New Year’s Eve Ball
From the bow of the Fishers Island ferry I can see the moon rising.
Reminiscent of Time’s Square.
Archive for month: December, 2012
Winter arrived last night with tidal surges pulled and pushed by a nearly full moon.
This morning’s beach scapes haven’t looked so clean swept since Hurricane Sandy.
Quite a bit of on again, off again movement-even the 7:45 ferry didn’t arrive till after noontime.
At Dock beach high tide attempted to right a wrong turn.
At South Beach low tide attempted to look lovely-and did.
And Heaven and Nature sing…
This week the thought of gifting the Island came to me-literally.
Fort Wright generously gifted History from its Quarter Master Dept.
Race Point presented me with Gratitude reminding me never to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The waves off South Beach laughingly sprayed me with their Humor and left coal for my stocking.
And the priceless gift of Peace and Comfort somehow washed ashore during Hurricane Sandy.
And it has been.
Permitting full sunshine despite shorter passage of daylight
Permitting calm seas for safer passage of marine vessels
This morning though weather permits whipping rains and wuthering winds : E 25 G37mph
Last week on Chocomount I took a photo of one of my favorite childhood picnic spots. The big rock that stands as a sentinel looking out over the old Thelma Pheobe ship wreck , the big rock that has graciously hosted decades of BBQ’s , that same rock that many of us Islanders have built our memories around and upon.
Since I monitor the beaches weekly, it might be interesting to take a few snap shots these months-observe how this particular site is recovering after Hurricane Sandy and also document tidal and seasonal change of the beachscape visually.
Today I will set my focus on “Picnic Rock”.
It’s tough to imagine next July and August-I cant quite picture (yet) towels and beach chairs lined up in the warm sands but time will tell and we shall see.
I like Lichens-simply for the color which I liken to my favorite old well worn, tough to find sea glass.
The delicate formation of the Lichen appears when a fungus partners with a green algae and a growing relationship develops.
Tough enough to thrive in an extreme environment such as the north side of a tree on a wind swept island, the Lichen also has a fragility that helps scientists to assess the effects of air pollution.
I have noted healthy looking Lichens on land and clean Knotted Wrack at sea at Armstrong’s “Hooverness” this December.
P.S. The Wile E. Coyote fooled me along with any Canada goose thinking to land for a rest!
Legend has it that the wider the bristly brown band on a Woolly Caterpillar-the milder the winter forecast. Despite its name, this “Isabella” tiger moth in its larval phase was found seen creeping along South beach.
I counted 155 Harbor seals yesterday on and around the Hungry Point haul out. Low tide allowed for a closer peek at their velvet looking pelage (fur)
I am becoming more familiar with beaches up East.
I note that Whelks are more commonly found in East Harbor. There on that beach coyote tracks always head west.
Sand Dollars are delicately framed in the tiny curves of a minute tide line at the Big Club.
A single strand of Eel Grass in a slight breeze acts as a compass drawing an arc in the sand.
Noting even the most detailed observations of Fishers Island-I have come full circle.
I met this bird of prey across from the grasslands near the Driving Range.
We both were a bit shy at first and of course curious of each other. I hunkered down in the grass to stay warm and observe, while the hawk puffed up its feathers in the crisp chilled air.
In that quietude of nature, great respect had us both seeing eye to eye.