Wednesday 30 June 2010

Non-Gulf Beaches in America

The article �America�s 10 Most Beautiful Beaches Not on the Gulf Coast� offers an interesting list of America's not on the Gulf Coast beaches. Here is the quater from the article and their list:
...there are numerous other seashores to visit that offer the same scenic beauty � the only difference is that the non-Gulf waters may be a bit cooler.

  • Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
    The death place of legendary pirate Blackbeard contains more than three centuries of history and culture left behind by traders and sailors from all over the world. The village of Ocracoke � home to the 1823 Ocracoke Lighthouses and the century-old David Williams house � is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The breathtaking beach is protected by 20-foot high sand dunes, which cover miles of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
  • Ocracoke Island

  • Bahia Honda State Park, Florida
    Widely considered home to Florida�s most beautiful beaches, Bahia Honda State Park possesses soft sand and crystal clear water. It�s a snorkeler�s paradise because of the deep waters near shore, and kayaking and fishing opportunities are aplenty. The island boasts the highest quantity of colorful subtropical flowers in the Keys, including bay cedar, tiger lily and sea lavender. Silver and thatch palms ensure the beaches are authentically tropical.
  • Bahia Honda State Park

  • Hamoa Beach, Hawaii
    Towering sea cliffs surround this less populated section of Maui, where the currents are strong and the surf is dangerous. Swimmers are encouraged to test the waters in the summer and early fall when conditions are safest. Those who prefer to stay dry can enjoy a picnic on the shore while observing the lush greenery.
  • HamoaBeach

Kailua Beach, Hawaii
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Hawaii
Kiawah Beachwalker Park, South Carolina
East Hampton Main Beach, New York
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Florida
Cumberland Island, Georgia
Coronado Beach, California

Picture of the Day Catch-Up, June 11-20, 2010

Here are another 10 Pictures of the Day:

June 11, 2010: Trail Ridge Road, in Rocky Mountain National Park. I guess it's something like "the highest continuous paved road in the continental US." Whatever its claim to fame is, it seems to have quite a few qualifiers. It's a great drive, though, although when it's foggy the view's not as great (save for the snow, this could actually be a picture of Berlin, Costa Rica).

June 12, 2010: The top of an onion plant from my parents' garden. Or maybe it's a leek.

June 13, 2010: This is my dad, whose 60th birthday we were celebrating on this day. His actual birthday is the 17th, though. Still, happy birthday!

June 14, 2010: This girl and her mom found this couch on the side of the road just as we were driving by, and I thought it might make an interesting Picture of the Day, since Craig and I picked up a couch off the side of the road 15 or so years ago. They weren't able to move it in their truck without it sliding off the tailgate (see Leftover #2 for this day), so I jogged behind them and held up the couch while they drove it down the street to the daughter's house. Good times.

June 15, 2010: A statue in the park next to Speer and the Convention Center in Denver. Angela and I went to meet Paul at Domo Japanese Restaurant and walked around downtown a bit.

June 16, 2010: A stained-glass window at my aunt's family's church. We went there with them to watch the youth band practice.

June 17, 2010: The Drive-In! The one in Fort Collins is one of the few left in Colorado, and it's always a fun time. Angela and I went there with Dustin and Sam.

June 18, 2010: My sister's dog The Other Dog. He's really slow and doesn't move much, plus he has a tendency to stare at things that aren't moving. In other words, he's an ideal subject for a photo.

June 19, 2010: A flower. Today we went with my mom and looked at a garden show in Fort Collins that she had won tickets to. It was nice, with lots of flowers and garden-y things.

June 20, 2010: A T-Rex claw at the Denver museum. We went there with my family to see the Body Worlds exhibit, where they have the plastified bodies on display. It was really interesting.

So, that's it for the moment, but I'll try to get caught up until today as soon as possible!

