river of ice

January on Long Island...

January in Florida...

Just a visual to help you understand why retirees love the sunshine state!

Sunrise, January 1st, 2015

Sunrise on a new year...

I've been taking a new year's sunrise photo since the year 2000.

At that time, we thought the world was in danger. 

Many events have taken place since then, both good and bad.

And each year we begin with the hope and promise that everything will be better.

Wishing you all the good things in life: health, happiness, peace and love!

The Great South Bay in Winter

 

 Robert Moses Bridge in the distance from Heckscher State Park. 

 It was cold day, but the gulls didn't mind.

  Here is the bridge close up. 

  Click here for a link to Heckscher Park information.

Bryan's Bridge, Sayville

It has taken a long time, but the bridge construction is finally finished.

The photo above is the old bridge. The area was flooding, the road was uneven.

Cement was crumbling and water was eroding the supporting structure.

There was debris under the bridge too, as many kayak and canoe users found out.

After almost two years, the work is done. The bridge was raised, drainage was added.

A new road surface is now in place. It was a big job involving cranes and heavy machinery.

Living in the area, it became inconvenient to drive that way, but it's over and done!

I hope the people who decorated the bridge (Sayville Garden Club?) each December, do so again.

My Friend Abraham

For the last few years, my friend here, the Great Blue Heron has been visiting on a nearby tree.

We've been calling him Abraham for awhile. 

The name just seems to fit his personality: strong, regal, ancient , almost biblical.

He stands here in the cold, waiting perfectly still, until he is ready to dive into the water with the faith that below a fish will be provided for his dinner.

Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving...

When did Thanksgiving first become the start of the shopping event of the year?
It was always the holiday to share with family and friends, to give thanks for all we have, and enjoy just being together.
Thanksgiving was the day to share family time, eat some traditional foods, relax together and catch up on conversation. That's how memories are made.
It makes me sad to see that businesses are open, that people are preparing to shop at mid-night, that the stores are forgetting their employees have lives.
Sad, just sad. 

Last November

Sayville, November 2013

November sunsets on Long Island

The November sky on Long Island, back in 2005 when I first started this blog, I took a similar photo just the other day. Although my photography skills have gotten better and my camera gear more expensive, it still can't compare to the spectacular show produced by Mother Nature.
I'm thankful and humbled by the beauty I see every day!

Veterans Day

 

This is a scanned photo from my father-in-law's time in the military, England 1943-1944.

Thank you to all who serve! 

Save the date!

The Music of Christmas at Meadow Croft

 Saturday and Sunday, December 6^th and 7^th, 2014

Noon to 4pm

Admission: $5 for adults and $3 for seniors & children age 4-12.

Not suitable for children under 4 years of age

The Bayport Heritage Association and the Suffolk County Department of Parks invite the public to their annual Christmas at Meadow Croft event.

Meadow Croft is the 1891 estate of John E. Roosevelt and family. The house will be decorated in a Victorian/Edwardian motif with beautiful wreathes, poinsettias and greenery, magnificently reminiscent of a hundred years ago.

Reflecting the theme of “The Music of Christmas” musical selections will be played on the original Roosevelt grand piano filling the house with seasonal music.

·      Upstairs, special exhibits will be on display for public enjoyment.

·      Hot chocolate and cookies will add to the coziness of the occasion.

·      St. Nicholas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, will be there to look up individual children’s names in his ledger. He’ll check to see who’s been ‘naughty and nice’ in 2014.

·      All decorations will be raffled off.

For more information, please contact:

Gene Horton, 631-363-6487 or email: genehblupt@aol.com

Happy Halloween!

Rainy Days Ahead

I really don't mind the rainy days. 

We've had beautiful weather this summer on Long Island. For me it wasn't quite as hot as it has been in the past, which is just fine.

Rainy days give me the chance to catch up on house chores. 

There is always something to do at home on a rainy day:
straighten up kitchen cabinets, organize closets, clean out the refrigerator, fix a loose door hinge, file papers... the list is endless! 

