Historic Landmark on the Hudson River

Month: June 2007

  • Tiger lilies

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    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 flowers.

  • Question for the Keeper

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    What are those fish that are jumping and why do they jump? Sitting outside on a summer evening, the nearly full moon clearly reflected in becalmed waters. A stillness prevailed, punctuated by the occasional SPLASH of large fish jumping, like an exclamation point to the end of the day! The fish jumping raised a pair…

  • Pick-your-own mulberries

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    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 sweet juicy snack.  The berries that aren’t collected by birds and humans fall to the deck where they get smashed underfoot, staining…

  • Wild and domestic

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    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 by showing up with store-bought food when there was bound to be a bountiful table of homegrown and homemade eats. So,…

  • The usual suspect

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    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 a few. Of all of these, the squirrel chose parsley. And the lettuce. At least, I suspect the squirrel, who was…

  • An unobstructed view of the night sky

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    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. Nevertheless, I was glad to return to the lighthouse and get away from the urban light…

  • Dead turtle

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    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 snapping turtle. Curious about what happened to it, I jumped in rowboat and rowed out to it. I was just…

  • Snapping turtle

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    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 turtles (Chelydra Serpentina) crawl out of the river to lay their eggs in a nesting area near the start of the lighthouse trail. The turtles…

  • Fireboat

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    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 swooped down to the water and grabbed a fish. I continued beating into the wind for a couple of…

  • False Indigo

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    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 visitors noticed the flowers too, calling my attention to two previously overlooked bushes growing on the island. Curious, I looked it up. Amorpha…