Historic Landmark on the Hudson River

Category: More Logbook

  • Bear sightings

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    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…

  • Trail conditions: damp

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    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…

  • Baby Turtle

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    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…

  • Snapping turtle

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    Yesterday, a large snapping turtle crossed our path. Fortunately, Avalon had her camera with her. She snapped a few photos before the turtle entered the water and disappeared beneath the waves. The turtle sighting reminds me that the time of year is approaching when the female snapping turtles bury their eggs in the mud near…

  • Start of summer

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    Put in the screen door today. Feels like summer.

  • Esopus Estuary

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    Description by U.S. Fish & Wildlife of Esopus Estuary: Esopus Estuary is located at the mouth of the Esopus Creek, a major tributary to the upper Hudson River estuary on the west side of the river in the town of Saugerties at river kilometer 162 (river mile 101). This tidal wetland complex consists of the…

  • Nest-building

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    This morning, I watched from the dock as an osprey (one member of a pair) glided over the jetty carrying sticks in its talons. Wings flapping, it hovered momentarily over channel marker #93 and dropped the sticks on top. With each addition, a haphazard pile of sticks is gradually taking shape as a nest.

  • Lighthouse Pancakes

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    Ruth Glunt, longtime neighbor to the Saugerties Lighthouse and local historian, described the “full larder” of lighthouse keepers on the Hudson River: Buckwheat and cornmeal flour, for ‘panny cakes’, were kept handy and maple syrup was cheaper in those days, but still a treat. Coffee was bought ‘in the bean’, and hand ground fresh and…

  • Message in a bottle

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    I found a glass bottle along the beach left behind by the tide. The mouth of the bottle was stopped up with a cork. Inside was a handwritten note on stationary. The note was a message of love from Maria to David. There was also phone number. The area code and exchange number indicated Albany…

  • Trail conditions: disheveled

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    Due to tidal surges and choppy waters last week, a section of boardwalk is slightly out of place. Also, woody debris is strewn along portions of the trail.