Historic Landmark on the Hudson River

Category: Keepers Log

  • Autumn migrations

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    I heard an unusual bird call and stepped outside to see a pair of terns (I think) heading south. On recent occasions, I’ve heard the resident ospreys complain as migrating ospreys pass through their territory. Not long, and they too will head south for warmer climes. Playful troupes of swallows are here one day and…

  • Movie cancelled for tonight

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    Too windy. The screen acted like a sail. Picnic on the deck instead.

  • Tonight's movie

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    Showing at the lighthouse tonight, Monday, August, 25th: Whale Rider. Start time: 8 PM. Come early to enjoy sunset. Bring a flashlight for traveling the trail after dark.

  • Multi-sensory movie experience

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    Tonight, we viewed a double feature on the outdoor movie screen at the lighthouse. The first was a short documentary “Around Cape Horn” with original black&white film footage from 1929 by Captain Irving Johnson of the passage of the tall-masted sailing ship Peking during a wild storm rounding the southern tip of South America. The…

  • Tonight's movie selection

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    Monday Movie Night, featuring Master and Commander. 8PM. Unlike last week the weather seems to be cooperating this week. The thunderstorms appear to be passing north of us, and the wind is forecasted to slacken this evening around showtime.

  • Flotilla on its way downstream

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    I just got off the phone with Ayen Tran, a crew member of the flotilla of art boats making their way down the Hudson River. Dubbed the “Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea,” they are due at the lighthouse on Wednesday for evening performance. Ayen said they just passed the Castleton Boat Club and are…

  • Katydid moon

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    Full moon. Calm air. Smooth water. Slack tide. I paddled my kayak out into the middle of the river and let myself drift. The moon was already high in the sky. A light air rippled the water ever so slightly, shimmering and scattering moonlight. A katydid chorus was audible for both shores of the river,…

  • Cool, cool river

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    Water temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit at 3:30 PM today. Following a week or more of cool, breezy days and several downpours, the water temperature dropped to what it was back in the first weeks of June when I first started swimming for the season. It’s brisk for a swim, but refreshing.

  • Groceries

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    Sometimes, I need to remind myself how unusual my life can be and not take it for granted. For instance, yesterday, I paddled across the river to Tivoli to pick up my groceries. I did this as a matter of course. Yet, I must ask myself, how many people get into a kayak to run…

  • Cool, cool summer

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    Yesterday was unseasonably cool. On average, August is cooler than July. Evenso, Yesterday was surprisingly chilly. Overcast, breezy and rainy, the day felt more like early autumn than late summer. It was perfect for a long afternoon nap under a quilt with windows open and breezes blowing through the lighthouse. In the evening, I put…