Pictures of the Day, June 6-10

Well, I've gotten quite behind on posting my Pictures of the Day on this blog, so it's time to get caught up. They've been on flickr and the links at the bottom of this post, but I've just not uploaded them here. Remember, many of these pictures were taken during our trip in Colorado, so there are also lots of Leftovers. Be sure to check them out when you have some time.

I'll be posting the Pictures of the Day from June 6 till June 27 in a few separate posts, so enjoy!

June 6, 2010: To Ashley and Aaron, we all wish you a happy life together filled with love!
And nothing says "love" like his and hers machetes.

June 7, 2010: A windwheel--is that what this is called, or am I completely making this up??--at my grandma's house.

June 8, 2010: Angela walking near Horsetooth Reservoir, in the mountains above Fort Collins.

June 9, 2010: A statue in Grand Lake. I think I may have seen who it was a statue of, but if I did, I've completely forgotten who.

June 10, 2010: The pine bark beetles have torn Mother Nature a new one in the Rockies, especially in the National Park. This picture reminds me of the movie "The Road."

So, I'll try to catch up with the other Pictures of the Day today or tomorrow. In the meantime, be sure to check out the links below. Thanks, and have a great day!

A Trip to the Museum

Two days of pies and blueberries makes me think that we need to change the subject away from food. All that pie is too much of a good thing!

As I mentioned briefly last night, we went up to the end of the trail for a preview of the new Chik-Wauk Museum, on Lake Saganaga. Words to describe it are hard to find, as it certainly surpassed my expectations. I knew that the team of volunteers had been working hard for five year, and that Chris and his crew were doing a fantastic job, but to see it all come together into such a beautiful place was astounding. If this isn't on your vacation-to-do-list yet, write it down immediately! It is so worth the trip.

Because it was dinnertime, and I hadn't yet made dinner, we didn't spend a lot of time there. But one definitely could do so, as the exhibits alone are finely detailed and contain paintings, photographs and artifacts galore. They cover the full range of Gunflint Trail history, from geology and voyageurs, to pioneers and modern-day folks. In addition to the displays, books and collections line the shelves waiting for perusal. It is not an exaggeration to say that you could spend a whole week there, and still find new things to see.


One activity that we didn't venture to are the hiking trails right on site. They are marked, and I imagine a map is available to guide you. Last year, Greg and I were assigned to plant trees at Chik-Wauk for the Gunflint Green-up. Someday when I am hiking up there, I plan to check on the progress of the little seedlings. The bay that the museum overlooks is quite picturesque, and it looks like it would make a terrific picnic spot.

The museum also hosts a lovely little gift shop, with a wonderful selection of shirts and handmade gifts. I recognized the work of some of my fellow fiber guild members, so you can definitely find items that are locally produced.

The grand opening is Sunday, July 4th. That also happens to be the eleventh anniversary of our blowdown storm. How lucky for us that we are all still here, able to acknowledge the history, both old and not-so-old, in such a great manner. It will be an amazing legacy for years to come.

Grayling









There is always something interesting to see on the Mystic River. Grayling is a 65' sardine carrier that was built in East Boothbay, Maine in 1915. Converted and restored in the 1990's,  she is often  seen on her mooring east of Noank.

Heading out for a recent sunset sail, I swung wide through the mooring field to catch a closer view.



Soundings: A Lifetime Of Boats

Page Traditional Boats: Specifications & Photos (scroll down)

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Greg's Five Minute Adventure/The Berry Update

Wow, sometimes the day just gets away from me. Cabin cleaning in the morning, a trip to town in the afternoon, a quick run to the end of the trail to check out the new museum....and suddenly it's time to make dinner and the blog post isn't done. I wanted to share the goodness of the blueberries with you all.


