Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Islip Airport, Snowy Day

Islip Airport, Snowy Day, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Islip Airport, December 17, 2013

before the snowplow

before the snowplow, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

river snow

river snow, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Just north of the bridge in Sayville, the water's surface is beginning to freeze and a light snow covered the branches.

Bellport Beach, Fire Island

Bellport Beach, Fire Island, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Ho Hum Beach, aerial, taken in 2008
This is "Ho Hum Beach", across from Bellport. It's a 'resident only' beach, accessed by limited ferry service. 

season's greetings

season's greetings, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Causeway, Great South Bay

RM causeway boat, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

causeway

RM causeway, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Robert Moses Causeway

Happy Thanksgiving

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

autumn in Bayport

autumn in Bayport, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Sayville, Long Island

Sayville, Long Island, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Sayville Town Park

fishing offshore

fishing offshore, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Fishing rig off Orient Point...

Arboretum bench

Arboretum bench, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

American Airpower Museum

American Airpower Museum, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

...at Republic Airport
www.americanairpowermuseum.com

pumpkin-face family

pumpkin-face family, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Nassau County

Great South Bay marsh

Great South Bay marsh, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Great South Bay

Robert Moses Park

Robert Moses Park, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Brown's River Sayville

Brown's River Sayville, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Brown's River on the boundary of Sayville and Bayport, in autumn.

Fire Island Bayside

Fire Island Bayside, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Violet 2, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Connetquot River in Autumn

Connetquot River in Autumn, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Davis Park 2009

Davis Park 2009, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Many of these homes will be torn down, or have already been washed away, all from the erosion of Sandy.

Barred Owl, captured

Barred Owl, captured, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

The wildlife rescue group....taken in October of 2010

Watch Hill

Watch Hill, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Autumn Marsh Grass

Autumn Marsh Grass, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Autumn on Fire Island

Fire Island Dune Grass

Fire Island Dune Grass, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Watch Hill in Autumn

Watch Hill Walk, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Fire Island's Watch Hill, part of the Fire Island National Seashore.

Does this ring true?

montauk lighthouse, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

A friend recentely sent this information along. Are these true facts? Well, I'd have to check each one, but they sound convincing to me! Check them out!

Mastic was the home of William Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Long Island's first two settlements were Southold and Southampton, in 1640.

Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk is the site of the oldest cattle ranch in America, built in 1658, and birthplace of the American cowboy.

The Lighthouse at Montauk became NY's first coastal beacon in 1796.

The first radio transmission, by wireless inventor Guglielmo Marconi, was in 1901 on Fire Island Avenue in Babylon.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field, as he embarked on the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Americas first supermarket, King Kullen, started on Long Island in 1930.

Levittown, the first suburbia in the U.S., was built on Long Island in 1947.

The Lunar Module which landed men on the moon in 1969, was built on Long Island by the Grumman Corp.

Long Island is the largest island among the 48 contiguous states.

The only working water mill and windmill in the US are located in the Long Island community of Water Mill.

Richard Nixon's deceased dog Checkers is buried at Long Island's Bide-a-Wee Pet Cemetery.

When the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, it became the first land-transport route between Long Island and mainland USA. Before that, the only way to travel between the two was by boat.

Long Island was sculpted by melted glaciers, which is why there is a clear difference between the hilly North Shore and the flat South Shore of Long Island.

Long Island is the most populated island in the United States and the 17th most populated island in the world. Interesting fact: Long Island is more populated than the entire country of Jamaica and of Ireland!

If Long Island was its own state, it would rank 12th in terms of population.

The largest industrial park in the US is located on Long Island - The Hauppauge Industrial Park which houses 1,300 companies and employs more than 55,000 people.

Together Nassau and Suffolk counties' nearly 180 fire agencies possess more fire trucks than New York City and Los Angeles County combined.

Suffolk County is the leading agricultural county in New York State based on the wholesale value of its farm products.

