Photo #359 – 11.08.09

Deutsche Marks, Francs, and Schillings

European currency is so fun looking.  Here we’ve got 10 Deutsche Marks (Germany), 10 Francs (Switzerland), and 20 Schilling (Austria).  In US Dollars, these are currently worth $7.60, $9.83, and $2.16, respectively, for a total of $19.59…expensive souvenir!  Unfortunately, both the Deutsche Marks and Schillings have been replaced by the Euro since 2002, but the Swiss Franc is still used in Switzerland (and nearby Liechtenstein).

I did bring some Deutsche Mark coins to a German bar in New York City earlier this year, but I didn’t try to use them…maybe another time.

Photo #358 – 11.07.09

Madison Missed the Ball

Don’t you hate it when you aim for a ball, swing your leg, and miss the ball entirely?!?  I’m not quite sure how Madison managed to do that with this ball, unless her foot went right through it, but I think she did kick it behind her on her back swing.

Photo #357 – 11.06.09

Crazy-Hair Jada

Two weekends ago, we got a chance to visit Jada at my parents’ house, and she is definitely getting bigger.  While she was sleeping most of the time, she did manage to open her eyes for a while, and they are some beautiful eyes!  Heather took this photo of Jada looking straight at her, wide-eyed and with a crazy head of hair.

She’s so cute.

Photo #356 – 11.05.09

Apgar Lookout Trail, Glacier National Park

A climb of about 1,850 feet over the course of 2.8 miles, the Apgar Lookout Trail ascends Apgar Mountain in Glacier National Park to reach the Apgar Fire Lookout with amazing views of Lake McDonald and the heart of Glacier.  One fine day during our family vacation in Glacier in 2002, Michael, Kristin and I tackled this hike.  There were quite a few switchbacks near the top of the mountain, but the climb was certainly worth it when we arrived at the top.  After taking in the great views, posing for some photos, and enjoying a snack or two, we headed back down the trail.

Back at the trailhead, we posed for a shot in front of the ‘Apgar Lookout Trail’ sign…I guess you had better be on the Look Out for us!

Here’s the webcam for the top of Apgar Mountain: Look at the snow on the distant mountaintops!

Photo #355 – 11.04.09

Line at the Outhouse…

Luckily, this was the longest line at the outhouse the whole Labor Day weekend we were camping up at the Joaquin campground, which isn’t too bad considering how many were camping out that weekend.  It’s quite the outhouse, complete with floor tiles, mosquito and small rodent netting, and all kinds of other great stuff.  It’s probably my second favorite outhouse…it’s hard to beat this one in the Yukon!

Photo #354 – 11.03.09

Stuffed Pepper Face

This is probably the most delicious stuffed pepper face I have ever seen…and eaten…

Photo #353 – 11.02.09

Happy 25th Birthday, Victoria!

Today is my cousin Victoria’s birthday!  I hope today is as much fun for her as her 4th birthday was, or better yet, even more funner than that birthday!  I’m guessing she won’t need a bright yellow booster seat and will be with friends not named Tigger, Piglet, and Pooh…

Anyway, have a great birthday, Victoria!

Photo #352 – 11.01.09

Cascade at Base of Silver Spray Falls

This silky little cascade was a nice little waterfall situated at the base of the much taller Silver Spray Falls (the lower portion of which is in the background of this photo).  The waterfalls in this area are definitely my favorite of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Photo #351 – 10.31.09

Amazon Headhunter and a Tall Sack of Shrunken Heads

It’s Halloween!!  You know what that means?!?  It’s time to get out some black and white paint, make some macaroni necklaces, stuff a bunch of burlap bags with ‘heads’ of some sort, and get ready for a fun Halloween!  At least that’s what my parents did back in 1986 for a Halloween party.  They certainly went all out!

I wish I had more Halloween photos from the past to share…I’ll have to scan some other great ones in soon…but I felt that these photos above were the scariest photos of my parents I know of (I mean that in the best of ways mom and dad…).  So have a Happy Halloween, eat some candy, scare some people, and most importantly, watch out for the scary headhunter and her shrunken head companion…

Photo #350 – 10.30.09

Maelstrom Fractal, Blue Sky

Located on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, this stainless steel installation is a pretty cool sight.  Whether viewed like the photo above with a blue sky backdrop, or with Central Park and the surrounding New York City skyline behind it, this massive (130 feet by 45 feet) structure is fractalicious.

Photo #349 – 10.29.09

Superman…and Some Guy in Tights…

I know it may be difficult to figure out, but the real Superman is on the left.  And just what are we looking at, you may be asking?

