Coney Island… Growing up I had heard so much about this location it hardly seemed real. My head filled with images of non-stop carnivals and oddities. As a lover of all things bizarre this sounded amazing. Nothing prepared me for just how otherworldly it would seem when I finally got to see it. I went in October of 2020. The boardwalk I expected to be packed was mostly empty. The rides were shut down and there were giant statues wearing the largest face masks I had ever seen. This was far stranger than anything I could have imagined. While I didn’t get the Coney Island I was expecting, I still loved the whole crazy experience!
Last night after work I took a drive to catch the sunset at Point Lookout. It was about 50 degrees out and there was a light breeze. The cooler temperature meant there was only a handful of other people around. Since I had a bit of time before sunset to prepare, I decided to play around the the variable neutral density filter again. Using the filter, I was able to shoot directly at the sun without overexposing the images. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I do!
When you go the the beach, you typically see a wide variety of birds. The dainty shore birds like plovers and sandpipers are highly respected. Several of the beaches around here even have spots sectioned off during breeding season to protect their babies! They put on quite a show when they are running up and down the beach to avoid the waves. Most people can generally agree that shorebirds are delightful.
Terns are also fun to watch as they act like little acrobats. They fly high above the water and then nose dive in hopes of catching some food. Special protections are put in place for terns during nesting season as well. I never have a hard time finding terns if they are nearby because they have such distinct calls.
Then you have gulls. Many people find them to be pests. Some people just downright hate them. There is also a HUGE debate between novice and experienced birders about the term “seagull“. Most of the issues that people associate with gulls are largely caused by the actions of other people. Personally, I love gulls. I find them to be highly entertaining and they are GREAT models. I think they have a bad reputation that is not entirely fair. Gulls are always at the beach no matter the weather or time of year so I have found them to be very reliable subjects.
If you live near the water and have some time to kill, I would highly recommend doing some bird photography.
One of the most challenging parts of photography for me is coming up with an idea of what to shoot. Sometimes inspiration strikes and the shot I take requires no real planning. Other times, I will literally spend an entire day trying to come up with an idea. This usually happens to me on days that I am working or days when the weather is just miserable. So… what to do then? I have a couple of go to ideas that I will do when I’m not able to be out in nature. I will be explaining these ideas through a series of posts and hopefully at least one will inspire someone to try something new on a rainy day!
Light Photography:
I really enjoy doing light photos because they can be as complicated or as simple as I like. The possibilities are virtually endless. I tend to do simpler shots but I still get good results. I do not have fancy equipment like light brushes so I have to resort to using things I have around the house. On some occasions I am able to take light photos when I am out and about so I included a few of those shots as well.
An Edison Bulb
Faceted crystal ball on top of a phone flashlight
Blurry Christmas lights and a triangular prism
Christmas lights
Specialty lightbulb
Blurry Christmas lights through a fractal
Christmas lights
A whiskey bottle sitting on a phone flashlight
Prisms with a phone flashlight shining underneath
Faceted crystal ball on top of a phone flashlight
Neon on a mirror
A jellyfish paper weight on to of a phone flashlight
My husband and I recently participated in the Long Island Out Of The Darkness Walk. We walked in honor of the the veterinary community as Team Vet Med. The veterinary field is facing a mental health crisis right now that seems to be going unnoticed. Veterinary staff have to go through years of intense medical training to be able to practice. This training is expensive and our pay does not reflect that. We also have to deal with patient death and abusive clients on a daily basis. Clients accuse us of being greedy because medical care is expensive due to overhead costs and the lack of insurance. We get told that the we only recommend certain food or medications because we get paid to. Your vet staff are getting tired of being asked why we did not become “real” doctors or nurses.
With the pandemic, all of these issues have become more extreme. Covid-19 caused a drastic increase in pet ownership but there was also a lack of availability for appointments due to curbside care. Instead of talking to the owner while doing the exam, we had to call the owner, go outside and find the pet, do the exam, call the owner again to approve the treatment plan, go outside to give the animal back and then go over the medications and plan again in person. The slow downs caused clients to become impatient and angry. The increased hostility has made staff leave the field all together. We simply do not have the bodies to do everything we need to. Skipping breaks, staying late and picking up shifts are common practice. I had to give up a day off every week just so my department could get by.
Every veterinary staff member is struggling right now even if they seem fine. We are the poster children for taking our work home with us. Either we sit at home thinking about the hard case we had for days or we literally adopt a patient and take it home. Two of my three pets were originally my patients. Lately, it has been a struggle just to get up and go to work. I recently had an irate owner threaten to call the cops on me for “kidnapping” a pet she gave us the authorization to treat. Organizations have been started to help address this issue but without the support of pet owners, these groups can only do so much.
If you are struggling with depression, whether you are vet staff or not, there are a lot of support systems available that can help you. Please reach out. There is nothing wrong with getting assistance when you need it. Everyone is going through something. Do not go it alone. Remember to be kind to others. You never know what another person is going through.
On October 11th, I started the Cranberry Lake 50 with my husband and two of our closest friends. Due to an unforeseen circumstance, we had to stop about 13 miles short of our goal, but we still had a great time overall. All we have left to do is the High Falls Loop and then we will be able to get our completion patches. Here is a breakdown of how each day went!
Monday 10/11/21
On Monday we started out by leaving Long Island at 5:30am. Once we got to the parking lot in Wanakena it was about 1pm. My dad lives nearby and just happened to be kayaking in the area so he saw us off. After we were on our way we crossed the Wanakena Footbridge, and then did a decent amount of road walking until we reached the trail at the SUNY ESF Ranger School. Due to our later start and the location of the campsites, we did between five and six miles the first day before setting up camp. The campsite was along the Peavine Swamp Trail. This was not on the lake but it did have a stream nearby for us to fill up our water filter bags. It also had some great trees to use for hanging up food to avoid drawing in bears at night.