More 7-Eleven coffee is purchased on Long Island than in all of California.

September Davis Marina

September Davis Marina, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Davis Park Marina on a cloudy, foggy evening.

My Fox Experience

fox kit, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

There's been so much talk about the recent fox sightings that I thought I would share my personal experience. I've lived on Long Island since 1979 and until four years ago, had never seen a fox in the wild. Never!

In 2009, one early spring day, my husband and I took our boat to Barrett Beach and there, sunning himself/herself in the vegetation was a full grown and very healthy looking fox. I was so excited; I grabbed my camera and took some shots. It wasn't the best time of day, so the next day and a few days after, we went back to take additional photos, with a longer lens and in the early morning light.

A few weeks later, we went back to the same area and the smell was over-powering. We could see the remains of fish, skates, crabs, gulls and even something that looked like a muskrat. We quietly sat in the sand and waited for the fox to return. Well, to our surprise, out came three little fox kits! Apparently, this was their fox den and the mother had been bringing food to her babies. When the mother returned, she was not happy to see us sitting there, even though we kept a safe distance. They all returned to their "nest" and we did not see them again for the rest of the day!

We often see fox on Fire Island and have since 2009. I often laugh when the caution tapes go up to protect the shore birds. Look behind those tapes and you will see lots of fox prints. I guess foxes don't know the shorebirds are endangered!

In 2010 I saw a fox for the first time in Bayport. One of our neighbors had some chickens in a chicken coop. The fox returned more than once for those chickens. One day I got a shot of him walking down the street with a chicken in his/her mouth. Needless to say, our neighbor no longer has the chicken coop.

We continue to see a fox in the neighborhood, often just after sunset or very early in the morning. I don't rush to take photos anymore. Sadly, the fox I've seen recently doesn't look as healthy as the fox I saw that first time on Fire Island. Lack of food, living among people, or some fox illness has apparently taken its toll. I'm not a veterinarian but the fox just doesn't look as healthy to me. I hope they do survive here on Long Island. It's nice to see a little wildlife here in our suburban community.

la salle bridge

la salle bridge, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

The old La Salle Academy in Oakdale...

Dingy on Great South Bay

Dingy on Great South Bay, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Robert Moses Bridge in the background...

Priscilla

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

1888 OYSTER SLOOP PRISCILLA

Jones Beach from ocean

Jones Beach from ocean, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Out in the ocean and deeper water we could see Jones Beach Theatre and the "pencil" at Jones Beach.

Ocean Buoy at sunrise

Ocean Buoy at sunrise, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Just outside the Fire Island Inlet
We left the Great South Bay early on Day 2, and entered the calm sea with a rising sun.

Happy Independence Day!

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

Fireworks on Connetquot River

clammer

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

Clamming on the Great South Bay

clammer

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

Clamming on the Great South Bay

Long Island Bayman

Long Island Bayman, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Casino

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

The only ocean-front restaurant on Fire Island, this is in Davis Park. It's called "The Casino"- no gambling, just food and a bar. On summer weekends it becomes quite lively with music and dancing on the outside deck!

walk to the Pines

walk to the Pines, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

This was taken on a walk from Davis Park to the Pines.
This image is for sale on canvas. Email me for more information about size and price and immediate pick up or delivery.

fishing at Davis Park

rough water, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

FI National Seashore

FI National Seashore, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Beautiful weather for Fire Island!

spinnaker sailing

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

Beautiful early June sailing weather.

Blue Angels formation

Blue Angels formation, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Blue Angels at the Jones Beach Air Show rehersal, May 2010

Unfortunately, they won't be here this year!

westbury terrace wisteria

westbury terrace wisteria, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Old Westbury Gardens in spring

cottage tulips

cottage tulips, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Old Westbury Gardens in spring

wisteria on steps

wisteria on steps, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

Wisteria
Old Westbury Gardens

Soon, the beach

beach umbrella, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.