For dinner I can make a homemade soup and afterwards "binge watch" some old TV series.

That's my idea of a rainy day!

Autumn Love

Love, love, love the colors of autumn!

The reds, oranges, browns, and golds just blend so beautifully. 

The days are cool but the colors are warm.

This is Autumn Love!

Perfect time of year

Perfect time of year, with the changing colors and cooler days and nights, I feel so appreciative of beautiful Long Island.
The weather is perfect for walking on a park trail or for sleeping with the windows open.

Lower Manhattan

Another shot from the boat cruise out of Brooklyn.

The vessel was the Pink Lady from Freedom Cruises.

Check them out here. 

My Photo Club Day

Went with my photography club to Brooklyn where we chartered the "Pink Lady," a cruise boat out of Sheepshead Bay.  We went passed Coney Island and then under the Verrazano Bridge to Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

It was beautiful weather for a boat ride and a great day. The best part is talking to the people in the club! Friendly and interesting, it has become the main reason for getting together. 

Photos, I can take anytime. 

Talking to good people, laughing and socializing, is something to be celebrated! 

Boating Season's End

We are coming to the end of the boating season.

The days are getting cooler and the breeze off the water can be quite chilling.

There was a time when we took the boat out into November, fishing or just watching the sunset.

I'd wear foul-weather gear, with hats and gloves and water repellent fabrics.

Those days are over. Is it my age that makes me intolerant of the cold? Or is it just that I'm at the point in my life where being uncomfortable is not necessary.

I realized a few years ago, that I can choose my environment, no longer confined to a work schedule.

Give me warm days all year. I want to live like the snow birds!

Bethpage, Polo at the Park

I met some friends at the Polo Field in Bethpage State Park.

It was a very nice way to spend the afternoon, seeing something out of my usual experience.
Polo, played on a grass field 8 times larger than an American Football field, with horse-mounted players, makes a great experience to watch live!

I love to watch the beautiful horses at work and the controlled way they take their riders through the match. It's a skill where both rider and horse need to move as one. 

You can read more about Polo at the Park on their website: bethpagepolo.com

Beach Debris

One empty chair on the beach, a sign that storms and high tides have washed away someone's patio furniture. Let's hope this fall/winter & hurricane season does not create this type of damage again.

We've had a beautiful summer on Long Island with moderate temperatures. It may have been a disappointment for some people looking for hotter beach weather, but for me it was perfect!

Let's see what the autumn brings... 

Last summer picnic

I'm always amazed at how quickly the summer passes.

Labor Day already and I haven't been out to the beach nearly enough. I love to pack a picnic lunch, or dinner, and head over to Fire Island. For me, it's one of the highlights of living on Long Island.

Being retired extends the summer. I can still head over to Fire Island after everyone heads back to work and school, but, there is always a little melancholy feeling that creeps in, unexpectedly. 

It's the end of something: the warm days, sun and sand, and the feeling of freedom. It must be a residual feeling, left over from my days as a student and then eventually a teacher.

September always was back to school and then back to work, and the end of carefree summer days.

I know this feeling will pass. After all, retirement extends my summer into fall.

I'm very fortunate and I appreciate all I have.  

End of Summer Flowers

This is the time of year for sunflowers, and there is always a sad feeling knowing that summer is coming to an end.

Fishing off Orient Point

The Jenna Lynn II, out of Connecticut, is fishing off the shores of Long Island.

We took a sailing adventure to Block Island and saw this on our return.

The gulls racing over us in the sky were the first clue that something was happening ahead. 

We soon saw the Jenna Lynn II!

Fire Island, My Celebration

I recently had the opportunity to spend two weeks at Davis Park, Fire Island.
This was a gift to myself, and from my husband of course, for my birthday.
I've always loved the beach, always, as long as I could remember. 

My parents took the family to Jones Beach when my siblings and I were just babies.
We went to Zach's Bay in the early morning, and then years later as we children got older, we would walk to the ocean side. We didn't leave the beach until it was almost dark. 