Greg had his own five minute adventure on the way back from work yesterday. He stopped on one of the forestry roads near Seagull Lake, and scouted out the berries for this week's blueberry update. Within a few minutes, he had found several nice ones, but he said that most of them are still green. But what was most impressive was the size. It looks on par with the blueberry crop of the summer of 2008, one year after the Ham Lake Fire. He feels that it will still be about a week to ten days before the harvest is in full swing. But for hardy, intrepid pickers, you could probably find enough for a batch of blueberry muffins or to sprinkle into your pancakes in the morning. Time to start picking!


Summer Party - July 30

The Brittany Walks summer party is on Friday July 30 near Mael-Carhaix. There will be an optional short, easy walk in the morning at 11, and then a picnic. Many people have already 'signed up' but if you haven't been on a walk recently to get the official slip, please just let us know numbers and what food you will bring. Cost is 3� per person. brittanywalks@orange.fr

Monday 28 June 2010

Pie Time

Friday was Pie Day here at Heston's. Following the success of the blueberry pie on Father's Day, I decided to experiment with baking a run of similar pastries. I wanted to tweak the temperature a bit, as much as is possible with a wood-fired oven. And I got brave and invited our neighbor Shari to join me. I still have a moment of pause when putting other peoples' baked goods into the oven, especially when it is an experiment like this was. What if I burn them? That always runs through my head.

Shari was game and willing to trust me, so she came over with a rhubarb cream pie, and an apple pie. I had prepared two strawberry-rhubarb pies, and with the left over crust scraps, I made a blueberry tart. When I checked the oven, the surface temp averaged about 500 degrees. We bravely put the pies in, and then sat down to wait with a cold beverage and some chips and salsa. The day had been rainy, but the evening was pleasant. The moisture was done, and the temp held enough to sit outside comfortably. Other neighbors had stopped by, too, and so we enjoyed some lively conversation while keeping an eye on the clock.


After about twenty minutes, we checked the tart. Since it was a smaller, shallower pan, I figured it would be done first. It needed just a bit longer, so we left it in there. Some of the pies were showing signs of quick browning on the crusts. We covered those with foil tents, so they wouldn't get burned. Fifteen minutes later, the blueberry tart was done, and the apple pie, too. Not long after, the strawberry-rhubarb pair was ready, and finally, the rhubarb cream pie was puffing up nicely, and so we pulled it out, too.


My main concern was that the heat from the oven's hearth might burn the bottom crust of the pies. Since we needed to check on that right away, we tried the blueberry tart. I needn't have worried, for it was dry and flaky, and just the right color. We cut the tart and ate it in no time. The blueberry filling was done to perfection.

My rhubarb pies waited til the next day to be sampled. I have to admit that I've never been much of a pie baker....One time, Robert went over to Sharlene's to learn how to make them. I wasn't making pie often enough for his taste, so he took the matter in to his own hands. He came home with a beautiful apple pie and presented it to me as a birthday gift from him and Gramma. Wasn't that sweet? The rhubarb pies from the bread oven were great--just the right balance of sweet and tart that we expect from that particular fruit.

Future plans include a pie day at least once a month, and hopefully a pie social sometime this summer. I'm on the lookout for other interested bakers to join me. I'll do my best not to burn anything...so far so good. Care to join me? Just drop me a note or leave me a comment. I'll let you know the next time the oven is ready!

Sunday 27 June 2010

Power Crazy: Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant





The Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant has been in the news my entire life. When I was 3 months old, plans were announced in 1965 for three nuclear power plants to be built on Long Island: Lloyd Harbor, Jamesport, and Shoreham.  While the Lloyd Harbor plan was killed in 1970, and Jamesport never left the drafting table,  construction began on the Shoreham plant in 1973. Today, it remains the only completed nuclear power plant to never generate electricity.
This is not a No-Nukes post; I personally believe nuclear power should play a vital role in our domestic energy policy. Instead, this is a post against Bad Ideas. Shoreham was riddled with them .




