Six pairs of swans this morning, swimming as couples.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February can be beautiful, too
Six pairs of swans this morning, swimming as couples.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Bella's winter sport
She can find her ball--it looks like a yellow tennis ball, but it's a Kong in disguise--under several feet of snow. Buried. Hidden. Under a shrub and under the snow. Whatever. She can find it.
And then she chases around the garden until she drops it and has to find it again. This can go on and on and on... makes for a happy and tired dog!
... and there's that patch of blue sky, it will all be ok
Everything is still at 5.24 p.m.... wonder if it will last?
February 26th snow-after-rain-storm
Snow on frozen flood on frozen phragmites stalks. Looks pretty. Now we've seen it, can normal service be resumed? Please?
Snow on flood on top-of-it-all
My property is suddenly waterfront. I'm sure it won't be in a couple of hours, but right now, it is waterfront snowfront icefront property with a view across the arctic.
I can just about see Smith Point, the barrier between us and the ocean, through the driving snow, and am hoping that this storm is not taking away much more sand/
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Snow down, 'dills up
Seems unusual to see all the garden exposed again after yesterday's rain. Majority of the snow is gone: and now we see the daffodils have sprouted. About three inches of leaves so far. They are all around the back of the house, where the deer will browse, but hopefully leave alone.
Tulips are also showing green: they are up in the raised garden and I'm not letting the deer anywhere near them. Learned that lesson.
Foxglove leaves are green too!
Tulips are also showing green: they are up in the raised garden and I'm not letting the deer anywhere near them. Learned that lesson.
Foxglove leaves are green too!
Phragmites permit--already!
Received my extension-to-phragmites-cutting-permit in the mail. Already! Only applied for it on Friday last week!
Now I can happily cut down the fire hazard once per year, late in the year, every year until 2020, not compost the cuttings, and leave the stalks two feet tall. (The dry stalks make an unusual natural wind chime when the wind is out of the east.)
And the green privacy screen will grow again each spring. And maybe, just maybe, the annual cutting-down will allow the wetlands trees to flourish a little better.
Now I can happily cut down the fire hazard once per year, late in the year, every year until 2020, not compost the cuttings, and leave the stalks two feet tall. (The dry stalks make an unusual natural wind chime when the wind is out of the east.)
And the green privacy screen will grow again each spring. And maybe, just maybe, the annual cutting-down will allow the wetlands trees to flourish a little better.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Mastic Beach, Village petition public hearing
Last night, Mastic Beach Fire Department was filled with people from this community. It was the public hearing for the petition to incorporate Mastic Beach as a Village (New York state law defines what an incorporated village is--it's more like a town in England or in other states).
The hearing was led by Supervisor Mark Lesko, who has the responsiblity of deciding if the petition is valid and therefore if the proposal to become a village goes to the vote. The hearing was only about the validity of the petition: not about the merits, or not, of becoming a village. As anyone who reads this blog knows, the proposed village boundaries and expected costs have been publicised for a long time, not only at regular open meetings, but also on the website http://www.masticbeach.org/
I was impressed by how well the hearing was run. The Supervisor started by stating the rules--that he was there only to hear objections, that all objections must be in writing, and that the burden of proof was on the objector. He said that he had received objections from two people, in writing, prior to the hearing, and that these would be noted. Also that following the close of the hearing he would have, by law, ten days to respond to the petition.
I was impressed by how the objections were presented. One person stated several (nine?) objections, each one signed by a group of up-to eight people. They were well-prepared and obviously time had been spent in researching each one (though I thought one or two were rather frivolous). The majority were technical/procedural objections around boundaries, individual signatures on the petition, and points-of-law.
It took me back to a Students Union conference that I attended years ago in England. I was a bright young student, naive and excited to be representing my small-town college at a national conference. I had read the schedule and was looking forward to a highly-interesting debate and voting on many issues that were affecting "my" students. (My dad once said: "Students are the concience of the nation", which I thought was a very philosophical statement from my usually down-to-earth non-political Dad.)
But... we spent three days seeing every proposal brought down by a small minority of delegates who raised objections based on technicalities and Points of Order. We never reached any meaningful discussion. Every proposal was blocked, every change stalled--not on the merits of the proposals, but on the rules of play.
It left me with a thorough distaste for politics, and may well be the reason why becoming a lawyer never appealed.
The proposal for incorporation of Mastic Beach as a Village has grown from a group of good people who want to improve the quality-of-life in this community. It is inclusive of all residents--homeowners and renters alike--and is driven by a desire to change, not simply to play politics.
Supervisor Lesko closed the hearing after no more objections were raised. He must now review the petition, the objections, and make sure that the proposal for incorporation is valid.
We'll know the answer within ten days. I hope that we get to the "meaningful discussion", and have an opportunity to vote.
Whether or not this community becomes a Village, I'll continue doing my best to make my part of this beautiful place better.
The hearing was led by Supervisor Mark Lesko, who has the responsiblity of deciding if the petition is valid and therefore if the proposal to become a village goes to the vote. The hearing was only about the validity of the petition: not about the merits, or not, of becoming a village. As anyone who reads this blog knows, the proposed village boundaries and expected costs have been publicised for a long time, not only at regular open meetings, but also on the website http://www.masticbeach.org/
I was impressed by how well the hearing was run. The Supervisor started by stating the rules--that he was there only to hear objections, that all objections must be in writing, and that the burden of proof was on the objector. He said that he had received objections from two people, in writing, prior to the hearing, and that these would be noted. Also that following the close of the hearing he would have, by law, ten days to respond to the petition.
I was impressed by how the objections were presented. One person stated several (nine?) objections, each one signed by a group of up-to eight people. They were well-prepared and obviously time had been spent in researching each one (though I thought one or two were rather frivolous). The majority were technical/procedural objections around boundaries, individual signatures on the petition, and points-of-law.