You see, my father had the store in Brooklyn and Sundays were our family beach day, from June through September. I guess my parents loved the beach too. So, what better way to spend my "big" birthday year? Two weeks on the beach, waking to sunrise on the ocean, walking along the beach looking for interesting shells or stones, falling asleep to the sound of waves... this was my idea of a celebration of life!

Here are just a few images from the two weeks....

Fire Island Summer

Early morning on Fire Island and the sun casts shadows on the dunes.

William loves the beach!

You either love sand or you hate it. 

William is one of the lovers, rolling in it and mushing it on his head!

Davis Park, Fire Island

Last house on the ocean, 5th Walk, west end of Davis Park, Fire Island.

Ocean Buoy off Brooklyn

One of the many ocean buoys along Long Island heading west; this one is off Brooklyn. 

This was shot before "hurricane" Sandy so this view is very different today. 

The area was flooded and many homes were washed away. 

D-Day, June 6th 1944

 

 Do not forget the invasion of Normandy, 1944. 

The men who were there, lived with that traumatic experience their entire lives. 

They are now in their 90s, if they have not yet died of old age, but the memories of June 6th are burned in their hearts and minds and will never be forgotten.

For more information and facts about the day, read this: Click here!

Ruth

We had the chance this month to spend some time with my mother-in-law Ruth. 

She is 92 years old and still relatively healthy and mobile. 

She has lost much weight in the last few months which may be a sign that something is not right. Vital organs are slowing up and/or breaking down, so this visit was even more special.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a nearby "vacation" spot was Atlantic City.

Here she is as a young woman,  second on the left, with her sister on her left and two friends, walking the boardwalk. 

There have been many good years in Ruth's life and there is always a reason to celebrate life.

Here she is reading to one of the youngest Great-grandchildren, William, 3 years old.

How fortunate for them both!

Picton Castle, tall ship

Blue Jay

April Starling

April Jonguils

Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Great weather today in Florida and Long Island as well, I hear. Took a long walk through the undeveloped parkland and found this guy. Unusual coloring I thought, so I couldn't pass him up!

With these black and orange colors, he's the Halloween Pennant Dragonfly!

Beaver Dam Creek

They're back!

Ospreys return to Long Island

It's that time of year again. The osprey are returning to their spring/summer homes.

True "snow birds" they take the best of both climates. This has become my life now. Like the birds, I leave the northeast for a warmer climate. After this winter's cold weather and snow and ice, I'm sure you will understand. Why not get away if you can? As a retired person, there is no reason to stay. 

I know some people do enjoy the cold and snow. I understand that too. 

I never thought I would be the person to leave New York for Florida in winter. After making the journey a few winters now, I can honestly say, that I love it! The temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, sometimes higher, and the sun shines most days. I'm ready to return to Long Island. I miss it, but it's just in time to see the osprey nests and daffodils!

Caribbean Splash

Caribbean Splash, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Thinking of spring.... and Long Island's beautiful beaches.
This photo is NOT of Fire Island. We are so fortunate that we do not have rocks or coral along our Fire Island beaches.

March Sunset

sunset over island, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Why do the sunsets in March seem so vibrant? Less haze? Probably, and what a sight to enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Lass, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Anhinga anhinga

Anhinga anhinga, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

My first photo of this bird, taken in Florida at the Venice, FL rookery. He flew straight to me and landed at my feet!

Bob Geren and spring training with the Mets

Bob Geren and spring training with the Mets, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Coach Bob Geren #7 and the Mets in training...

Robert Peter Geren (born September 22, 1961, in San Diego, California) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager. During a 5-year playing career, he played for the New York Yankees (1988–1991) and the San Diego Padres (1993). He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2007 through 2011. Geren is currently the bench coach for the New York Mets.

Mets Anthony Seratelli

Anthony Seratelli #2, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Mets spring training, in Florida... It's just a little bit of home!