The Bugle Man

The Bugle Man, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

I thought the bugle sound to start the races was a recording, until I saw this guy. Cute tie, no?!

Have you been to Belmont recently? You can picnic right there on the grounds and even barbecue in the fenced picnic area that also has tables and umbrellas.

I recommend that you look into this for small parties and family gatherings, unless of course you can't control your gambling.

We met here with a group of Long Island photographers to socialize and take photos of the horses and races.

It was a great day!

I didn't lose a dime, but then I didn't bet any money either. In my opinion, I was the biggest winner.

Good friends, good food and just enough excitement!

Belmont Racetrack

Belmont Racetrack, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Our yearly visit to the racetrack with the Long Island Photographers Meetup group. Fun day, as usual, with a great group of people.

Drive to the north fork, LI

We took a ride out east to the north fork this week. The weather has not been great but we needed a change of scenery. This winery is in Jamesport, a beautiful area of farms and vineyards. People often stop at the wineries for "wine tasting" events, but it's really an excuse to be out in the more rural areas of Long Island.

Claudio's in Greenport is another summer destination.

Walk through the old town and stop and have lunch on the dock of Claudio's.

It's a nice way to spend the day!

Happy Fathers' Day

Happy Fathers' Day, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Happy Fathers Day!

Hope you have good memories and that you enjoy the day.

The man on the right is my dad. He was born 1908 and died 1994. In this photo, he's with his mother, my brother Peter (about 7) and the baby is my brother Greg, 1946.

On the TV news just now, they asked people on the street, "What words of advice did your father give you?" Well, I had to think about that a moment. There weren't many but here are the ones I remember:

• Don't mix your alcohol. Drink scotch, it won't make you sick.
• Don't eat chopped meat dishes in restaurants. You never know what's in it.
• Plant marigolds with your vegetables; it keeps the bugs away.
• You can have fun when you're married, just don't tell your husband.

Really, he said that.

I still miss him.

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Hope you all have a great day!

touch of heather

touch of heather, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Long Island in Spring

Such a beautiful time of year here on Long Island. The flowers are all in bloom and show their rich colors against the green leaves and blue sky. Beautiful.

The weather has not been typical of our springtime weather though. Cooler than usual and lots of rain and fog, it's not what you would expect. We just keep waiting for better weather.

sinclair man

sinclair man, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

In the window of a DeLorean dealer:
PJ Grady DeLorean, West Sayville

dragon fly or damsel?

dragon fly, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

I don't know the names of all the varieties of dragon flies and damselflies, but thought this one was a beauty. I wish I had gotten the bright blue "tail" sharper, but I think he was vibrating this end to attract the females!

"Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest."

So I guess this is a damselfly!

Robin

Robin, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Found this guy while shooting with my friend Michelle at Sunken Meadow Park. Beautiful day today, just a little too warm, so we stopped shooting by 11am!

spinnaker

spinnaker, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

We took a nice evening sail last night on the Great South Bay. This guy was sailing with the wind behind him.

Bayard Cutting Estate

Bayard Cutting Estate, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Visit the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Oakdale

female cardinal

female cardinal, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

One year ago today, this photo was chosen for Flickr.com's Explore page. Still one of my favorites!

Under construction

Please bear with me while I rework this site.
I tried to update the features, since I've had this exact blog layout since 2005. It is time. :-(

Unfortunately, just changing one item, causes a chain reaction and now I have to change everything.
I'm trying to keep the same colors and appearance as the old site which may take some time.

Thank you!

Fire Island Maid, Ferry to Fire Island

Fire Island Maid, Ferry to Fire Island, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Brown's River, Sayville

As the weather improves, boat rides to Fire Island are more frequent and enjoyable.

Mother-in-law

Mother-in-law Ruth came to visit and had a wonderful time!

Eighty-nine years old, she even went into the hot-tub!

Julie with flag

Julie with flag, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

At the Jones Beach Air Show rehersal, May 28, 2010

Retired Northwest Airlines captain Julie Clark, an acrobatic pilot. Clark is "one of the best female aerobatic performers in the country," says New York State parks spokesman George Gorman.

Blue Angels formation

Blue Angels formation, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Calverton National Cemetery
Long Island, NY
~~~~~
In memory of those we have lost.....

sunset boat ride

sunset boat ride, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

A quick boat ride on the Great South Bay to watch the sunset. It's still a little cool on the water but summer is not too far away! It was just nice to be out there!

Bayport Yard Sale

The Bayport Heritage Association's

Annual Yard Sale

will take place on

May 21st and May 22nd, 2011

9am-4pm

226 Gillette Ave.

Bayport, NY

Weather

Weather, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Think of the storm roaming the sky uneasily
like a dog looking for a place to sleep in,
listen to it growling.
-Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979), U.S. poet

Living on the river keeps me connected to the changes in weather. A minor drop in temperature, a sudden appearance of clouds, an increase of wind speed....it is always obvious and can't be ignored.

I rarely listen to a weather report. All I have to do is step outside, feel, smell, and experience the air .

Sunset and Fishing

Sunset and Fishing, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Beautiful sunset on the Great South Bay.
Now if the rain will only stop, we can all get back on the water!

Priscilla

Priscilla, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

1888 OYSTER SLOOP PRISCILLA

Read about sailing on this boat, Priscilla.

www.limaritime.org

flight

flight, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

We took our first boat ride this week and had a visit from a hungry gull.

Happy Mother's Day! the twins

Happy Mother's Day! the twins, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

born april 26th 2011
Just one and a half weeks old in this shot.....

osprey

osprey, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

It's so wonderful to see these large birds coming back to Long Island. It seems that every town has their osprey family nesting high on the tree tops.

Twins arrived!

My husband Chris, the proud grandpa.

His daughter Trisha had twins this week and carried them to full term.

Both healthy, is all we wanted.

William Preston, 6 lbs. 5 oz.

Gavin Luke, 5 lbs. 13 oz.

