Winds of change
As the season switches from winter to spring, the winds of change blow fiercely. Lately, the wind has been gusting over 30 mph and creating white caps and 3-foot swells on the river. Anything not lash ...
Question for the Keeper: tide
How does the tide clock work? Does high tide occur at the same time everyday? At the lighthouse, a tide clock adorns the kitchen wall above a regular analog timepiece. The tide clock has a single han ...
First swim of the season
Sunny afternoon. After a long run, I took a quick dip in the river. I didn't linger underwater for more than a second. Water temperature: an invigorating 46 degrees F.
Osprey nest
The resident osprey pair is back, and this time they are building a nest not on the channel marker across from the lighthouse where they often perch but in a treetop a few hundred yards up the Esopus ...
Shanties and strawberries
Last night, the crew of the sloop Clearwater came over to the lighthouse for dessert. We ate homemade strawberry shortcake. Then, we sang sea shanties. The crew is getting ready for another season of ...
Buzz in the air
Springtime is always a busy time of year for an amateur naturalist like myself. So many things happening in the natural world all at once, it's hard to keep track of it all. Birds migrating. Animals a ...