Anthony Altorenna's Lensography

Too young for Woodstock, but just the right age for the Hey Days of the Jersey Shore when boardwalk arcades, fast cars and seashore bars ruled the scene from Sea Bright down Ocean Ave to the Long Branch Pier, on to West End and then down the coast to Brielle. And of course, the nucleus was Asbury Park. Too many nights were spent cruising the Circuit, circling endlessly between Kingsley and Ocean Avenues, or stopping by the Stone Pony where Southside Johnny & the Jukes played three nights a week. After the boardwalk and the bars closed down, we'd often just hang out on the beach.

And every now and then, the Boss made an appearance. Those lucky enough to be there late enough might catch him sitting in for a song or two with one of the local bands.

College, gainful employment and marriage took me up to New England, away from the beach but into the quiet and peaceful beauty of the woods.

A new house on ten wooded acres with lots of boulders, granite outcroppings and trees provided the starting point for our backyard retreat. Deer and turkeys roamed our property, along with many other animals and birds.

We hung birdhouses and birdfeeders, put out a salt lick and cracked corn, and built a small pond.

Over time, we carved out a few flower and vegetable beds, digging out rocks from nearly every hole whenever we tried to plant anything, which became small stonewalls and borders along pea stone paths. Along with the native plants, we added many different varieties of perennials and flowering shrubs, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apple trees and more. After twenty years, our wildlife friendly yard is home to flying squirrels and snakes, toads and wood frogs, birds from chickadees to woodpeckers to kestrels and hawks, bats and all kinds of butterflies, bugs and countless other little critters. Most are welcomed, and nearly all are at least tolerated.

Many of our backyard and DIY projects are documented in my lenses, and here are a few of my favorites. Though new to Squidoo, I have tried to emulate the quality of featured lensmasters while retaining my utilitarian 'how to' style. As you will see from my lenses, most of my writing and photos center around my hobbies: tending to our wildlife friendly property, making birdhouses and fishing.

These may not be my most popular articles, but these are the lenses that I most enjoyed creating.

Create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Attracting wildlife to your backyard is a fun and rewarding experience, and can enhance the enjoyment of any yard. Whether you live in the city, on a small s...

Making Wooden Birdhouses
Wooden birdhouses are standard fixtures in many gardens, and avid birders put out birdhouses and bird feeders with the hope of attracting their favorite feat...

Making Folk Art Decoys
Back in the day of market hunters, simple silhouette decoys made from flat pieces of wood were used to hunt shorebirds, crows, pigeons, waterfowl and just ab...

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How To Build a Backyard Fire Pit Using Fieldstone
Backyard fire pits are popular elements in landscape design, ranging from a simple fire ring to lavish outdoor fireplaces. Fueled by wood or propane gas, a b...

Attracting Bluebirds into Your Garden
Bird watchers and gardeners try to attract bluebirds into their yards, both for their beauty and for the beneficial role they play by eating many different t...

Some habits die hard.

Cover Songs: Bruce Springsteen
Over his long, prolific and continuing career, Bruce Springsteen has written and recorded hundreds of songs and cemented his position as an iconic songwriter...

Quit Smoking Cigarettes: A Plan for Success
It is often said that smokers never really quit; we just stop smoking cigarettes for extended periods of time. There are many smoking cessation programs and ...

Stocking a Home Bar
With the right liquors, a few mixers, a little quality barware and some fresh ingredients, you'll have all of the ingredients for a fully stocked bar that ma...

5 Tips for Creating Professional Voicemail Greetings
A Professional Voicemail Greeting is an important business tool for communicating with colleagues and customers. Voicemail is a common communications applica...

Handling Customer Complaints
Follow these 7 steps for Handling Customer Complaints and Improving Customer Service: In today's services oriented industries, it is extremely important for...

VoIP Phone Systems for Small Businesses
Many small business owners are asking if VoIP phone systems are right for their companies. VoIP (voice over internet protocol) telephony represents a major s...

Writing Effective Email
Writing Effective Emails: Email has quickly become one of the primary communication mediums in today's business environment, and is used internally between ...

8 Tips for Organizing Email
The global adoption of email as a primary means of business communications adds speed, efficiency and employee empowerment to the sending and receiving of in...

How to be a Successful Teleworker
Working from Home: Advancements in IT and communications technology is changing the accepted "norm" of the typical office environment, leading more...