Year: 2008
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Question for the keeper: fireflies
Why do fireflies flash? At dusk, the trail to the lighthouse turns into a corridor of flashing light as fireflies emerge for their nightly mating ritual. The fireflies are so numerous that they illuminate the footpath on a moonless night. The flashing light is the firefly’s way of attracting a mate. For many species of…
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Gas-saving tip: commuting by kayak
Danielle stopped by the lighthouse this morning on her way across the river in a kayak. Last night, she paddled from Tivoli to Saugerties to see our mutual friend Jill Stevenson perform music at a local establishment. The show ended late, so Danielle stayed over with a friend in Saugerties. On her return trip to…
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Trail conditions: normal
Consult tide table to avoid tidal flooding. Tidal portions of trail may be wet or damp after high tide. Sharp water chestnuts pose a hazard to bare feet.
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Mulberries
The mulberry tree started dropping ripe purple berries around June 15th. In years past, the tree shed berries until late July/early August. If you like mulberries, come and get ’em.
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Mitten Crab Alert!
Less than three miles downstream of the lighthouse, along the creek feeding Tivoli Bays, an invasive species of crab was spotted. The presence of the Chinese mitten crab in the Hudson River Estuary is alarming because of the potential for the crab to disrupt the ecosystem and displace native species. Excerpted from the Hudson River…
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Water temperature
Water temp: 73 degrees Fahrenheit at 4 PM today. Three swims today–morning, afternoon, and night.
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Bear sightings
One of the house guests said he saw a bear on the trail when he looked out the bedroom window this morning. He thought it might be a big dog at first until it stood up on its hind legs. I thought the same thing until I identified bear tracks in the wet sand on…
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Trail conditions: damp
The trail crew straightened out the boardwalk which had been askew from flooding last month. The trail may be damp in places from recent thundershowers and daily tides. Although it may be tempting to walk barefoot in the sand, it is not advisable because of the sharp water-chestnut seeds on the trail that float in…
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Baby Turtle
A fisherman found a baby turtle along the trail to the lighthouse. He kept in a flower pot at the lighthouse while he fished and mulled over the idea of taking it home as a pet. He showed it to me. I reckoned it was a painted turtle based on the yellow splotches on its…