East River In Madison

East River, Madison, July 2009

Mouse Island

Map

Mystic River Railroad Bridge

West Harbor

West Harbor, Fishers Island

Red

The Catboat

Untitled

Knollwood Beach

Knollwood Beach, Old Saybrook May 2009

Stratford Point Lighthouse

Stratford Point Light, July 2009 First Lit: 1881 Lighthouse Friends (map) New England Lighthouses Cyberlights Flying Santa Photo Gallery

Almost A Full Moon

Farmers Almanac: Full Moon Names And Their Meanings

Garvies Point Preserve

Often, timing is everything. About a week after I visited Garvies Point Preserve I saw several news stories about bottlenose dolphins that were spotted along this section of Hempstead Harbor. Some of the video footage I saw looked as if it were filmed from this exact location. I didn't see any dolphins when I was here, but I did find a natural history museum, and 62 acres of wooded bluffs that lead down to a rocky shoreline. I skipped the museum and instead walked a trail that winds it's way along the top of the bluffs. The woods and the meadows were still very wet from the recent rainfall, and my clothes became wet as well. Some areas of the preserve are significantly overgrown which limited the view and required a certain amount of bushwacking. The property has been overrun by an invasive vine known as porcelain-berry. These vines have blocked sunlight and thwarted root growth for many of the native plants and trees. Garvies Point Preserve has been fighting a difficult battle, attempting to remove the vines and restore native growth. I followed a wooden stairway that descended the bluffs and brought me to the rocky beach below. The sky was still overcast and it looked and felt as if it would start raining at any moment. To the south I could see the hills of Sea Cliff, and to the north of me was Morgan Park. Across the bay in the distance, I could see some of the estates of Sands Point. I remember thinking to myself that this is most likely the least known piece of public shoreline in the area. At least it was before the dolphins arrived. Garvies Point Museum And Preserve Newsday: Dolphins' Local Swim A Good Sign Sphere: What Does It Mean? Huffington Post: Dolphins In LIS (video) Map

Point No Point

Point-No-Point (aka Seawall Overlook), Stratford, July 2009 Connecticut Coastal Access Guide Map

Fishers Island Ferry

Fishers Island Ferry, June 2009 Schedule And Fares FishersIsland.net Map

Fort Totten

Fort Totten.org NYC Parks: Fort Totten Flickr: Photos Map

Fog In My Eye

Some of you have probably noticed the round, dark spots that have appeared in many of the photos of my recent posts(here and here). About 5 weeks ago I had a batch of photos that all had a dark circle just left of center, in the upper half. I originally just chalked this up to a dirty lens. I cleaned the camera, and the next batch of photos showed no sign of these spots. Problem solved! Not so fast! The spots have reappeared in many recent photos, and closer inspection has revealed that there is condensation inside the camera. In certain conditions the condensation appears on the inside of the lens (it is like a built-in barometer). The camera has not gotten wet so-to-speak, but there have been several times this spring when I have been caught in the rain. Also, the past month has created such a damp environment aboard that everything from laundry to my cell phone has a certain degree of moisture in it.Zip-loc bags only help so much. My film camera was a Fuji that was given to me secondhand about 20 years ago. I had an assortment of lenses and took that camera everywhere. Eventually the marine environment and time took it's toll. When I made the switch to a digital camera, I deliberately chose something that I would not have to worry about. If I wanted to walk out on a jetty or take photos of spray coming over the rail, I didn't want to be worrying about the camera. If the camera was too valuable, it would start dictating where I went, and under what conditions. Salt water, dampness, and cameras do not mix. I think we have all met people who own something nice, but who are reluctant to use it for fear of damaging it. There is a fine line between taking proper care of something, and being more in love with the product than it's purpose. Sometimes you own an item, other times it owns you. There have been some drawbacks to this small Sony. The quality deteriorates sharply when there is distance involved. Also I simply do not have the zoom capabilities that I had been previously so accustomed to. But I have learned to improvise. The next few weeks of photos will determine what I decide to do. In the meantime, I have been messing around with Picasa, trying to minimize the spots. These photos were taken along the East River on the Guilford-Madison line. The river was swollen from the recent rains, leaving a portion of the parking lot and boat ramp submerged. Water, water everywhere.

The Schooner Quinnipiack

This ship has eluded me. In the few times I have sailed into New Haven Harbor, I did not see the Quinnipiack. I also attempted to stop by the Long Wharf Pier several times last year, but unfortunately the schooner was not in port (She was in Mystic and then Essex). Last month on a rainy day, I spotted her mast as I made my way south along Interstate 95. Built in Millbridge, Maine in 1984, the Quinnipiack resembles the freight schooners that sailed the Gulf Coast during the late 19th century. 91 feet long overall, her deck is 65 feet long and 20 feet wide. She originally was used for day sails in Bar Harbor, Maine before arriving in New Haven in 1990. Schooner Inc

Sunset, Greenport

Sunset, Greenport 1950 by Whitney Hubbard (1875-1965) New York Times: Greenport Painter's Art Spared From Obscurity Greening Gallery Spanierman Gallery

Ship Of Fools (Idiot's Delight)

Tommy (Amistad), Christina (Bowsprite), and yours truly attempt to row downhill, sideways. See how many things wrong you can find in this picture. photo credit: courtesy of Tugster

School's Out

All right! Three whole months of Spaghetti-O's and daytime T.V.!

Bus driver Otto; The Simpsons

It certainly has not felt very summer-like this past month, but there is one thing I have noticed which makes it very clear that summer has arrived; children are out of school. While watching some of the wooden boats leave Mystic earlier this week, I caught these young men fishing for porgies in Noank and taking full advantage of their first days of summer vacation. For 10-12 year old kids (I'm guessing), they seemed to be very experienced fishermen. They were respectful of others around them, they did not litter, and they released many of the fish they caught. They even brought a camping stove with them to cook a few of the fish that they kept. I don't remember being anywhere near as organized at that age. In fact, I am still not that organized. Most importantly, they were having a blast. It sure beats hanging around a mall or playing video games all summer. Last Child In The Woods New York Times: Growing Up Denatured Boston Globe: Nature Nurtures Learning Why Kids Need Fishing

Wooden Boat Show Parade (Sail)

Photos & Information: Wooden Boat Forum: WBS Photo Thread The Wooden Boat Show Canoez Tugster

Wooden Boat Show Parade (Power)

I did not attend the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport this past weekend. The Mystic River however, allowed me to witness many of the boats leaving the show on Sunday night and Monday morning. A sort of unofficial, wooden boat parade took place as these showcased boats made their way down the river and motored back to their home ports. Information and photos from the actual Wooden Boat Show: Wooden Boat Forum: WBS Photo Thread The Wooden Boat Show Tugster Canoez