I’ll let you take a guess…

Photo #348 – 10.28.09

Gigglin’ Noah

Noah is quite the happy baby!  Here he is gigglin’ away while bouncing up and down on mommy’s legs…he couldn’t get enough of it.  Besides being happy, Noah is also busy getting big, as he seems to have grown quite a lot from the last time we saw him.

Photo #347 – 10.27.09

John GPSing on the Appalachian Trail

While out on a nice hike with friends a couple weekends ago on the Appalachian Trail through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, John struck a pose with a GPS receiver as we reached a wonderful overlook along Raccoon Ridge.  I was writing an article for the NY-NJ Trail Conference newsletter about how to choose a handheld GPS for hiking (see the article and other resources here!), and John offered to provide me with an action shot to accompany the article.  It took a few shots to get a good one, but this one worked out very well.  Great job, John!

And in case you’re wondering where exactly John was using the GPS receiver, click the ‘Map This’ button right below the photo!

Photo #346 – 10.26.09

Snowy Wheaton Valley

With some medium-sized snowflakes swirling about and a low cloud base obscuring the mountaintops, Ken and I wandered through the Wheaton River valley to dig snowpits.  While this area was particularly beautiful, it was also quite treacherous…Ken and I both kept sinking through deep snow, even with our snowshoes (there was a thick icy layer on top that supported our weight…but that layer wasn’t always thick…).

Photo #345 – 10.25.09

Clown Boy and Little Red Riding Hood, Halloween 1980

That’s quite the large green mop Michael has atop his head!  And I sure hope Kristin didn’t go around trick or treating in her bare feet…

Photo #344 – 10.24.09

Green Glass

This is a cool glass vase of some sort that is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  It is located in the American Wing and is in a section of all kinds of interesting glassworks.

I just thought this one had quite an interesting design.

Photo #343 – 10.23.09

The Creepy Collage House…Drawn by Mike Apgar, 1991

At the age of 13 and 1/2, Michael submitted the above drawing into the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show “Art in Sussex County” gallery.  Armed with a photo of the haunted house (my Daily Photo from October 14th) and a bunch of colored pencils, Michael produced this masterpiece, complete with a huge full moon cutout and bats.  I don’t believe the drawing received any awards, but I think it’s still pretty cool!

Here’s the original photo again for comparison:

Photo #342 – 10.22.09

The Big Dipper

On a clear summer evening, the Big Dipper is easily the most recognizable sight in the northern hemisphere sky.  The Big Dipper is an asterism that is part of the constellation Ursa Major (asterisms aren’t themselves constellations, but are usually patterns of stars that are within one or multiple larger constellations).

In the photo above, the Little Dipper (which is the common name for the constellation Ursa Minor) can also be found in the upper right corner (Polaris, the North Star, is the brightest star on the right hand side, and this as at the end of the ladle of the Little Dipper).

Photo #341 – 10.21.09

Hannah and Michael on the Carousel

I’m not quite sure who was having more fun riding horsies on this carousel, Hannah or Michael, but that doesn’t really matter as long as they were both having a good time.  This was Hannah’s first ride at the Sussex County Farm & Horse Show this past year, and daddy got to saddle up alongside her.

Photo #340 – 10.20.09

Pumpkin Cap

I think the pumpkin cap is a good look, Dad.  It’s also a lot easier than carving out a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern, and I think that face is better than any pumpkin carving anyway!

Photo #339 – 10.19.09

Wood Stove-Fired Smokies

When you’re holed up in a cabin in the Yukon and have a craving for juicy Smokies filled with real bacon and cheese, sometimes you just don’t feel like venturing outside to start up the grill.  Luckily, the ole’ wood-burning stove is usually roaring away and is great for roasting Smokies in the comfort of the indoors.

They were delicious.

Photo #338 – 10.18.09

Van Campens Glen, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Located near the historic Millbrook Village in the middle of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Van Campens Glen is a cool little ravine with some nice waterfalls.  There is a blazed trail that follows the brook for a while, and it isn’t one of the most well known areas of the park, so it usually isn’t too crowded.

Photo #337 – 10.17.09

Colorful Flames

Aren’t those some cool colors coming out of that fire?

Check out the rest of the photos from our camping trip this past Labor Day by clicking here:  Labor Day Campout

Photo #336 – 10.16.09

Jada, Madison, Kristin & Jon

Just 4 days old in this photo, little Jada posed for a nice family shot with her big sister and mom and dad.  They sure look like a nice family!

