Friday (01-May-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Afternoon May Day walkabout looking for flowers. Just had some heavy rain. While in shutdown mode, I haven’t used the front door that much. When I went out today, I noticed a bird nest has been built above the door. The door is splattered with mud. I need to figure what type of bird built the nest. Last year, a House or Carolina Wren built a nest in a hole where the doorbell button used to be mounted. The Plum tree is still in bloom, the Japanese Maple tree has filled out with red leaves. The last Tulip to bloom this spring is yellow. The first outdoor California Poppy flower opened today. Also, one of the Lilac shrubs planted last spring has started to bloom.

Birds nest above the front door. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 1250, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Birds nest above the front door. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 1250, 60 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plum tree flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.5, 1/320 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plum tree flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.5, 1/320 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Japanese Maple Tree. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.2, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Japanese Maple Tree. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.2, 1/200 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Tulip flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Tulip flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
California Poppy flower after the rain. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
California Poppy flower after the rain. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/4, 1/500 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Lilac flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.5, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Lilac flowers. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 60 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 60 mm, f/3.5, 1/400 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (50.9 kWh) from meter readings the Sense Home Energy Monitor. The daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (51.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The sun was out after the rain passe. A surplus of 0.2 kWh.


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Wednesday (08-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

It rained early in the morning with lots of thunder and lightning during the storm. When I went for my morning walkabout some of the flowers still had water droplets. The four-year old daffodil flower bed along the road on the west side of the house is doing well. I tried planting native daylilies in the same bed and they were eaten by the deer. The Piers Japonica shrub started blooming. It was here when I moved in, and the deer have not touched it. The Grape Hyacinth bulbs planted last year along the east side walkway started blooming. The deer were nibbling on the plants before they flowered. Now the deer are ignoring them. Maybe it is the hyacinth perfume? I also saw a number of tiny wild Violet flowers blooming in the backyard lawn. These may be too low to the ground for the deer to nibble.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Daffodil flower with water droplets. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/16, 1/180 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Red Tulip flower with water droplets. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/600 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Daffodil flower with water droplets. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 640, 80 mm, f/16, 1/120 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Daffodil flower with water droplets. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/8, 1/120 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Daffodil Garden (4 years old). Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1250, 80 mm, f/16, 1/120 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
White Piers Japonica flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/900 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Japanese (Red) Maple Tree Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Purple Grape Hyacinth flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 400, 80 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Purple Grape Hyacinth flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 400, 80 mm, f/16, 1/120 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Wild Violet flower in the lawn. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/4, 1/120 sec). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.1 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (59.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny with intermittent clouds. A surplus of 3.5 kWh.

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Ten-Years Ago (02-November-2008) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

Fall Colors — Intense Red Japanese Maple leaves before they fall off the tree. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec).

Fall Maple Leaves. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)
Fall Maple Leaves. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera  and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J. Mathre)

Thursday (01-November-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

One of the few days since I returned from Portugal that the rain stopped. The Japanese Maple tree is bright red. One pink Cosmos flower remained, and the Zinnia flowers are on their last leg. I need to mow the remaining wildflowers, and plant for next spring.

Japanese Maple. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Japanese Maple. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Japanese Maple. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Japanese Maple. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Late Blooming Pink Cosmos Flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Late Blooming Pink Cosmos Flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Late Blooming Red Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)
Late Blooming Red Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (David J Mathre)