurich

The Day-Shapes of Dusk

At a Window

by Carl Sandburg

Give me hunger,

O you gods that sit and give

The world its orders.

Give me hunger, pain and want,

Shut me out with shame and failure

From your doors of gold and fame,

Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger!

But leave me a little love,

A voice to speak to me in the day end,

A hand to touch me in the dark room

Breaking the long loneliness.

In the dusk of day-shapes

Blurring the sunset,

One little wandering, western star

Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.

Let me go to the window,

Watch there the day-shapes of dusk

And wait and know the coming

Of a little love.

Veterans Day

In Memoriam: Fort Hood, Texas

" . . . your loved ones endure through the life of our nation. Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we all too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — that is their legacy."

— President Barack Obama

This Week at Princeton Landing

Things will be a lot less hectic around the community this week since our contractor L.N. Rothberg & Son finished up according to schedule. On the construction and maintenance front, property manager Sal Pirrera tells us, "All is quiet this week."

In the area of landscape, the massive leaf cleanup continues with property manager Matt Lubas informing us, "Nothing new to report this week . . . just leaves."

Parcel Projects: Parcel 4

L.N. Rothberg & Son repairing catch basins and paving.

News From Terhune Orchards

For our neighbors who attended Terhune Orchard's Read & Pick Program about apples which was filmed by NBC News 10, our friends at the farm inform us that the story will air on Monday, November 9, at 5:45 am and 6:45 am.

Terhune Orchards is also taking orders for Thanksgiving pies and turkeys. The fresh turkeys (12 lb minimum) from Pennsylvania are hormone and antibiotic free. Special Thanksgiving store hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, November 24 and 25, from 9 am to 7 pm and Thanksgiving morning from 9 am to noon. Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton.

94 Acres

Nature Guide: Muskrat and Opossum

It's not as easy to see most mammals as it is to see flowers or birds. Mammals keep out of sight and some of them are nocturnal. If you're patient and you know what to look for, two small mammals you may see in our area are the muskrat and the opossum. These two are active at night and you are most likely to encounter them at dawn or dusk. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer gives us some information to help us recognize these small animals.

"The muskrat is found wherever there are lakes, streams, canals or wetlands. Smaller than a house cat, it has short, dense fur which is medium to dark brown on its back and lighter brown or silvery on its belly. A muskrat's long tail is scaly and flattened from side to side, which helps it swim.

"Muskrats spend much of their lives in water and can stay under for up to 15 minutes. They often follow trails that they make in swamps and ponds, feeding on aquatic vegetation, clams and frogs. They do not store food for the winter and when the water freezes, they follow their trails under the ice, searching for food. In spring they often fight other muskrats for territory and potential mates.

"Muskrat family groups consist of a male and female and often as many as 10 or 11 young. They build nests to protect themselves from cold and predators. Where the water is deep enough, they dig a burrow into the bank with an underwater entrance. In marshes, they construct a conical lodge out of vegetation and mud.

"The Virginia Opossum (also known as a possum) is the only marsupial native to North America. This means that females carry their young through early infancy in a pouch, like a kangaroo. Also about the size of a house cat, an opossum has a pointed nose and a scaly prehensile tail that looks similar to a rat's tail. An opossum's face is white with black ears and its body is whitish gray. At night, its eyes shine dull orange when struck by light.

"An opossum is usually solitary. During the day it sleeps in the hollow of a tree, often with its head tucked under its body. At night it forages for fruits, worms, frogs, insects and garbage. It may wander widely, especially in fall. When it feels threatened, it will show its teeth and hiss and give off a disagreeable smell. If cornered, an opossum may "play possum" and appear to be dead. It really isn't playing, though. Research has shown that this reaction is an involuntary response to extreme fear.

"Females produce two litters each year, sometimes containing as many as 15 young. Babies, which weigh around 1/15 of an ounce at birth, stay in their mother's pouch for the first two months. Later they may ride on their mother's back, holding on to her tail with theirs."

