Prickly pear

Along Trustees Road I saw them everywhere yesterday, these desert plants growing in the sand underneath beach plums, bayberry, bittersweet, oak trees, Virginia creeper, poison ivy, goldenrod ... or colonies of them out in the open filling empty spaces. This is their blooming time. Don't miss it.

There seem to be more every year. They flourish without the cottages.

With asters, cedar and beach grass

Is that a red leaf already?

They like a water view as well as we do.

(I think I took too many pictures.)

Last one.

Pure water

One of the nice things about walking on Trustees Road is that you don't have to carry water. There is a never-ending flow of clean water coming from this pipe about halfway down the road and off in the bushes.

And it's free!

The water comes up from an artesian well

then it flows through the pipe toward the wetland

and finally splashes over some rocks and is enjoyed by passers-by both human and non-human, including yours truly. Gravity leads the runoff into the wetland. Sometimes the place is full of birds, so I sat and waited with my camera ready for birds to come. They must all have been busy elsewhere. Soon 2 thirsty boys stopped for a drink from the artesian well.

Thirsty boy #1

Thirsty boy #2

As I was putting my camera away 3 adult bikers arrived to fill their water bottles. I have been assured (by Steve Engelbright no less) that the water is safe to drink. Amazing when you think of the population here on the Island. This is one of those unexpected little pleasures you come across in our neck of the woods.

Figures in Port Jefferson

The garden in front of the public library has some permanent visitors

A moment of quiet in bustling downtown Port Jefferson

The little sailor gazes out to sea (or does he watch the cars streaming off the ferry?)

The 9/11 Memorial opposite the ferry

(Yes, that is a bit of blue sky captured Thursday afternoon)

Messages

Click on the picture to read the messages.

A display like this could distract you from your texting! (just kidding)

Welcome?

I saw this gaggle of Canada Geese feeding by the linden tree and it seemed to be 3 adults and 9 young ones. One family!

Then another, slightly younger family waddled out of the bushes and I counted 7 goslings in that group, which means at least 16 new geese have been added to our goose population in the last 2 months. Probably more! Any way we can tax them? They have no natural enemies, so perhaps we need a wolf family or two in Stony Brook.

American Linden

Oh, I wish you could stand here with me and smell this flowering tree! It's wonderfully sweet, the Linden (Tilia americana), also called Basswood. It'll stop you in your tracks if you're walking by. This large tree grows right next to the Hercules statue in Old Stony Brook.

And come, you surviving honeybees, here is your greatest treat and your most fragrant labor!

More

Back and forth

Hunt to the right

Hunt to the left


Hunt to the right again


Hunt to the left again...and got one!

It was cloudy all day and in the 60s, then about 4:00 the drizzle began, such a familiar pattern. This egret in Setauket Harbor didn't seem to mind the rain. To see the details please click on the picture. (Hunt, i.e., fish)

Here be Turtles (soon)

On Trustees Road at West Meadow Beach they've marked several dozen places where turtles have laid clutches of eggs, but how wise is it to tell the public where these little endangered creatures will emerge?

One of my favorite wildflowers the mullein

A dainty rose growing in sand

Post oak

Update 6/16 -- This is crown vetch (not beach pea)

Contrariwise

Contrary to rumor this blog is not closed. I'll post something soon.
Suggestions?

Water main break in Old Stony Brook

As I arrived at the post office at 2:30 it was obvious something was going on. Street blocked off, many pieces of fire equipment, fire marshall, water authority vehicles, huge hole--what is going on?

Ah, water main break at the little Shell station. All that gasoline stored underground...

Precautions taken

Oh, what a mess

I looked across the street and saw the harbor almost dried up! Who pulled the plug? Must be a coincidence.

Back to my first vantage point. Looks like things are under control.

Good work, guys

Well! We've had our excitement for the day.

(p.s. I wasn't the only one taking pictures)

UPDATE Wed. 6/3 Here's the story