New Jersey, home of the most people per square mile, the most horses per person, and…a thriving alpaca fiber industry. What can surprise you about this state anymore?

It’s true. The New Jersey Alpaca Community has more than 35 member farms, active in breeding (and showing) the critters and harvesting their wool for luxurious yarns. An exemplar of this setup is Windy Farm Alpacas in Chesterfield, which offers year-round sales of alpacas, yarns and hand-knitted items, as well as tours and knitting and felting classes.

We visited to procure a Christmas present highlighting local and sustainable farms, and left with several skeins of yarn from Amanda, a gingerbread-colored female with the longest eyelashes of the herd. It was a cute tour, with hand-spinners at work, gorgeous hand-knit sweaters, unusual gift items and pastures full of charming animals. We thank owner Jackie Armiger for the poignant experience.

It was a gallant idea, but alas, the giant concrete horseshoe crab sculpture unfortunately smashed on its way to the ocean floor during the installation ceremony. News reports say that sonar scans show the structure in pieces on the sea bed. This means New Jersey is not home to the largest underwater sculpture in the world after all. Bright side: the scattered concrete pieces will still serve as an effective artificial reef for the saltwater critters of the area. Since we don’t have sonar and underwater imaging capabilities, no photos for this one…

Reports have arisen that there is a beaver or beaver family living in a pond off Hart’s Lane in East Brunswick, and as rodent lovers we had to investigate.  How beavers could get to this locale is beyond our comprehension, but the notion of them living in this community elated us. We drove to the little water feature and saw some very, very suspicious activity–chomped-down trees and piled up sticks.  No visual confirmation of the buck-toothed cuties, but we are rooting for them here and everywhere.  Based on the photos, what do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playmobil toys are hallmarks of Germany, but where there’s a will, New Jersey will find a way, and in fact the manufacturer has its warehouse and US offices right here in a complex in Cranbury near the Turnpike 8A entrance.

The products are made in Germany and Malta, and distributed in the US through this facility.  With a side jaunt through the warehouse complex though, it is easy to see the company’s logo face emblazoned hundreds of times larger than life on the building’s exterior.  There is no retail at this location, although they have been known on occasion to have a warehouse sale–but there is a Playmobil Fun Park and store at Woodbridge Mall for those who are inspired to purchase. Toys make everyone happy!

A couple of things caught our eye as we drove away from the Princeton area.