Photo by Cody Pope

Parcel 6 — 9:39 am

This Week at Princeton Landing

There's a lot happening around Princeton Landing this week. Our massive leaf cleanup continues. Property manager Matt Lubas reports, "The recent rain brought down a lot of leaves. This week is supposed to be dry, so leaf removal is a priority." Brickman started the outer parcels today and the inner parcels will follow. In addition, Brickman also planted dianthus at the front entrance to replace the mums. Matt says, "Dianthus is a cool-season annual that is more deer resistant than the typical violas or pansies. They flower red and pink."

Property manager Sal Pirerra tells us that contractor Rainbow G & J Painting should complete the Parcel 2 project by the end of this week. Paving contractor L.N. Rothberg & Son expects to finish the Parcel 11 project by the end of the day Tuesday. The community-wide road patching and catch basin repair, also by L.N. Rothberg, should be completed by the end of this week.

The schedule for annual parcel meetings is posted on the blog calendar for November. To view it, click on the calendar link at the top of the right-hand column of the blog. Residents will be receiving information on the FVCSA board elections within the next few weeks.

Terhune Orchards — 12:37 pm

Fall Back

Remember to move your clocks back one hour tonight. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 1.

Happy Halloween

Photo by Mansour De Toth

Theme in Yellow

by Carl Sandburg

I SPOT the hills

With yellow balls in autumn.

I light the prairie cornfields

Orange and tawny gold clusters

And I am called pumpkins.

On the last of October

When dusk is fallen

Children join hands

And circle round me

Singing ghost songs

And love to the harvest moon;

I am a jack-o'-lantern

With terrible teeth

And the children know

I am fooling.

The Witches' Spell

Painting by Henry Fuseli

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon's blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

William Shakespeare

Macbeth: IV.i 10–19; 35–38

Ilya The Manatee Rescued

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lindberg

Ilya the manatee, who was in danger of perishing in cold New Jersey waters, was returned safely to Florida yesterday. He was found huddling in warmer water from a discharge pipe of the ConocoPhillips oil refinery in Linden. After four rescue attempts on Tuesday, which took more than 7 1/2 hours, Ilya was pulled from Morse Creek, a small tributary of the Arthur Kill. He then spent two days recuperating at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) in Brigantine. Authorites kept Ilya's rescue secret because they were concerned that a crush of media and well-wishers might stress the sea cow.

The rescue was coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Manatee Rescue, Rehabilition and Release Program. They were concerned about Ilya because the water temperature in Morse Creek dropped as low as 53 degrees, well below the 68 degrees manatees need to survive. More than 30 rescuers, including volunteers from the MMSC, ConocoPhillips Bayway Refinery, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Point Pleasant Rescue Dive Team and the Miami Seaquarium. They used a 300-foot net to maneuver the 1,100-pound, 10-foot-long manatee onto the bank of the creek. Then a crane from the refinery lifted him onto a stretcher which was loaded on a truck and driven to the stranding center. After two days of recuperation, during which Ilya ate more than $300 worth of produce, veterinarians determined that he was healthy enough for the flight to Florida. He was loaded aboard a Coast Guard C-130 cargo plane, covered with wet towels, and flown south. Click here to see a video of Ilya being loaded onto the transport craft.

Ilya is now at the Miami Seaquarium but will be released eventually into southeast Florida waters, pending a proper weight gain and other medical tests. "We like to get them back out as early as possible," said Chuck Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Jacksonville, Florida. Bob Schoelkopf, director of the MMSC, said, "We're very relieved. We spent a lot of days worrying about him." We did too — this is great news!

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves . . .

Our thanks go to the Brickman crew for working hard all day on the Sisyphean task of removing Princeton Landing's leaves.

Halloween's Coming

Parcel Projects: Parcel 11

Despite today's rainy weather, intrepid contractor L.N. Rothberg & Son began the paving work in Parcel 11.

Attention Parents: Event at Terhune Orchards

Terhune Orchards just emailed about a special session of their Read & Pick Program tomorrow morning from 9 to 10 at the farm. A story will be read about apples, then every child can fill a bag of apples picked from Terhune's own dwarf trees. This is a perfect event for young children and it will be held rain or shine. If it is too wet, apples can be picked from big baskets in the barn. NBC News 10 will be filming the session. There is no charge for this event, but you must call ahead to reserve a space. The phone number is 609-924-2310. Release forms will be required by the TV station. Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton.

