Memorial Day

Over the years there are many to be remembered.

Taps

The mournful and singular notes of Taps will be heard throughout the land this Memorial Day weekend. Like no other musical notes, these simple sounds tug on the heart and linger in the air....and ask us to remember.

Which Way Up?

The Blue Angels...

Jones Beach Air Show

Yesterday was the final day of practice for the annual Memorial Day Weekend Air Show at Jones Beach. The roar of the Blue Angels is an experience! See the post below...

Blue Angels

Always impressive, in tight formation the Blue Angels bank sharply over Jones Beach.

Time Out

Time for some reflection.......

Black Powder

As Memorial Day approaches it seems to me that we all have plenty of ancestors to Thank over the course of 234 years! (image is best largr)

Priscilla Under Sail

Priscilla, with restoration complete, again sails the waters of the Great South Bay. The Suffolk Maritime Museum now offers sailing tours of the bay aboard the much loved "Pris".

Life at The Beach

My Foxy Fire Island friend....

Smitty

The blacksmith shop at Old Bethpage is still banging away, it is a very active shop producing re-production items used at the site. Lighting for photographers is a bit of a challenge as the shop is very dimly lit.

Headed Back Home

It's Horseshoe Crab mating season on Long Island. These pre-historic creatures are just beginning their annual rite 0f reproduction leaving millions of eggs on the sandy beaches of the ocean and the bay. Between the new moon of May and the full moon of June these ancient creatures come ashore in droves to mate, many never make it back to the water as they become stranded or disorientated by the falling tide.

Fences

Authentic in it's 1850's era restoration, Old Bethpage Villge provides a glimpse into the daily lives of our ancestors. Looking at this scene Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Aunt Polly come to mind, not to mention the young passers-by who succumb to Tom's whitewashing scam!

Bartram's Covered Bridge

The 150th Anniversary of Bartram's Bridge in Newton Square, Pennsylvania is cause for a complete restoration. I found the original interior architecture very interesting, the 1860 construction was designed for "hay wagons stacked high and wide".

Young Fox

Very difficult to photograph, this young kit would dive under the walkway as soon as we appeared in view. There are four of them and plenty of dead fish, birds and even one partially devoured muskrat nearby. There is an odor that gives away their location! The fox population on Fire Island is doing rather well, it would appear. (best in large view)

Family of Fox

We recently returned to check on the progress of this Spring's Fox Family at the beach. Mother fox, since our visit in late April, has had a litter of four kits. The den is under this walkway, a major pedestrian thoroughfare for the summer weekend crowd. While we were able to get rather close earlier in the Spring, these guys are very skittish.

Hitting The Breaks

Flaps down, landing gear down and a perfect approach...Another look at the "dancing" egrets. (best in large view)

Staff Car

Looks like the C O has arrived. This 1940 Plymouth is in the process of being restored as a World War II staff car complete with wartime running lights.

Officers

Looks like re-enactment season is in full swing! Some many of these folks are right out of central casting...

Pretzels?

A step back in time, with modern day pricing....Old Bethpage Village, Long Island. ( check larger view for menu..)

Proud Old Lodge

The Main lodge at Connetquot State Park dates to the late 1800's when the entire park was the "Southside Sportsmen's Club". Sadly, the lake, river and the hatchery are devoid of trout as "experts" (?) are attempting to eliminate a virus that appeared to be spreading among the fish. In past years the hatchery would produce over 800,000 trout a year. The loss of this world class fishery is a monumental example of bureaucratic mismanagement. Currently there is discussion to close the entire park as a cost saving measure, so much for the stewardship of our elected officials in Albany!

Foggy Farm

My short morning in Lancaster County was shrouded in fog and dampened by rain. Still, some of the vistas were impressive through the mist! Click on the image for the better view.

Field Work

More from my short drive through the land of the Amish.

Sharing The Road

A trip back in time in Amish country on a misty morning road. Life is Good!

Lunch With Grandpa

Oliver doing his best Elton John imitation while dinning with the grandparents. For the past two and a half years this guy has had a camera lens in his face, he knows how to "ham" it up for sure!

Egret Ballet

On a recent bike ride we came across a group of egrets in a north shore estuary. Their graceful antics seemed like ballerina practice to me! Unfortunately for me, the light was wrong and my shutter speed too slow. Still, I enjoyed the show. :-) (and yes, this is better in the large format)

Fresh Fish

He makes it look easy!...and to think of all the money I have tied up in fishing gear! (best in larger view)

Inappropriate Request

Knowing when to say "No" is just as important as knowing when to ask for help! (best in large view)

Riverside

Spring along the Connetquot River has it's peaceful moments! (best in large view)

Tending Vines

Spring in the vineyards...I suspect that picking the grapes is the easy part!

Osprey Return

After disappearing from Long Island in the 1970's, the return of the Osprey is an impressive success. Environmentalists point to the banning of DDT ( a strong pesticide ) as a major factor in the return of these magnificent fish hawks. This nest is just off a bike trail on the south shore and we were "buzzed" by a nesting pair until we left the area. Difficult to catch with a hand held camera! (best in large view )

So, What HAVE You Been Doing?

I hear that every picture should tell a story. So, here goes... Well lately my wife has me on a mission using the GPS function of our iphones to search for hidden "treasure". I had no idea that "Geocaching" was such a world wide phenomena. Seems as if thousands of otherwise sane individuals use a hand held GPS to find items left hidden by others, sign the enclosed log book, add a trinket, replace the cache and then log on to the web site to record their success.

So I, like many others folks with way too much time on time on our hands, search the highways and byways using multi-billion dollar government satellites hunting for tupperware containers filled with crap from the dollar store! :-) Life is good!