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... 

A DRIVE THRU NORTH FORK, LI TO GREENPORT

This past week we took a drive along the very beautiful North Fork of Long Island with our destination being the town of Greenport.  We passed through the many quaint towns along the way, past endless vineyards, farms and farm stands, and even stopped to look at scenic Peconic Bay.  We took some of these photos on this recent trip and others were taken during past visits to the North Fork.  Below is a mix of photos taken by my husband and myself with a couple of my North Fork paintings thrown in...

On the north side of the North Fork is the Long Island Sound and to the south is the Peconic Bay.  So, it's many small towns are filled with old summer homes.  It was originally known during our lifetime mostly for it's plentiful farms, however.  Unfortunately, with farming being such a difficult way to earn a living many farms have been sold off in the past few decades.  At first it was feared that all the land would be turned into housing developments, and sadly a very small part of it has been.  But, blessedly before much of it was developed people began to realize that the land and climate were excellent for growing grapes.  And so, beautiful vineyards now line the roadways along with the many nurseries and farms that are still there.  So, to honor our once famous potato farms I'll begin with the land.......

A Present Day Long Island Potato Farm

The Hallockville Museum Farm, Sound Avenue, Riverhead is a wonderful place to learn more about LI's agricultural history.

You'll Always See The Current Day North Fork Farmers Working 

And Watering Their Crops

We Caught This Rainbow While A Sod Farm Was Being Watered

A Painting Of One Of The Farm Stands That Sells Delicious 

LI Produce

And Another North Fork Farm Stand

We're Still Proud Of Our Potatoes :)

A Pick-Your-Own Peach Farm In Calverton

Most Farm Stands Are Filled Not Only With Fresh Produce, But Also With Beautiful Flowers!

And Local Visitors

Charming Thimbles Nursery/Farm Stand

Now let's skip to the beautiful waters of the North Fork ....

Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound in Southold 

Now THAT'S The Way To Take A Nap On The Beach!

A Great Way To Relax

One Of The Endless String Of Creeks 

And Another Great Place For Kayaking 

Some More Local Tourists

Strong's Marina on Peconic Bay in Mattituck, One Of The Many Marinas Along The North Fork, And Where My Father Docked His Boat Many Years Ago And Enjoyed Many A Fishing Outing With My Mom And With His Cousin, George.  

Another thing you'll see lining the roadways are old homes, many of them are big old farm houses, some the homes of fishermen and sea captains and others are homes of the wealthy folks of former centuries.  Jedediah Hawkins was not a farmer, but he qualified as  a sea master of a coastal trading vessel, a government employee during the Civil War, and obviously one of the wealthy folk...

 Jedediah Hawkins Inn And Restaurant, South Jamesport, LI, NY

Built in 1863 by Jedediah himself

 Gazebo at Jedediah Hawkins Inn

Working Herb Garden Behind Jedediah Hawkins Restaurant

The North Fork's vineyards are both gorgeous and tasty and are everywhere now.  They are a business and tourist attraction unto themselves.  Many now house art shows, weddings, concerts, and all kinds of entertainment on weekends and there are countless tasting events daily.  You can rent a limo or a bus to take you and your friends hopping from one to another.  Because photos of the vineyards would easily fill a post in themselves I'll keep them brief here...

Welcome To The North Fork's Land Of Beautiful Vineyards

Many Vineyard Owners Place Flowers At The End Of Each Row Of Grapes

Summer Harvest

Autumn Harvest

And now to our final destination of the day, Greenport, LI., a whaling and shipbuilding town established in 1682.  During the Prohibition Era it was known for rumrunning and speakeasies because it's inhabitants knew the waters so well they could easily outrun the police.  Much more of the rich history of this town can be found in the Greenport Museum.  Today the town is probably most known as a tourist area.  Ice cream shops, quaint stores, restaurants and adorable old homes line the streets.  There's an old movie theater, park and newly renovated carousel for the children as well as a local beach.  Whether you visit for a day or rent for a month or more you're guaranteed to enjoy yourself in a laid back sort of way.  

Greenport Looking Back From The Pier

East Main Street, Greenport, LI, NY

Walking Down Main Street

The Famous Claudios Restaurant, One Of Many Restaurants In The Area

Sweet Indulgences, One Of Many Stores Along Main Street

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

Just A Quaint Little Scene In The Very Quaint Little Town Of Greenport, LI

Greenport Harbor

And, if you drive just a wee bit further on the North Road out of Greenport you can visit the beautiful Lavender Farm.  It's well worth the short drive to experience it.

So, whether you visit the North Fork of Long Island as a day trip:

Or you decide to stay the whole summer and rent a cabin on the beach:

 or anything in between you're guaranteed to experience beautiful things:

And so we come to the end of another gorgeous summer day on Long Island.....

Goodnight Everyone