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!

The Lawn

Springtime at the Bayard Cutting Mansion on the grounds of the arboretum. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

Lunch Break

If you have a bagged lunch and a little time, I've found the spot!

Catching Up

Be still my heart! The Mets, after a disastrous start, are back even playing .500 ball. It's a long season. :-) (best in large view)

Fire Island Fox

Spring time action around the fox den!

By The Bay

We have been blessed with several days of beautiful weather lately, the bay is very inviting and rumor has it that the bluefish have returned!

Where's Grandpa?

Another proud grandparent photo...

Late Light

The marsh by St. Ann's in Sayville took on an unusual glow in the late afternoon. My attempts to capture it were somewhat frustrating but it was a great end to a very energizing walk in the countryside. Life is good!

By The River

Long stretches of "forever wild" riverbank along Brown's River make for some very enjoyable April strolls. It can be so peaceful and quiet that one can almost imagine a Long Island before suburbia. (best in large view)

Spruced Up

Volunteers have been busy at the Marine Museum. Fresh paint, spit and polish and elbow grease have the place ready for Earth Day and other spring celebrations.

On The Move

As the weather warms the Fox family will need to adjust to sharing their living space with Fire Islanders day trippers.

Fun At Grandpa's

This week's life discovery: Sunglasses (complete with fingerprints)! :-)

Keeping Watch

More from the Fox family of Fire Island.

20 Innings!

You just had to be a real fan to stay with this game for hours on end. After 20 innings, after using everyone on the bench and everyone in the bullpen, and after scoring only two runs the Mets managed to defeat the Cards 2-1. Phew.... (best in large view)

Meadowcroft Afternoon

Meadowcroft, the historic Roosevelt family summer home, has recently undergone a thorough external paint job. In the afternoon spring sunshine the stately "cottage" looks as sharp as ever. (best in large view)

Country Road

The return of spring has me re-visiting some of my favorite country walks. Life is good! :-)

Priscilla

Restored and refurbished, the oyster dredge schooner Priscilla sits decked out in all her finery at the Long Island Marine Museum. Priscilla, named after the original owner's wife, was a working oyster boat from 1888 to 1963. The restoration project was a process of several years and the result of energy from many volunteer craftsmen. (best in larger view)

She's Baaack!

Our "Spring Splash" was over the weekend. Recess is back in the bay for the 2010 season! :-)

Foxxy Lady

With Recess back in the water we took our first "shake down" cruise of the season to Fire Island. Naturally we were curious if the "Fox Family" were still living around our favorite beach area. We were able to track very fresh prints in the sand. At least one member of the clan greeted us and was willing to provide us with some great photo opportunities!

Sharp Turn

More action from the surf....

Spring Fashion

Some people just know how to enjoy the Spring weather! :-)

Spring Reflections

Every day gets a bit greener! :-)

Turtle Rehab

The Marine Life Center in Juno Beach released three sea turtles back into the environment after nursing them back to health at their facility. Hundreds of "fans", who apparently were on a first name basis with the turtles, lined the ocean shore to watch the event.

The Pier

Juno Pier, Juno Beach's happening "spot". Fishermen, surfers and just folks watching the world go by keep the scene ever changing.

Night Launch

A Titan Rocket carrying a weather satellite rises in the night sky above Cape Canaveral. Our tickets to see the shuttle launch became useless due to it's cancelation in mid-March. We were thrilled however to be able to view this light show in the night sky! I shot this hand held with a high ISO, hence some "noise" in the image.

Future Astronaut

Evidently, preparation for flight is a rather serious affair! ... From the "Proud Grandpa" series.

Easter Greetings

The season of re-birth and new beginnings has arrived and "Peeps" are everywhere. A history of how these marshmallow treats became icons is interesting: click here. HAPPY EASTER...

The Flip

...AND he landed on his feet! You can always pick out the young ones who haven't been hurt yet! :-)

Spring Training

Let the games begin. Most teams have packed up, closed camp and headed back to the big ballpark. MLB returns in earnest after the weekend.

Boat Show Shine

While most of the vessels on display at the Palm Beach County Boat Show were beyond my reach (sale prices were "reduced" by millions), the show certainly re-kindled my boating bug. Must be time to unwrap, wax and launch"Recess"! :-)