Yesterday, I had an errand to run to the sloop Clearwater. By dusk, the tide turned and pushed the remaining ice out of the creek. A strong southerly wind eventually calmed, so I decided to put the canoe in the water and paddle up the creek to
Read more →This question comes from a fiction-writer in Chicago: what does the lighthouse smell like? Let me begin by saying that I’m relieved that she didn’t ask what the lighthouse KEEPER smells like. Not nearly so pleasant a subject matter. I think a poet once said that to
Read more →Daytime temperatures in the 40s turned the snow into a slushy sloppy soup. Waterproof boots recommended.
Read more →Last week’s snowfall is slowly melting on sunny days and refreezing on chilly nights. The snow along the trail is packed down by foot traffic.
Read more →Typical indecisive March weather: several days of convincing spring thaw interrupted by a winter relapse. A snowstorm moving up the coast promises to drop a foot of snow overnight. As if that wasn’t enough, a bit of flooding forecast for tonight after midnight: runoff and snowmelt meeting
Read more →With temperatures in the 50s this week, ice is leaving the Esopus Creek. Today, the open water attracted some visitors: a mixed flock of waterfowl numbering in the hundreds. Mostly Canvasbacks and Ring-neck Ducks. Over fifty Green-winged Teals. Two male Buffleheads and one female. Two pairs of
Read more →As daytime temperatures reach the high 50s/low 60s this week, snow is melting along the trail, creating puddles and muddy spots. Boots recommended.
Read more →This morning, as I stepped outside to chop firewood, I heard my first red-winged blackbird of the season, calling from the cattails. Temperatures are forecast for the low 50s. Last week, I couldn’t leave the lighthouse on account of the wind chill. This week, I’ll be walking
Read more →Negative ten. Hemmed in by the winter wind. No where to go. Nothing to do. Feed firewood into the kitchen stove. Drink tea. Listen to the radio. Think back on other places, other times.
Read more →Current weather: 10 degrees F, Northwest wind gusting over 20 mph. Wind Chill near -10 degrees F. I tried to hike to the parking lot but barely made it 100 yards along the trail before the wind made my eyes water until I couldn’t see. First time
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