  1. The plant was to be situated near the path of airplanes landing at MacArthur Airport and the New Haven Airport.



  2. It was to be built in an area that the U.S. Air Force had designated as "high hazard" due to its proximity to the Calverton Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, where Grumman military fighter planes were tested, which was five miles from the Shoreham site



  3. Evacuation plans called for the 3 million residents of Long Island to seek safety by automobile transportation, westward via New York City bridges.

I am certainly no expert on nuclear safety and evacuation procedures, but #3 hangs out there like a big matzo ball. Doesn't sound like much of a plan. Long Island has one way in, and one way out. Building a nuclear power plant there made about as much sense as building one in Wellfleet or Key West.
**********
My day in Shoreham was not all a loss. I eventually made it back to Rocky Point and had a wonderful dinner with Marianna and Ralph. She is from Italy via Japan, while he is from Berlin. They are in Long Island For A Year while Ralph works at Brookhaven National Labratory. Good food, good company, great conversation!


One must wait for the sundown to see how splendid the day has been
� Sophocles

Paul's Discovery

Saturday 26 June 2010

Awakened by the Baby

In these long days of summer, light gathers around 5 a.m. Rarely do we get up at that moment. But since we choose to not have curtains on our windows upstairs, if loud sounds occur, the combination of the two jar us awake. Today, the baby woke us up.

Wow, it's been a lot of years since I said that. Of course, in this case, it was a baby outside, and it happened to be one of the immature ravens. They have taken the scene by storm, and we are so enjoying observing them. The pair will land in our parking lot, and we'll notice the parents hanging back, perched on a truck bed or up in a tree. The adults observe the little ones and send out a gentle croak now and then. If one strays too far away, the elder will fly off to get it, and occasionally a scolding takes place. Most of the shouting matches come from the little ones themselves, however. They still go up to their mom, and scream--and I do mean Scream--at her with their beaks wide open. Demanding little cusses, I'd say.

It brought to mind the time some years back when our friend Nathan brought his little charge up here one weekend. He had rescued a baby bird that had been abandoned, and brought it into the house. His mom let him set it up in a box, and Nathan took on the task of nursing it. He named him Charlie, I believe, and set about learning the care and feeding of a baby bird. Charlie was a hungry little dude, and Nathan was kept very busy tracking down food for him. He was quite patient through the process, and answered every cry, no matter what time it occurred. When the family was scheduled to come up here, not long after the adoption, Nathan brought him along, hoping that we would take mercy on his plight and bend the no-pets-rule. How could we say no? Charlie stayed not-so-quietly in his box. Nathan continued to get up at all hours of the day and night to feed him. It was a good eye-opener to the clamorous ways of a fledgling.



While these ravens have not set up residence in a box right inside the lodge, sometimes I think they would like to. Yesterday, as I walked down the road, having picked up the mail, Junior was eyeing me up. I stopped, and he approached me. He came within five feet of my side, and then circled to the back. He came closer then, just four feet off, and I pondered the size of his beak. Although I've referred to them as babies and juveniles, in reality, they are nearly as large as their parents. The main difference is that their coloring is still a mottled brown on the upper part of the body. The wing and tail feathers have come in as a sleek black. This guy came so close, I could see that its brown feathers were still the downy baby feathers. It probably won't be long before we can't distinguish the age of any of them.

Greg got up this morning when the ruckus began, and looked out the window to see if the noisy one was visible. I shouldn't say noisy, as he was quietly speaking in that secret raven language that I would love to understand. Sure enough, he was down in front, happily playing with a crushed cedar log. He would pick up pieces, toss them around a bit, nudge them on the ground, and repeat the process. Is this universal? I recall my children doing similar actions. We've watched the siblings pick up sticks and play tug of war, and we've seen them fight over bits of food...those pizza crusts I talked about the other day. It's interesting to see their movements, imitating the actions of the parents, most likely, but in a tentative way. They are learning to use
their feet to hold down an object, while using their beaks to pry it apart. All the time, the parents perch and observe, as do we, I guess. So it's a learning experience for us all.