Parcel Projects: Parcel 11

In preparation for paving work, contractor L.N. Rothberg & Son, Inc. repaired catch basins in Parcel 11 today. Asphalt work begins in the parcel tomorrow.

Nature Guide: Daddy Longlegs

Daddy Longlegs like this one are often mistaken for spiders, but they come from a different order of arachnids, the Opiliones, known as harvestmen. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer tells us about them.

"Unlike spiders, harvestmen are harmless and have no venom glands. They also have no silk glands and are unable to spin a web. Harvestmen usually hunt at night, feeding on insects and other small creatures such as slugs, snails and earthworms. Harvestmen lay only one batch of eggs each year. Adult harvestmen die when the weather gets too cold, but their eggs can survive through winter and hatch in spring. Harvestmen are most commonly seen in late summer and fall, during harvest, which may account for their name."

Attention Parents: Little Pumpkin's Big Surprise!

If you're looking for a sweet story to read to your children for Halloween, Little Pumpkin's Big Surprise! by children's book author Elizabeth Alexander is a great choice. It's the story of a little pumpkin who feels left out until he finds a friend and the wonderful surprise that is waiting at the end of the story. It's perfect for children ages 3 to 7. Click here to order from Amazon.

Autumn in Princeton Landing

Fall Planting

Thanks to Chris, Steve and our Brickman crew

for the fall display at the front entrance.

The Smith House Garden — Friday, 1:19 pm

Old Oak Removed

We are sad to report the emergency removal of one of the very large old oak trees near The Smith House. A resident passing by on Thursday noticed that the trunk was splitting and reported the problem to management. Property manager Matt Lubas informed the Board and had Silva Guard, our tree contractor, make an emergency inspection on Friday morning. Silva Guard determined that the split was severe. The strain on the tree had even caused steel supporting cables installed years ago to snap. Bad weather expected this weekend would have put even more stress on the weakened trunk, so the big tree posed an imminent danger to nearby homes, The Smith House, and cars and pedestrians on the Loop Road. Our property managers concluded that it was a serious hazard and could not be saved. For safety reasons they recommended immediate removal.

We're very sorry to see the old oak go, but a neighbor's sharp eye and quick action by Matt Lubas and Sal Pirrera may have prevented serious damage or injury.

What's at Trader Joe's

If you're a diehard Trader Joe's fan or just curious about what the specialty grocer has to offer, don't miss the lively article "Let's Try . . . Trader Joe's" by Jamie Saxon in the latest issue of U.S. 1 newspaper. The informative piece shares thoughts and tips on what's available at the store, which recently opened in the Square at West Windsor shopping center on Route 1 at Meadow Road.

Click here to read the article online or pick up a copy of the October 21 print edition. U.S. 1 is available free at many locations in our area. Trader Joe's is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm.

Possible Manatee Sighting in Bayonne

Photo by USFWS

Someone reported seeing a manatee in the Kill Van Kull near the Atlas Yacht Club in Bayonne, but it's unconfirmed. The caller made the report to the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday night at about 8:30. The Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) were called in, but they were unable to find the manatee and confirm if it was Ilya. Chuck Underwood from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said, "The sighting was only for two or three minutes so, although it seems likely, we can't confirm it." As temperatures fall, Bob Schoelkopf, director of the MMSC, warns that "we're running out of time."

We're not surprised Ilya would be curious about the Kill Van Kull in Bayonne, but we hope he heads south to warmer waters soon.

One of Our Books on ABC's FlashForward

My godson Thomas Kulik, natural science wiz and sci-fi fan, was excited to tell us some very interesting news. Last week's episode of the new ABC TV show FlashForward featured Birds of North America, a field guide that our Nature Guide Jon Latimer, bird expert and artist James Coe, and I revised and updated a few years ago. This guide is one of the leading authorities on American birds. It has introduced hundreds of thousands to the sport of birding. The book appears in the third episode, "137 Sekunden," which follows a story line about crows dying mysteriously around the world. Thanks to FlashForward for choosing our field guide and to my eagle-eyed Tom for being such a loyal fan — of FlashForward and of our books!

Parcel 6 — 4:56 pm

Someone's been eating the viburnum.

