Brilliant orange tiger lilies are blooming along the trail. A cluster of them near the start of the trail appear as a splash of orange against a background of green. Note: Please don't pick the flowe ...

The mulberry tree on the outer island is heavy with ripe purple berries.  The red-winged blackbirds seem to like them. I've seen people (adults and children alike) in the tree branches enjoying a swee ...

This afternoon, I did two things that I've never done before. First, I made pasta noodles from scratch. Invited to a potluck dinner at the Germantown Community Farm, I didn't want to embarrass myself ...

A squirrel ate all my parsley! Last month, with the help of friends and family, I planted various culinary herbs in pots and planters around the lighthouse. Basil, oregano, thyme, sage, mint, to name ...

Earlier in the week, I sailed to New York City on the sloop Clearwater. For someone like me who lives alone on an island at the fringe of modern life, a trip to the big city is always exciting. Nevert ...

This afternoon, one of the volunteer docents spotted something floating in the creek. "Is that a dead fish?" she wondered aloud, pointing to a carcass near the dock. It turned out to be a dead snappin ...

Lately, I've received repeated questions about snapping turtles in anticipation of their annual nesting near the lighthouse. Where do they nest? When do they show up? Each June, female snapping turt ...

Yesterday evening, I sailed upriver into a 10-knot northerly breeze and riding the flood tide. Just north of the lighthouse I passed a couple of paddlers in kayaks. All of us watched as a bald eagle ...

Walking the trail yesterday, a flowering bush stopped me in my tracks. What caught my eye was the combination of purple and orange--a colorful spike of purple flowers with orange-tipped stamens. Other ...