No sense in naming these guys, as soon they will look like all the other ravens that we see passing by. We do know where they live, in a large white pine near the gravel pit. Time will tell how friendly they continue to be.

*Photo credits to Addie--awesome shots!

Friday 25 June 2010

Peg's Books

Today, while fact-checking on a name for a friend, I happened upon some things that had belonged to Gramma Peggy. After she passed away, Sharlene asked if I wanted some of her books to put into cabins. These included two written by Justine Kerfoot, an anthology edited by John Henricksson, and a hardcover copy of Snowshoe Country by Florence Page Jaques. All are excellent cabin books--on the shelf or end table, they are perfect for perusing while on vacation in the woods. Some I had read, some I hadn't, and now I am determined to read them all, straight through, just as I am doing with John's book that I recently mentioned.

The nice thing about these books, as John put it to me, is that you can just pick them up and read a chapter at a time. A little slice of northwoods living, written in someone else's words, can be just the thing to put a person into a relaxed state of mind. If one can actually be in the woods at the time, well then, all the better. It makes the experience richer, to look out the window and gaze at the exact same scenery and wildlife as you are reading about. How cool is that? Better than virtual reality, hands down.

Peggy's books from Justine were inscribed to her. I've been in many a used book store, and have seen books similarly marked. Of course, they were meaningless to me, and in a way it seemed sad that a gift like that would end up in such an impersonal location. Yet, I realize that we cannot hold onto everything that we've been given, because we end up with too much. So it is right to send them to a venue where someone new can find them and derive enjoyment from them. That's the whole idea behind reuse and recycle. I just get a little sentimental at times. The memories that we have from giving a gift, or from reading the book, should be enough to hold on to, rather than the object itself.

Actually, I find myself trying to focus on that principle more and more these days. I probably will never get around to re-reading everything that I think that I will. And if I do want to, the internet makes it easy to locate those old titles. In the meantime, I know that it will be a rewarding experience to hold and read the same copy that Peggy once held, as I am reading stories about her woods. And there may even be a mention of her in some of those pages. I
think that I will definitely be keeping at least some of these original copies, as someday my grandchildren--Peg's great-great grandchildren--may want to read them, too.

Lots of Pictures!


Well! It's taken quite a lot of time today, but I've finally caught up with my Pictures of the Day...well, up until June 23rd, at least.

Nevertheless, there are now many, many more pictures to look at, if you're interested. I'll eventually put the Pictures of the Day up on this blog, but if you want to see any of the other pictures from our trip, you can see them right now on flickr.

I know that some of you (myself included) have said that flickr is a bit confusing to use, but if you follow the links on this post, it shouldn't be too confusing. When the new page opens, there should be a lot of little square icons. You can click on any of those to see that picture, or there is an option to see the set as a slideshow (near the top right... and you can turn the comments on and off, too; once the slideshow starts, click on the option that says "show info"). If that's too confusing, tell me and I'll try to work something different out. Good luck!

So, click on the links below to see pictures from:

Germany - Regensburg
Austria - Salzburg
Germany - (The Real) Berlin
Germany - Hannover and Neustadt am R�benberge
Germany - Munich
Spain - Madrid
Portugal - Lisbon Area and Porto
(Note: these links are in the order we visited the places)

Complete Europe Trip Picture Set (Warning: It's pretty large, and contains the same pictures as the above sets... only if you've got major time to kill or you don't like the idea of seeing the pictures in smaller groupings, for whatever reason)

And, of course, you can see our pictures from the time we spent in Colorado:
U.S.A. - Colorado


So, thanks so much for your interest, and thank you for reading and checking out the pictures! Have a great day!

Thursday 24 June 2010

Collections


Collections....I read recently that nearly everyone has one of some kind. Though I don't want to admit it, I probably do have one myself, of yarn and fabric and beads. It's my stash, but it could be classified as a collection as well.