FAQ on Long-Term Reserves

Residents of Princeton Landing are probably aware that the Board of Directors is reviewing the Association's policy on long-term capital reserves and considering adoption of an updated reserve study. I recently wrote a set of "Frequently Asked Questions" to help homeowners understand why it's important for Princeton Landing to have adequately funded long-term reserves. The FAQ explains what a reserve study is, why we have long-term reserves, and what the issue means to homeowners in our community. For those who want more in-depth background, it includes links to additional information on a variety of other websites. Click here to read the FAQ.

Parcel 2 — 5:30 pm

Manatee Stranded in New Jersey

Photo from USGS

A rescue attempt is being planned right now for a Florida manatee stranded in New Jersey's Arthur Kill. The manatee, whose name is Ilya, is huddling near an outfall pipe at an oil refinery in Linden. Marine scientists know this sea cow well. He has been making his way up and down the East Coast for the past 10 years and has been spotted recently in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland.

The outfall pipe is the only place where Ilya can now find water warm enough to survive. Manatees need a water temperature of 68 degrees or warmer. Below that, they become susceptible to hypothermia. The water in the Arthur Kill, located between New Jersey and Staten Island, is estimated to be between 60 and 64 degrees. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC), a rescue group in Brigantine, has obtained permission from federal wildlife authorities to try to move Ilya to their facility. There he will be placed in a holding tank to warm him. After a few days he will be flown to Florida, possibly aboard a military transport plane.

Bob Schoelkopf, director of the MMSC, reports that Ilya appears to be in good shape. For the time being, he is being guarded by authorities in a fenced-off, heavily guarded section of the refinery that is not accessible to the public.

Today's bad weather made a rescue effort impossible, but another attempt may be made tomorrow or Sunday if the rain and wind subside. Charles Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, said he hopes Ilya can hang on until the storm passes.

So do we.

94 Acres

Languages

There are no handles upon a language

Whereby men take hold of it

And mark it with signs for its remembrance.

It is a river, this language,

Once in a thousand years

Breaking a new course

Changing its way to the ocean.

It is mountain effluvia

Moving to valleys

And from nation to nation

Crossing borders and mixing.

Languages die like rivers.

Words wrapped round your tongue today

And broken to shape of thought

Between your teeth and lips speaking

Now and today

Shall be faded hieroglyphics

Ten thousand years from now.

Sing—and singing—remember

Your song dies and changes

And is not here to-morrow

Any more than the wind

Blowing ten thousand years ago.

— Carl Sandburg

Nature Guide: Pearl Crescent

The bright orange and black Pearl Crescent, a butterfly we described in spring, can still be seen around Princeton Landing in autumn. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer tells us more about it. (Click on the photos to see a larger image.)

"The Pearl Crescent is a small butterfly with a wingspan of between 1 1/4 and 1 5/8 inches. Its color pattern is quite variable. The upper side of its wings is orange and brown crossed by fine black marks, and has a black border. You may also notice a distinctive dark patch containing a light-colored crescent on the underside of its back wing.

"Pearl Crescents feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, especially asters. They are most often found flying alone in weedy open areas such as pastures or vacant lots, or along roadsides, but they sometimes gather in groups near puddles. Pearl Crescents constantly patrol their area, flying low to the ground and often gliding. They will sometimes approach you quite closely, even landing on you for a moment.

"Pearl Crescents have several broods from April to November in our area, and throughout the year farther south. During winter in the North they hibernate as caterpillars. A Pearl Crescent caterpillar is dark chocolate brown with brown spines and white patches on its head."

D&R Canal — 12:41 pm

News From Simply Nic's

You can now purchase Simply Nic's Sweet & Savory Shortbread Bars online at Regional Best and Foodzie. Owner Nicole Bergman tells us that holiday baskets will be available online soon. Click here to find out where you can purchase Simply Nic's products locally or here to place a special order.

Nature Guide: Eastern Tailed-Blue Butterfly

As the weather turns cooler, there are fewer butterflies in our area. An occasional Monarch passes through, heading south to its wintering grounds in Mexico. Cabbage Whites are still around but will disappear with the first frost. Even so, there are some butterflies you can still see along our trails. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer tells us about one of them — the brightly colored Eastern Tailed-Blue. (Click on the photos to see a larger image.)

