The Long Island Blog

I love the early morning hours. The streets are quiet, the air is still, and I have the world to myself.

This morning I saw beautiful white clouds ringed in gold from the early morning sun– a far cry from the stormy weather we had yesterday. By the time I found my camera and drove to the park the sun had risen and the golden color was gone. But there were other things to see on Long Island this fine Sunday morning.

The sun behind clouds, reeds, and a dead calm Great South Bay

Waterfall and geese at Brookwood Hall

The geese take flight

Yesterday’s stormy weather brought us blue skies and pretty clouds

As I was on my belly taking this picture, I heard a voice asking me if I was looking for rats. “No, I’m just taking a picture of this torn glove.” In response to the giant question mark on the guy’s face, I explained that with the crates and crab trap in the background it might turn out to be a nice shot. You know, one of those artistic ones you see for sale in the little shops in Greenport or The Nautical Mile.

As it turns out the guy asking the questions was John Buczak, one of the few Long Island baymen still earning a living at this ancient, vanishing craft, and it was his dog that bit the thumb off of the glove.

We shot the breeze for a while, covering all the important topics like high fuel prices, decreasing fish populations, increasing regulations, and all the seafood imported from who knows where. We wondered what the future holds for Long Island’s baymen and fisheries, and if it would someday be impossible to eat locally caught fish.

Hmmm…

Read more about John and other noted baymen in this New York Times article.

We had some pretty rough weather last weekend and while visiting the beach I saw some striking bands of red and black sand tossed up by the waves.

Whitecaps and waves on the Great South Bay

This is a common sight and you’ve probably noticed these colors in long strips running lengthwise down the beach. The colored sand is composed of garnet and magnetite in roughly a 52/45% proportion with the remaining 3% composed of other minerals. The soft white sand that makes up the majority of Long Island’s beaches is quartz.

A lot of garnet and magnetite on a beach at the East Islip marina

As a kid I always wondered why and how the red and black sand grains gathered together. It wasn’t until my junior high school science teacher, Mr. Lewis explained it to me that the mystery was solved. The garnet and magnetite are much denser than the quartz, so wind and wave action affect those grains differently. That tends to sort them out from everything else.

If you want to look like a geek next time you go to the beach, bring a magnet and magnifying glass (like I do). Drag the magnet through the sand and then look at it with the magnifying glass. You’ll see that it picks up black grains of the aptly named magnetite, which is composed mostly of iron.

There are a lot of things I like about winter. The long nights give me a chance to hibernate. The cold, dry air makes sleeping so easy (and rising so difficult). And the dramatic grey, stormy skies bring anticipation to the day—will it snow? Sure looks like it will. Sure hope it does…

There’s nothing like a good snowstorm.

February, typically Long Island’s most snowy month, is almost over. As we move into March the odds of having a good one decrease with each passing day.

But last Friday, just in time for the morning rush hour, February gave us a teaser. About 4 inches of snow fell by daybreak and it continued to snow lightly throughout the day.

As much as I love the snow, I can’t stand when Mother Nature drops a small one on us. Sure, it pretties everything up for a few days, but driving in it can be a nightmare. It’s not the snow itself that makes conditions dangerous, but the bonehead drivers who don’t clean their windows and speed down the road like it’s a beautiful spring day. I can’t stand that.

On second thought, maybe driving with a camera in your hand is not too smart either. Here are 2 views from a snap taken in my little corner of Long Island during my drive into work.

The snow is still falling and you can barely see the trees beyond the bridge. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I love the panoramic view

But this is closer to what one actually sees when driving in the snow

I found the coolest, if not the tiniest little wine boutique on Long Island, in downtown Sayville.

My girlfriend and I were just walking down the sidewalk and all of sudden this wine shop just sort of hopped out at us. We had never seen it before and we both said at the same time, “Where’d this come from?”

We stepped inside and met Suzanne, who told us that she had just started the business. Wine aficionado, figure skater, and artist, Suzanne has put her heart into this wine boutique and it shows.

She’s knowledgeable, stocks good wine, and offers it in a fun, and maybe a little quirky environment.

This is exactly the kind of place I like to see on Long Island. It’s different, offers something of value, and is completely genuine.

So needless to say, I’m a loyal customer. And, (you know me) I’ve been taking pictures and asking questions.

Here is my full review of Down the Rabbit Hole Wine Boutique.

I was in Patchogue last Saturday to see Ann Marie and Mike at the BrickHouse Brewery. The place was a bit more crowded than I had the patience for, so it was just a quick hello, then across the street to BobbiQue.

There, my daughter and I enjoyed a quiet lunch of ribs and salad. It was only our first visit, so this is not a full review, just my first impressions.

(You can read more detailed reviews of Long Island restaurants here .)

I like the place.

We were both happy with the food. There are a dozen good beers on tap, 60 in bottles, and a couple of cask conditioned ales as well. BobbiQue is home to a lively blues scene that I’d like to check out on a hopping Friday night.

The service is unusual. You place your order at a counter near the entrance, pick up a table marker, and then sit any where you want. Food is served in metal trays that match the industrial theme décor.

I’d go back.

The full slab of excellent ribs was too much for me to finish, but made a great midnight snack.

Open and airy with ample seating at the bar.

BOBBiQUE
70 W. Main Street
Patchogue, NY

I received a letter Frank Mruk, the associate dean for the School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology, asking for help finding a permanent Long Island location for OPEN House, a solar/geothermal home built by his students at NYIT.