When I was on garbage detail the other day, I took a look at the walls and realized that the beer bottle collection had grown to epic proportions. Greg started this group of souvenirs long before I knew him. At one point after we were married, he thought about recycling the whole lot, mainly for lack of a place to display them. The boys were against it, so he hung on to them. Time came to build a new shed for the garbage and recyling cans, and he realized that it would also be a great place to display all of the beer bottles.


For several years now, these have graced the shelves. Occasionally they stir up some conversation, and once in a while we find a new bottle added to the group. Mostly, I don't notice them, since I head in to drop off bags, or to sort the sacks of bottles, cans and plastics headed for the recycling trailer.

But the other day, the light shining in the windows was just right, and it made me take another look. I had to snap a few photographs, as a result. It's fun, having things like this in unexpected places. It makes sense for a bottle collection to be in this shed. The only downside is that it's not the nicest place to linger to study things over. But an upside to it is that I don't have to worry about dusting all those bottles off!

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Pictures of the Day, May 29 - June 4, 2010

Here are the rest of the Pictures of the Day from our trip in Europe. I've also nearly got the other pictures from the last month or so sorted out, and I'll hope to be posting them in the next few days. So, take a look at these, and I hope you enjoy them!

May 29, 2010: A peacock at the Sao Jorge Fortress in Lisbon. It seemed to reflect Lisbon in general, with its combination of the old and run-down with the beautiful.

May 30, 2010: Some sort of plant I saw near the shore, near Cascais.

June 1, 2010: This is one of those pictures where, when you see it on the computer, you say, "Hm, that looks a lot cooler than it seemed when I took it." I'm still not entirely sure how the stuff right next to these pots got so artfully blurry. In any case, the flower pots were in the courtyard of our hotel in Porto.

June 2, 2010: The sheets hanging out in the sun to dry at our hotel in Porto. Just seemed like a nice, peaceful scene.

June 2, 2010: This is my Picture of the Day for the 365 project, although I also took a "Portugal" picture for this day, since we went from Portugal to Spain in the morning. It's of the railing on our Madrid hotel room's balcony.

June 3, 2010: A cat on the sidewalk that looked just like Cucho. His owner was asking for change, so I gave him a few coins and asked him if I could take a picture of his cat. I suppose it really could be Cucho's long-long Spanish cousin that never immigrated to the New Country.

June 4, 2010: A BB seems to have hit the glass at Barajas International Airport, in Madrid.

And so ends our photographic tour of a few European countries. As usual, there are many, many Leftovers, so please feel free to check those out. I'm hoping to get all the trip pictures organized into a folder in flickr, and when I do that, I'll tell you.

In the meantime, thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Model Butterflies

The butterflies are out and about....and and sometimes they land in places that make it easy for me to photograph them. Yesterday I spotted a luna moth on Birch cabin, and last evening, a white admiral posed for me on the screen porch.

I actually had to look up the latter butterfly. Maybe, like birdwatching, this will become an area of continued interest for me. And once I have the butterflies down, I can tackle the many moths that show up. Already from reading the guidebook, I know I have seen some of them, just not recently. So many things to see, so many things to learn.

Hot walk!


We had a beautiful but very hot walk yesterday around the hilly country south of Plouy�. Thanks to all who gave up football and tennis time to join in! Thanks to Chris for the top photo.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Summer Lovin'

Though it shouldn't matter, something about the calendar officially registering the start of summer yesterday has actually made it feel more seasonal. The temperature got up into the seventies, it was humid while I was mowing the lawn, and the sun was with us for a large portion of the day. The length of the day stretched out nicely, though the cloudy skies in the evening prevented an extended dusk. Still, it was definitely a good midsummer.

