A visual chronicle of suburban NJ
My best guess is that this is a wild radish; however, from the photos I’ve seen, wild radishes have widely-spaced petals that splay all over the place. These petals look too neat.
While it might not be a radish, it’s almost certainly something in the Brassicaceae family. Brassicaceae are also known as Cruciferae, which means “cross-shaped,” which refers to the four-petaled flowers.
What do you think?
I was surprised to find this snowy egret in Shallcross Pond in Kenilworth. Just, y’know, hangin’ out, four feet from the bike path.
When I got a liiiiiiittle too close, it flew across the pond.
Don’t worry, it came back later! I didn’t scare it off too badly.
I saw a bunch of red admiral butterflies! I think they were mating. Mostly they were zipping around way faster than my camera could catch them, but occasionally they’d rest on the ground near me for a minute or two.
(By “I saw a bunch” I mean “I saw more than one.” I’m not sure whether I saw two or twenty.)
I went on a group hike through the South Mountain Reservation this past weekend!
It started off about as you’d expect— a moderately slow tromp through the woods, with occasional stops to point out cool plants or conservation efforts or what-have-you— but as the day drew on, our guide (Lou) started getting creative with our route, and we ended up (among other places) crossing this barely-a-bridge built of concrete medians and a wobbly wooden board.
This barely-a-bridge was apparently constructed in 1991 as part of an Eagle Scout project.
It was a lot of fun! I wholeheartedly recommend.
These hikes are organized by the South Mountain Conservation [link, including future scheduled hikes] (which is not affiliated with the Essex County Park Commission) (but is still pretty cool).
This skeletal remnant has been lying near/in a trail on the Watchung Reservation for at least a few months, since the last time I came through this way.
The ribs and tibia make it something bigger than a rabbit, but the molars are reasonably small. The spot is also surrounded by gray fur. A dog, maybe, hit by a car on the nearby Glenside Avenue and rolled over here to die? I sure hope not. 
I’m not sure why I’m more upset at the idea of a dog dying here than, say, a badger dying here.
Lookout points are pretty spiffy, even if I need to go a little off-trail to get to them.
…weeeeeell, maybe more than a little off-trail. (*cough*)
A tiny lip of water trickling down a brook at the South Mountain Reservation.
…I’m a little bit obsessed with trying to photograph falling water at the moment.
I like living near the woods! Man oh man. All you city people with your culture and fancy restaurants and swanky nightlife, you ain’t got nothin’ on this.
Ducks! At Echo Lake in Mountainside. This is the east end of the lake.
I specify this because Echo Lake is a very long, narrow lake, and it matters.