The home was constructed as their 2007 entry in the Department of Energy’s annual Solar Decathlon and took 12th place coming in ahead of MIT and Cornell.

Back in the late 70’s I remember gas lines and countless magazine articles about the rapid development of alternative energy sources, solar seeming the most promising. Yet here we are almost half a century later and nothing has changed. We’re still burning fossil fuels like mad. It’s like we’ve learned nothing from that horrible experience.

Deriving all of it’s energy needs from the sun, OPEN House is both efficient and beautiful

Coincidently, a 2 hour special about oil was broadcast on the History Channel last night. “Crude” featured several prominent oil geologists whose calculations show that oil production has peaked and will now begin a slow, but steady decline. This sounds like hype, but it isn’t. Barring any significant new discoveries we will see a steady decline in production and a corresponding increase in energy prices.

So it’s nice to see Long Islanders like Frank and his students developing alternative energy sources into something we can actually use. OPEN House, is not only fully energy independent, but also captures enough solar energy to power an electric car, and is both “attractive and affordable enough for mainstream America.”

Frank writes:

Currently the house is back in Old Westbury and looking for a long term home. The school has been considering many options including proposals from many towns and private individuals both on Long Island and across the country.

To the NYIT students, the competition had a very specific mission to support the advancement of alternative and renewable energy solutions, promote a green, clean and sustainable environment and to communicate the viability of solar technology to the public on Long Island and around the world.

The students believe the best way to achieve their mission is to use the house to fund the next iteration of the competition.

The next phase of the competition is currently scheduled for October 2009. The institute plans to make a decision on the final site for the home by February 2008.

He also notes that a good location for the home might be in one of Long Island’s vineyards–Perhaps a small plot sale/lease situation where both NYIT and the vineyard can use the home for events.

Any inquires can be directed to:
Frank Mruk AIA, RIBA
Associate Dean
New York Institute of Architecture
School of Architecture and Design
516-686-1436
fmruk (at) nyit.edu

For more information about solar energy on Long Island see:

http://www.renewableenergylongisland.org/

http://www.lipower.org/cei/solar.html

Well, that’s not what it was called when I was a kid. At that time I don’t think it even had a name. It was just a plot of land where people kept boats and guys like Captain Eddy, Pops, and Catfish Max rented small outboard powered boats to weekend fisherman hoping to catch some flounder in the bay.

These days, it’s a park with cute little restaurant next door, and one of the places I like to visit when I need some time on the water. So, yesterday I picked up some burgers from All American, which is just a few blocks away, and went to the dock. It was a perfect lunch hour.

Plenty of benches in the park.

And a very nice garden in the center.

After lunch I stopped in at the appropriately named Parkside Café. I’ve never eaten here, but it seems promising. Kaitlyn, the Friday night bartender, told me that the food is excellent and because of its small size, reservations are definitely recommended. Look for a full review from me when the weather gets nice enough to enjoy the waterside seating. (More about Long Island restaurants.)

With only about 8 tables this is one of the smallest Long Island restaurants I’ve ever seen.

Seaford dock is located at the end of Sand’s Lane off Seamen’s Neck Road. Now as rustic as it may appear, you don’t want to drive on Sand’s Lane. It’s a very narrow, private road that’s not maintained very well. You’ll sink into potholes and roadside shrubs will scratch your car. It’s also a one-way street leading out of the park, not in.

The hedges will do a number on your paint job and you’ll bottom out in the potholes.

The only way to get to Seaford Dock is Seamen’s Neck Road to Atlantic View to Archer to Alder.

I was surfing the back issues of Edible East End this morning and read about an excellent series of photos by photographer Juliana Thomas.

Her project, “On the Edge: Workers on the Waterfront” captures images of people in Greenport, Long Island who earn their living “at the bitter end of a long maritime tradition.”

The 21 photographs in the series are stunning and are accompanied by a short description of how each of the subjects earns their living. Fishermen, dock builders, artists, mechanics, all manor of maritime craftsmen are presented here.

It’s no secret that Long Island’s maritime traditions are on the wane and it really is nice to see people working to preserve them. Not only the artists like Juliana who preserve though documentation, but the tradesmen themselves who preserve by doing, and refuse to give up even when under severe economic pressure.

Having grown up near the water I’m a sucker for maritime sentimentality and these pictures really get me. I’d love to have each one of them hanging on a wall somewhere in my house.

See them here:
On the Edge: Workers on the Waterfront

And here’s a picture of my own.

This is my son, Joe hauling a scallop dredge on his boat last winter. He’s got the bug too and has been working as a commercial fisherman for about 4 years now.

It isn’t easy. The winters are brutal and the pay is not good. The weather can turn in a flash and he’s had his share of close calls.

But I have to say, I get jealous on a beautiful spring day when he’s on his boat and I’m stuck in a cube. On the other hand, I’m always warm, I’m not risking my life, and I can call in sick every now and then.

I caught this sunset from a dock on the Connetquot River. It’s January so ice near the shore is not unusual. If we get a good cold snap the river will freeze from shore to shore. I’ll post some pictures if that happens.

In spite of it’s width, the river is only about 6 miles long. The water is brackish becoming fresher towards the headwaters on it’s northern end and salty on the southern end where it empties into the Great South Bay.

But more importantly the Connetquot River is beautiful, and another reason why I love Long Island so much.