No words needed

Up a gum tree????

Twice in the past three days, I have seen a Kookaburra. Seriously. The first time, it zoomed past, hovered over the creek, then plunged in with a giant PLOP. This morning, it zipped past us as we were walking near the bay, following its giant, pointy beak.

Either his internal GPS is really messed up (we're a long way from Australia), someone has been putting hallucinogenics in my coffee, or it's a Belted Kingfisher.

I know he's laughing at me.

And Igor gives us waves

Another hurricane waved to us, from a long-long way away this time... waved with waves. Major surfiness. Can see plumes of spray from the house. At the beach, waves rushing up the sands. A milllion or so kites in the air, a rock band, and a beautiful let's-stretch-summer-out-as-far-as-we-can sunny afternoon.

Shirley beach at sunset

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Sunrise. Again. Today. From the deck.

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Phone pics

I am continually amazed by the quality of the pictures from my iPhone. Mother Nature, of course, must take all the credit--but this little device captures the moment beautifully. These two were taken yesterday, Sunday 12th, from the little wetlands beach in front of the house.

Non-horizontal horizon has something to do with a Great Dane being attached to photographer's arm...

Sunday, sunrise

Once again, it was beautiful.

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Thunder approaches...

Sun on its way up behind the clouds to the east: a band of stormclouds and thunder approaching from the west. As seen from the deck, looking south-eastwards.

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Pretty as a picture

Jade and I swapped lenses--this is the view from the deck, looking east, through wide angle, bright sunshine, strong breeze, Sunday afternoon. The reeds are dancing.

Want this for yourself?

I reduced the price: house for sale!

(If this link doesn't work the first time you click it, go Back to this page and then click it again. Weird...)

Westhampton Dunes, Cupsogue beach, high tide after Earl

We headed to Cupsogue Beach at the end of Dune Road, Westhampton Dunes, around high tide. A cool-but-rough-around-the-edges blues band was playing, the perfect soundtrack.

The waves were huge, there was a sign warning against swimming, but there were people in the water. The two guys above were way out, far from the beach. I thought they were mad, even though the tide was rising and pushing them towards the shore. Found out at least one of these guys was a lifeguard--so a very strong swimmer--but still... his friend lifeguards nearly had to go rescue them.

Watching the waves, playing in the surf.

Huge breakers, clear skies.

Smith Point, the day after Earl

Simply: a beautiful day

It was low tide, early in the day after Earl brushed past Long Island. Smith Point beach had been scoured clean: so had the skies.

It was simply beautiful.

This is now my flag

This is the flag that flies at Manor St George: it's the "Grand Union" flag, believed to be the first USA national flag: a combination of the British Union Jack of the time (notice the St Patrick's cross, representing the Irish, is missing in comparison to today's Union Jack), and the stripes of the first 13 US colonies. Part British, part American, very confused. That's me.

Manor St George: back to the British!

Yesterday, we visited Manor St George, near Smith Point, in Shirley. It's just down the road, it's part of British (as well as Dutch and American) history, yet I'd never taken the right-turn off William Floyd Parkway. The road twists through typical Long Island overgrown low woods... and then opens up into an English park. Low grass, mature trees. And a beautiful view over the bay.

At one time "Fort St George", it's now a museum which contains a full geneaology of the Smith family, copies of deeds from British royalty, a wonderful 17th-century kitchen, beautiful and decoratave parquet floors, and several very short beds (when did people grow so tall?)  A good history can be found here: St George Manor. A knowledgeable young lady showed us around the house and refused to take even a donation--it's all free. And we met a couple who were visiting from Setauket, who hadn't known the place existed. Why no handouts? It's true... think of all the historical sites in Setuaket and on the north shore, and how they are publicised... why are we not doing the same for Manor St George, the William Floyd Estate, and other places of interest here? Yes, there is information out there--but some of the marketing is lacking.

A small cemetery on the grounds of the manor memorialises the Smith family--but living memorials are the names, with Smith Point and the Tangiers area of Shirley.

We tried to claim the manor back for the British, but the cannons point the wrong way.

Lunch at Painters

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Location:County Road 36,Brookhaven,United States

Dawn the day after Earl missed

View from inside the house towards Westhampton Dunes at sunrise, waterbirds playing. One came zooming down the creek into the middle of a group of placidly-feeding birds; playtime!!!

Earl's day

It is 2.41 p.m on Friday, the day that Hurricane Earl is (was?) supposed to visit us. So far, nothing but a bank of grey sky, a couple of heavy, hard, warm rain showers (enough to flash-puddle Park Drive), a little breeze, and what must be massive breakers on Smith Point sands (can see the white spray plumes from there, rising way into the sky).

The egrets know something is going on. They have decided that the best place to be is upstairs.

The weather here has been nothing special (so far). So how do they know what is just over the horizon?

The Village of Mastic Beach--day one!

It's a brand new day.