Saw this at the top of the steps along a fortress wall at Castillo San Cristóbal. What is it?

Sorry but didn't have a quarter on me, although it was about that size.

Last Monday I asked: How many deer do you see in this photo, taken last week in the Celery Farm? (Click image to enlarge.)

Not the greatest pic, I know, but there are at least eight deer in it, including at least one lying down.  (There were 10 in the herd but couldn't get them all with one shot, so to speak.)

After being away for almost a week, I noticed that the Sun is rising a little more eastward (as opposed to more southward) now.

Can spring be far behind? (Knock on wood.)

The Cool Green Science blog has a helpful post about the exotic (and/or domestic) ducks you might see at a local pond, including a few that have popped up at the Celery Farm and elsewhere in North Jersey.

The link is here. (Photo by Fred Virrazzi.)

As most of you may know, Stiles & Lillian Thomas moved to Massachusetts this month after living in Allendale for more than 70 years -- and more than 95 years in Stiles' case.

To mark their departure, I wrote a tribute column for The Record. If the link is not here, it's because I'm traveling.

In the meantime, you can go to to northjersey.com and do a search -- or buy the Thursday paper.

In the photo above, Stiles is installing one of the hundreds of bluebird boxes that he put up all over North Jersey and beyond.