"Only about an inch long with a wingspan of 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches, the Eastern Tailed-Blue is commonly found in sunny, weedy fields, especially around patches of clover or alfalfa. The upper side of a male's wings is usually blue. The wings of some females are paler blue while others are brown. The color of the underside of either gender ranges from bluish white to tan. If you can get a close look, you may see a very narrow tail on the lower part of each wing, which gives this butterfly its name. You may also notice several distinct black spots on the underside of the wing, along with two or three large orange spots at the outer edge, near the tail.

"Eastern Tailed-Blues tend to fly close to the ground, but they sometimes bask with their wings at a 45 degree angle. During warm weather adult Eastern Tailed-Blues lay three broods of eggs, from April to October or November. The dark green caterpillar hibernates in winter, becoming a pupa and then an adult the following spring."

Good Morning

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

Courtyard Work at The Smith House

Work is in progress in the courtyard of the Smith House garden. Marcal Construction is replacing paving that was unattractive and unsafe. The new walks and patios will be constructed in a running bond pattern of concrete pavers, a sample of which is shown below. Instead of the previous stairway that led up to the courtyard, a more accessible ramp is being installed as well.

Sugar + Sunshine Bakery

If you haven't done so already, be sure to visit Sugar + Sunshine Bakery on Market Street in Plainsboro. Owners Gigi Burton and her husband Ray opened the shop in April 2008. They've built a loyal following — and a stack of accolades from the food press as well, including being selected best of the best by New Jersey Life magazine in their Best Bakeries category.

We can't say enough good things about their delicious collection of cupcakes, which are made daily with all-natural ingredients. Pete Genovese of The Star-Ledger wrote that he had "found chocolate cupcake nirvana." There are no preservatives and no artificial ingredients in any of Sugar + Sunshine's desserts. Everything is made from scratch in small batches in their on-site kitchen. In addition to their extensive variety of cupcakes, they have cakes, pies, cookies, brownies and more. Beverages include Small World coffee, teas, made-to-order hot chocolate and cold drinks without high fructose corn syrup. Click here to see a menu, which includes prices and their hours of operation.

You can check out their website, but we recommend going right over to the Village Center to see for yourself. (You can always join your neighbors later on the Loop Road to walk off those cupcakes.)

D&R Canal Towpath — 12:52 pm

Just Around the Corner

Thanks to property manager Sal Pirrera and maintenance supervisor Walter Kohani for relocating the Unsightly Site to a less conspicuous but nearby spot.

Nature Guide: Angular-winged Katydid

This Angular-winged Katydid appeared in the front garden today. Our Nature Guide Jon Latimer was there to check it out and gives us some information about katydids.

"Katydids are nocturnal insects related to crickets and grasshoppers. They are big and green and have large hind legs and extremely long, threadlike antennae. They also have wings but are poor flyers. When they fly, they hold their wings in a glider-like position and flutter downward. When they reach the ground, they walk to a nearby tree and climb up its trunk.

"Katydids are most abundant in the tropics, but the eastern United States is home to over 100 species. They live in trees, such as cherry, oak and maple, or on bushes or grasses. They feed on the foliage of the plants they inhabit.

"The name katydid comes from the male's repetitive rasping song on summer nights, which sounds like it is calling 'katydid, katy-didn't.' The song is made when a male rubs his forewings together (called stridulation) like a bow on a fiddle. Katydids hear through a structure called a tympanum, which is located on each foreleg. Because they are nocturnal, katydids are frequently heard but seldom seen.

"Katydids produce one generation each year. In early fall females deposit 100 to 150 oval eggs in lines on leaves or branches, or in the crevices of bark. The eggs last through winter and the young appear in early spring. They resemble adults but are smaller and lighter colored."

The Diary of a Young Girl

I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

Don't miss the only known video footage of Anne Frank. The Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam has begun showing it on the official channel dedicated to her on YouTube. The powerful footage was taken during a neighbor's wedding on July 22, 1941. It briefly shows Anne before she and her family were forced into hiding to avoid the Nazis during the World War II occupation of the Netherlands.

Anne Frank died at 15 in the German concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen, just two weeks before British and Canadian troops liberated the camp. Her posthumously published diary is one of the most widely read books of all time.