Photo #335 – 10.15.09

Sledding Time with Grandpa

We’ve got this fun Nor’easter blowing through the northeast for the next few days, and it is bringing some of the first snow flurries (and accumulation!) of the season.  So I guess dad/grandpa will have to pull out his sled-pulling harness earlier than usual this year!

Photo #334 – 10.14.09

The Creepy Collage House of Sussex

This is probably one of the creepiest houses I’ve ever seen, and it was sort of a cross between Psycho’s Bates Motel and the Addams Family Mansion.  It was once located on Route 23 somewhat across the street from the Sussex Queen Diner (now the site of a brand new QuickChek!).  I believe my mom took this photo back in 1987 soon after we moved to the area, and we passed by it all the time and thought it was pretty scary.

Too bad we never checked out the inside…because in doing a little research, I found some even more disturbing information about this house that was torn down sometime in the early 90s.  There was an article about it in Weird NJ, and apparently the inside of the house (and another building behind it) was even creepier than the outside.  Some of the bedrooms were completely covered in weird collages of underwear models and kids and other stuff…and that is why it is referred to as the ‘Collage House’…

Photo #333 – 10.13.09

Jake and the Sunset

Here’s one thing that Jake and I share: we both love sunsets.

And that’s about where the similarities end…with the exception of some occasional meowing sounds that come out of my mouth…

Photo #332 – 10.12.09

Happy 60th Birthday, Aunt Ellen!!

Guess who’s birthday is today!?  Noooo, it’s not Columbus…it’s Aunt Ellen!  And she is 60 years young today!  So happy birthday Aunt Ellen,  we hope you have a great birthday!

Photo #331 – 10.11.09

Snowy Catskills

The Catskill Mountains sure do look purdy with a blanket of snow and some trees that are still holding onto their orange leaves.  This photo was taken near the end of October last year after a snowstorm came out of nowhere and dumped up to a foot on some of these mountaintops.

Photo #330 – 10.10.09

The Temple of Dendur

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is a big place…it even has a room that holds an Egyptian temple!  Elysia, Shelby and Heather are standing next to a portion of the Temple of Dendur, built around 15 B.C.  We had a great time exploring all the museum has to offer, from furnished period rooms, to ‘cute’ pistols made by Tiffany, to some great masterpieces by Monet, Picasso, and tons of other great artists.  I think we did a pretty good job of seeing what we wanted to see in a 5 hour period, although you could definitely spend so much more time there than that.

Photo #329 – 10.09.09

The Clown Girl, the Bat Boy, and the Halloween Robot Kid

It was Halloween night, 1986.  Kristin, just barely 8-years old, and Michael, almost 10-years old, were ready to go out into the neighborhood and fill their pumpkins (and Unicef boxes!).  I, being about 3 and a half, was probably out for a bit in the early evening and then went to bed.  But hey, mom, you sure did know how to put together some great costumes!

For some reason, Kristin got tons of candy and Michael came back with only a few pieces of candy…it’s probably not a great idea to wear all black at night, or else people cannot see you and give you candy…

Photo #328 – 10.08.09

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

This was the first stop on our cruise, and we had a great time!  We checked out some cool little shops and stopped by Margaritaville in the morning, went back to the ship to get our beach stuff, and spent the rest of the afternoon out on the beach.  It was one of the more rocky beaches I’ve been on (I went out in the ocean with my sandals because my feet would have been pretty badly scraped).  But along this stretch of the beach, just a little ways from the main beach area, we found all kinds of huge conch shells and sea glass and lots of neat stuff.  It was a great place to be able to explore, especially since there weren’t too many people in this area.

Photo #327 – 10.07.09

Stolzenfels Castle, Rhine River, Germany

This here is a fairly old castle…the original structure was completed in 1259, later destroyed by the French in 1688, and rebuilt around 1842…that sits upon the shore of the Rhine River in Germany near the city of Koblenz.  We passed by it on a cruise down the river during one of our last days in Germany back in 2001, and it was definitely impressive sitting up there on the hillside.

Photo #326 – 10.06.09

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!

Believe it or not, the photo above was taken 37 years ago!  I’m sure they can hardly believe it themselves.  So happy anniversary Mom and Dad!!

And since halloween is coming up, here is one of their great costumes from 1973 (their one year anniversary):

Raggedy Jan and Bob

Photo #325 – 10.05.09

Apgar Schoolhouse, 1915-1958

Right in the middle of Apgar, Montana at the entrance to Glacier National Park sits this little red building, which served as the one-room schoolhouse in Apgar from 1915 to 1958.  It is now a nice little gift shop and also contains lots of photos, written letters, and other things from the original schoolhouse.

I think I would have liked going to Apgar School…