One unusual sight prompted me to grab the camera and head to the lake. Not far off the end of our main dock, I saw three mature loons swimming along together. I left my lunch on the screen porch, and was able to make it to the dock at Tamarack without upsetting the trio. They continued their fishing/swimming expedition, while I snapped a few quick photos. Tiring of the model mayhem, they dove and went out for deeper waters. Later in the day, I heard a report of a baby loon seen on its mama's back, somewhere on the lake. Unfortunately, I still have not had the pleasure of seeing that.


But it is baby season, or in this case, juvenile. The raven pair that has taken up serious residence here at Heston's came in yesterday to get a better look at the garbage bags I was loading in to the pick-up. When I turned my back, two more flew in , so I was a bit surprised when I saw the four looking over at me. (Shades of Hitchcock's The Birds?) As I went about the task of gathering cardboard to recycle, they kept trying to get to a garbage bag, undoubtedly to tear it open and scatter the contents. We've see them do this in about three minutes. With four of them, they could go for a new record. To their chagrin, I finished my packing, and was off to dispose of the load at the canister site. I did toss them a token dead mouse, found in an empty garbage can. They were on it in seconds. Hungry little dudes, I guess.

Later in the day, Greg scattered a handful of pizza "bones" out in the parking lot. I call them bones, but they are the end crusts from the slices. Not caring to eat them himself,he used to save them as a treat for Moses. Now they get tossed out for the ravens or squirrels or whatever lucky scavenger might happen upon them. Soon the foursome of ravens was back. We were able to get a closer look at them, and realized that two are immature. They must be the offspring of the original pair. Addie has been grumbling a lot lately about the amount of ruckus these birds cause at about six a.m. each day. So she was initially not pleased to see the new additions. It didn't take long for her to be won over. Who can resist babies? She sneaked out the side door, armed with the big camera, and was able to take some close-ups of the kids. They were a hoot to watch, as they teased each other. One would grab a crust, and the other would steal right out of the beak of its sibling. Then mom would pick one up, and the two little ones would rush over and caw loudly with their beaks wide open. "Feed me, Mom! Feed Me Now!" We could almost hear them demanding it. At one point, she actually did feed the morsel to the cantankerous one. Paul asked me if he had ever acted that way. I said not quite. The young ones have a mottled brownish black coloring on their feathers, and they seem a bit unsteady on their feet. They tend to dance around a lot. But when it's time to follow their parents, they have full command of their wings. Pretty cool to watch.

So for the next ninety-three days, we get to enjoy summer. How will you be spending it?

Power Crazy: Shoreham Breakwater



At the eastern end of Shoreham Beach, the ill fated Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant comes into view.  It sits about a thousand feet inland along the Wading River, which serves as the border between the towns of Riverhead and Brookhaven. A hundred feet south of the beach there are fences with signs warning people to "keep out". With no intention of trespassing, I stayed close to the waterline as I continued eastward. There was a jetty ahead with a dozen or so people on it, and I decided to take a closer look.


It is a relatively safe jetty that was easy to walk, and there were no signs stating that it was private property. There was a couple sharing a boxed lunch while the others all appeared to be fishing. Halfway out, I heard a horn being blasted from the beach area behind me. Turning around, I saw a security-type SUV with two large men approaching the breakwater.
I would never succeed as a tabloid reporter. My camera is able to record video, but at that moment, it never occured to me. Instead of filming what was taking place, I slipped the camera back into my pocket as the two men approached.
The only thing he said to me was "You're under arrest, stand over there" as he pointed to the beach area adjacent to the jetty. They never identified themselves, and there was no logo on their shirts, but I knew they were not cops. I assumed they were from the power plant, but I was not completely sure.
I really wanted to explain to them that I was scheduled to be in Rocky Point for dinner at 6 pm. But, rather than dig myself into a bigger hole, I followed orders and walked back to the beach. They proceeded to round everyone up as they made their way out the jetty. Some sort of confusion developed with one group, and at that moment, I made the decision to run. Sweaty and out of breath, I reached the car and got the hell out of Dodge.
Soundbounder the fugitive!