Greetings from Joisey!

This picture was taken about 75 miles from New York City, in New Jersey, of all places. Notice the throngs of people and the rampant development. We're in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and it was one of the prettiest, most peaceful places I've seen in the East! For 40 miles, I cruised along backroads near the Delaware River, through beautiful forests, past peaceful farm fields.

I did have one encounter with a Jersey local. As I was plodding along with the top down (beautiful day) a black bear loped across the road not far in front of me! There was no traffic, so I stopped the car in the road near where the bear had gone into the bush. He stood up to take a look at me in my car, maybe 50 feet away, so I lined up a shot; but an instant before I clicked the shutter, the bear dropped down into the bushes and I never got another good look at him. I did take a picture but the bear was not visible. But...who would think that the only bear I'd see so far on the trip would be in...New Jersey?! Actually it's cool that bears live in the woods less than a two hour drive from Manhattan.