It took me back to a Students Union conference that I attended years ago in England. I was a bright young student, naive and excited to be representing my small-town college at a national conference. I had read the schedule and was looking forward to a highly-interesting debate and voting on many issues that were affecting "my" students. (My dad once said: "Students are the concience of the nation", which I thought was a very philosophical statement from my usually down-to-earth non-political Dad.)
But... we spent three days seeing every proposal brought down by a small minority of delegates who raised objections based on technicalities and Points of Order. We never reached any meaningful discussion. Every proposal was blocked, every change stalled--not on the merits of the proposals, but on the rules of play.
It left me with a thorough distaste for politics, and may well be the reason why becoming a lawyer never appealed.
The proposal for incorporation of Mastic Beach as a Village has grown from a group of good people who want to improve the quality-of-life in this community. It is inclusive of all residents--homeowners and renters alike--and is driven by a desire to change, not simply to play politics.
Supervisor Lesko closed the hearing after no more objections were raised. He must now review the petition, the objections, and make sure that the proposal for incorporation is valid.
We'll know the answer within ten days. I hope that we get to the "meaningful discussion", and have an opportunity to vote.
Whether or not this community becomes a Village, I'll continue doing my best to make my part of this beautiful place better.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Permits applied for...
Nipped to the town hall (why is the Town Hall in Farmingville, when the Town is Brookhaven, but there's no Town Hall in Brookhaven hamlet itself? And why do you get to the town hall down Bicycle Path, which is neither a path nor for bicycles, but a road for cars and trucks? Is this one of those days where I question everything?)
Applied for an extension to my phragmites-cutting permit, because I learned through the nice lady in Environmental Protection that instead of reapplying again and again, I can buy a ten year yes ten year extension to the permit--and it's transferrable with the house should I ever sell. So that extension has been applied for.
Also applied for a new wetlands permit to allow me to fill in the pond/pool. I don't need a permit to do the demo/filling-in. But I do need a permit to take the materials onto the property and put them into the space-that-was-pond. So really it's a permit to allow Mr. Contractor to carry, throw or drag "clean fill" from the street.
Those are the rules, and I Will Obey.
Applied for an extension to my phragmites-cutting permit, because I learned through the nice lady in Environmental Protection that instead of reapplying again and again, I can buy a ten year yes ten year extension to the permit--and it's transferrable with the house should I ever sell. So that extension has been applied for.
Also applied for a new wetlands permit to allow me to fill in the pond/pool. I don't need a permit to do the demo/filling-in. But I do need a permit to take the materials onto the property and put them into the space-that-was-pond. So really it's a permit to allow Mr. Contractor to carry, throw or drag "clean fill" from the street.
Those are the rules, and I Will Obey.
Things are fixed!
It's Friday, it's sunny, we are slowly-but-surely digging our way out of winter, and this week my garage's inner-workings have been tidied away behind new soffits, the front door frame has been repaired, and all the remaining skirting boards (baseboards) and door trim has been installed. Thank you very much Kelly at Suffolk County Home Repair!
Now I have no excuse. Must Paint.
Now I have no excuse. Must Paint.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Newsday editorial: "Mastic Beach deserves a chance"
Newsday has published an editorial about the work to incorporate Mastic Beach as a village:
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-mastic-beach-deserves-a-chance-1.1767011
Don't forget the public meeting on Monday 22nd at the Fire Department on Neighborhood Road. It starts at 6.30 p.m. and will be chaired by Mark Lesko. The meeting is a required step in the incorporation process, and is all about validating the already-submitted petition, not about whether incorporation should happen. Once the petition is validated, it will go to a vote, with every Mastic Beach voter able to make their opinion known through the ballot.
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-mastic-beach-deserves-a-chance-1.1767011
Don't forget the public meeting on Monday 22nd at the Fire Department on Neighborhood Road. It starts at 6.30 p.m. and will be chaired by Mark Lesko. The meeting is a required step in the incorporation process, and is all about validating the already-submitted petition, not about whether incorporation should happen. Once the petition is validated, it will go to a vote, with every Mastic Beach voter able to make their opinion known through the ballot.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday... scary
Combination of black ice, frozen sleet, dodgy knee, over-excitable-and-nervous Great Dane, and a neighbour walking their well-behaved Jack Russell = far too much stress for an early morning.
I apologise to the gentleman with the dog, as I know how scary Bella must look when she's jumping and barking and dragging me off my feet. Please know that she would run a mile from you--she is very timid under all that bravado.
Two steps forwards, one very large, slipping-and-sliding step back...
I apologise to the gentleman with the dog, as I know how scary Bella must look when she's jumping and barking and dragging me off my feet. Please know that she would run a mile from you--she is very timid under all that bravado.
Two steps forwards, one very large, slipping-and-sliding step back...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Winter beach: Smith Point
Snow, not much sand; you can't usually walk under the boardwalk and steps. Hopefully spring will replenish the beach again.
Yes, that is a surfer.
The snow had been cleared to provide a way across the snow-field parking lot to each of the tunnels to the beach. Not many people around though.
The snow had been cleared to provide a way across the snow-field parking lot to each of the tunnels to the beach. Not many people around though.
Sunshine!!!!
... and today's sound is drip, drip, drip as it melts from the roof and the trees. Had to watch out for the frozen snow falling from the overhead wires as I shovelled snow from the driveway.
Thursday morning... time to dig out
Ducks and geese are brave: head-first into slushy mix on the wetlands at dawn.
Dawn over the bay and the wetlands this morning; beautiful mix of greys and silvers and pale yellow. Icy mirror of the sky.
The sun comes out and lights up the snow-laden trees and reeds.
There Will Be Icicles.
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