Dead turtle
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 ...
Snapping turtle
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 ...
False Indigo
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 ...
Yellow rain
Last night's thunderstorms left a golden coating of pollen on the walkways. As rain puddles evaporated this morning, yellow pollen dust was left behind on the pavement.
Trail work at night
I couldn't fall back asleep after my brief vigil last night, so I decided to make the most of the wee hours. I put on chest waders over my pajamas and ventured onto the flooded trail. As I waded thro ...
Keeping vigil
I set my alarm for 1:00 AM. High tide is at 2:07 AM. The Esopus Creek is expected to crest later tonight. When I woke to my alarm and took a look around, I was surprised to see the floodwaters within ...
Clearwater shake-down
The sloop Clearwater set sail on the river today to train the new crew. When they motored down the creek, I was busy hauling laundry and supplies from the parking lot to the barge Yuck Finn at Boone' ...
Winter Lingers
The first green plants are starting to poke up from the ground. Yet, the temperature continues to dip below freezing at night, and flurries frequent the weather forecast.