~~~~~~~~~~

sunset silhouette

sunset silhouette, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Anegada harbor

Anegada harbor, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Cooper Island

Cooper Island, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Saint Thomas, USVI

saint thomas, usvi, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Leaving Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands for the BVIs. We were not on a cruise ship but rather a "bare boat" with our friends, two other couples. We were the captain and crew, cook and sleeper. (You always have one sleeper in the group, don't you?)

Laura Lee and bridge

Laura Lee and bridge, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

the Baths

the Baths, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The Baths on Virgin Gorda.

Rock formations form small pools and passageways along the beach.

Oliver

Oliver, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Oliver is just three years old.
Tomorrow, it is scheduled, that he will become the older brother of twin boys.
I'll keep you posted!

Oliver in the daffodils

Oliver in the daffodils, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The daffodils are beginning to come to full bloom and the sun is shining. I was home from Florida for just one week and it was time to leave again. Another travel opportunity which this Long Island Woman will never pass up!

jupiter sunrise

jupiter sunrise, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Another sunrise, this time at the Jupiter Inlet, a favorite fishing spot for many.

far from shore

far from shore, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Ocean fishing on some rough water, we caught Amberjack and Rudderfish.
On the water, I'm very happy, the birds flying looking to catch some extra bait.
The water was fairly rough but it doesn't look so here. That's Singer Island in the distance.

Florida storm

Florida storm, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

They have very different storm-clouds here in Florida. They're scary!

Topaz

Topaz, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

I didn't think I could enjoy boating in Florida. After all, what could rival the great boating in the Great South Bay? I must say that Florida's Intracoastal waterway is a wonderful surprise. I'm enjoying every minute of my time here but I'm blessed in that I will return to Long Island and enjoy my Long Island boating once again.

Jupiter sunrise

Jupiter sunrise, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

It seems that I'm drawn to taking sunrise shots. I guess I am. There is something so satisfying about seeing the start of another day. Our view, from our rented condo in Florida, faces east and the sunrises have been spectacular.
So forgive me for another sunrise image. I will soon be home, back to Long Island and will only see the sunrise if I get in my car and drive to the beach.

Intracoastal boat house

Intracoastal boat house, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The homes along the Intracoastal are huge and beautiful. I'll take the boat house!

ocean silhouette

ocean silhouette, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

MId-afternoon ocean view...

sunrise pier

sunrise pier, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The pier in Juno Beach is always a main attraction. Whether it be fishing, people watching, surfer watching or sunrise views, it's the place to go.

Juno Pier sunrise #2

Juno Pier sunrise #2, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

A few seconds after the photo below.....

Juno sunrise

Juno sunrise, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Took this shot this morning. It was all planned to have the sun right at the end of the pier!
There is this great free software which will help you plan your sunrise, sunset, & moonrise locations for the best shots on any given day. I'm lovin' it!

Here is the site: http://photoephemeris.com/

pink super moonrise

pink moonrise, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The super-full-moon as it came up over the ocean, tonight March 19th. The pink hue is due to the haziness in the air.
I wanted to include the car for size reference. It was super!!

HAPPY St. Patrick's Day!

HAPPY St. Patrick's Day!, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Just a little decoration to celebrate the day!

On Long Island, it's a pretty big event holiday, with parades and lots of corned beef and cabbage. Many people even take off from work to participate in, or view, the NY City parade.

In Florida, the parades are smaller but the corned beef is just as plentiful!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

Our Local Hawk

Hawk, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

We have a visitor just about every afternoon. He sits on the condo balcony and watches the lawn below.

All of a sudden he will swoop down and catch a vole or field mouse.

It's wonderful to see!

~~

Jupiter Beach Police

Jupiter Beach Police, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The police are ready!

Why are they riding all along the Jupiter/Juno Beach? Who knows?

I never see this much police presents on Fire Island. Maybe that's a good thing?

~~~

courtesan

courtesan, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Went to the Florida Renaissance Festival this weekend.
Many lovely costumes were worn for everyone's delight!

another sunrise

another sunrise, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

shoreline west panorama

shoreline west pano, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

The view on the Intracoastal through Jupiter....Two photos stitched. Just an example of some of the beautiful homes along the shore. The satellite view shows they all have pools on the Intracoastal.