A LATE SUMMER STROLL AT STONY BROOK HARBOR

One spectacularly beautiful day this past week in mid-September I had a couple of hours to spare so I decided to head down to Stony Brook Harbor for a late afternoon walk.  The air was crystal clear with a deep blue sky.  It was warm but very windy.  Though glorious, the day gave a definite hint that summer 2012 will soon be over here on Long Island.  That thought makes me feel very melancholy.  I wanted to preserve the day to relive it sometime in the future...possibly during this year's February blizzard?  :-)  It was such a pleasant walk that I couldn't help but snap a few pictures with my trusty iPhone...

Stony Brook Creek

This is the Stony Brook Yacht Club's old dock which sits in Stony Brook Harbor

The harbor area is lined with rocks on it's east side to help keep erosion at bay.  This is one of the more beautiful ones there.  My earth-science teacher husband say's this is a fine example of a rock by the name of "Gneiss".  The camera couldn't capture it, but it was sparkling in the sun with it's veins of mica.  When this is cut flat and polished you might recognize it as what we're all calling it these days, a granite counter top.  

This is a retired fork lift that's been put out to pasture and is now "antiquing" itself in the yacht club graveyard.

The Last Rose of Summer?

This is where Stony Brook Harbor empties into Long Island Sound.  That sky is what captured my attention, though.  So a beach walk was definitely in order, with that little building in the righthand bottom corner of this picture being my destination.

A Lonely September Beach and Two Sole Fishermen

It's high tide and at the end of the beach across a small inlet is a tiny piece of land called Shipman's Point.

Sitting on Shipman's Point is the Stony Brook Gamecock Cottage, built in the 1860's for the purpose of raising game birds.  It was moved to this spot from a nearby street on a floating raft in the 1880's.  The two story structure was placed in this location to house rowing shells.  Then, in the early 1900's it was used, and rented out, as a beach cottage by Mrs. Frank Melville.   Wouldn't you love to spend a few days there?!!  Unfortunately, it is now  owned by the town and is registered as a National Historic Building.  As you would imagine it also takes a prize for being the most photographed and painted place in our Three Village Area.

As I turned to head back up the beach and into the sun, this was the  striking sight I saw.

And this big guy was getting quite a ride as the strong wind whipped his web back and forth.  He was moving so fast I couldn't even get a clear photo of him.  Obviously, he's a thrill seeker!

Although these photos probably make the day look calm this little video will show just how windy it really was by the water.

And, now back to Stony Brook Creek and then a brief side trip across the street to enjoy a few of the area's end of summer flowers at the harbor's local inn and eatery.

The Three Village Inn

With it's outdoor bridal arch,

A late day shot of a Crepe Myrtle bough,

And, one more parting goodbye to that fabulous September sky.

Thank you for letting me share this late summer day with you.  I hope you enjoyed it.

JUST A LITTLE PARK

On a beautiful summer day recently, I found myself back in Frank Melville Park, Setauket, NY, my favorite place to unwind and enjoy nature.  The park is roughly 16 acres, 12 of which are wooded and the rest is a lake area.  This isn't the first post on this blog that I've dedicated to Melville Park, and it probably won't be the last.  Although there's nothing particularly exciting this time around, I just couldn't resist sharing my deep appreciation for the lushness of late summer on Long Island...

Everyone calls this 2 acre section of the park "The Bamboo Forest".  There's a solid maze of bamboo stalks inside and it's lots of fun to explore.

Welcome to the Unofficial Front Door.

This area floods and fills with frogs during spring rains.  The peeping can be deafening at times!

 This is an azalea path, gorgeous when blooming in May, and beautifully lush this time of year when it serves as a path for the deer that run through the park each daybreak and nightfall.

 Another Lovely Little Meadow

There are several structures in the park that were in use at the time the park was donated early in the 19th century and are still maintained in their original condition.

The Little Horse Barn

The Old Grist Mill And Its Water Wheel

The Mill Window Box

The Old Barn

A Local Bee Keeper Maintains His Hives Near The Park's Community Vegetable Gardens

Unfortunately, by late summer the lake has a problem with algae overgrowth due to street run off.  Our community has been raising funds to reclaim the lake.  The several year-long process began last year.

That's a swan family in the rear and 6 turtles sunbathing on an anchored log (placed there for just this purpose) in the right forefront of the picture.  

A Closer Look At The Swan Family 

This little boy caught a sunny, the first fish I've ever seen caught in the lake in the 40 years I've been going to this park!  Not that there aren't lots of fish in the lake; there are.  There's just usually no good fishermen.  :-)

Late Blooming Honeysuckle

And.....something???

Which path to take home?

Of course, the easy one!  :-)

And, I came home to a fun surprise, our new furry grandbaby, Little Miss Lola

Thanks for letting me share my love of foliage with you...