Wooly Bear Caterpillar
Footbridge Sign
The Footbridge
Along the road in Wanakena
Ranger School Sign
Red Backed Salamander that was hiding in the fire pit
Tuesday 10/12/21
On Tuesday we did ~10 miles from our campsite on the Peavine Trail to campsite 8 on Brandy Brook Flow. This section was also fairly flat and included some road walking. During this stretch we went along the Lost Pond Nature Trail, the Oswegatchie River Walk and then went through the town of Cranberry Lake. Unfortunately, most of the businesses in Cranberry Lake were closed for the season, so the much desired Gatorade never happened. The Brandy Brook Flow campsite we got was directly on the water. The water was great for refilling our filter bags and for a well earned (fully clothed) trail bath. Tuesday was the only night where I was able to get pictures of a beautiful ADK sunset.
This was the first night that we had encountered other campers. Luckily this area had several campsites set up so there are plenty of places to stay without doubling up. However, should doubling up be necessary, the site we used had more than enough room to accommodate multiple tents. Always Remember: It is good practice to share your site with fellow hikers should the need arise to ensure the health and safety of others (this will be important soon).
Autumn leaves along the trail
My reflection in a beaver pond
Tree reflections
More tree reflections
A leaf floating in the beaver pond
The Oswegatchie River Walk
Common Merganser swimming in the Oswegatchie River
A very small Snapping Turtle I rescued from the road
Wood Frog
Brandy Brook Flow site 8
Sunset over Cranberry Lake
Wednesday 10/13/21
Wednesday ended up being the hardest day of the trip by far. The terrain was mostly flat our first two days but Wednesday felt the need to make up for that. There was a lot of elevation changes and it was also planned out to be our longest day (we had a goal of about 12 miles or so). We stopped for a decent break at Dog Pond to rest and filter more water. While we stopped we saw two other couples. The first couple was going in the opposite direction and also refilled their water filtration systems. The other couple sat on the trail to the campsite we were resting at in hopes that “we would just leave”. That was not the last time we saw that particular couple.
After a long, exhausting day we made it to Chair Rock Flow at about 5:30pm. We had given ourselves just enough time to set up camp before dark. We noticed that the couple from before had already made it to the campsite, but as it was a large site, we asked if we could share it with them. The husband became very rude and told us to “try 100 feet down the trail” for another site. When we said that the next site was in two miles he just shrugged at us and sent us on our way. What he did not realize was that he just sent us off to descend a boulder field in the dark. There were no sites available to stealth camp so we had to press on another two miles mostly in the dark..
By the time we set up camp Wednesday night we were too exhausted to even eat and the sun was long gone. I enjoyed a “gourmet” dinner of Sweetarts and two plain tortillas. Due to the darkness we were unable to find the official site so we stealth camped on the shore of the West Flow. Our total mileage for the day ended up being around 15.5 difficult miles. We were incredibly lucky that none of us were seriously injured during our night hiking. If you are ever in a situation where fellow hikers request to share your site to avoid hiking in the dark I sincerely hope you have more decency than the man we encountered Wednesday night.
Brandy Brook Flow Site
Curtis Pond
Dog Pond
A pool of water along the Otter Brook Trail
Thursday 10/14/21
Unfortunately, Thursday ended up being a very low mileage day. We were so mentally and physically exhausted from the day before that we only accomplished about two miles. This portion of the trail still had some elevation changes and my legs were not able to handle it. There was also a lot of beaver activity in the area which was trying to submerge much of the trail. For the sake of safety we decided to spend the day at Olmstead Pond.
Olmstead Pond has a lovely lean-to that was very accommodating to us in our time of need. It was most likely due to the exhaustion but I found this lodging to be better than any hotel I have stayed at! We used a clothesline and the fire to dry our gear. Although it was a low mileage day, Thursday was probably the most fun day of the whole trip. We all got to sit around the campfire while enjoying each other’s company. I also treated myself to a spam and cheese burrito (don’t knock it until you try it).
One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a lean-to is to check the journal that is kept inside. This journal did not disappoint! I would like to thank Sam Eddy, the man who appears to be in charge of maintaining the lean-to. He is doing an amazing job.
West Flow stealth camping site
A boat a couple used to access the nearby trails
Olmstead Pond
The trail journal
Our Campfire
Friday 10/15/21
Due to our low mileage the day before we chose to bail out via the Janack’s Landing trail on Friday. I had an obligation Saturday evening and there was no way for us to finish in time. Our legs were in much better shape after resting the day before but the amount of miles we covered were catching up to us. The first few miles were very muddy thanks to the beavers and it was nearly impossible to keep our feet dry. There was also a moderate amount of ups and downs along this stretch.
Once we got to Dead Creek Flow the terrain leveled off quite a bit but there was a still large amount of beaver activity. They had fully submerged the trail in one spot and we had to find our way around the flooding so we could pick the trail back up again.
By the time we made it out of the woods it was about 4pm. My husband and I stopped at the Circle K in Star Lake for a large victory dinner before heading to my Dad’s for a much needed shower. Friday happened to be my 25th birthday so I was happy to spend it with my friends and sneak in a bonus visit with my family. I was also happy to be inside for the thunderstorm that hit Friday night.
Janack’s Landing
Final Thoughts
This trail was difficult but seriously fun! I could not have picked a better group of people to go with. While I may not be doing anything this long again for a while (my feet need some healing time) I would definitely try my hand at this again in the future. Everyone I met on trail (with the exception of one person) were wonderful people. It was great learning about myself and I look forward to my next challenge! Below are the maps of the route we took:
We are at the time of year again where the days are getting shorter and the sun is setting earlier. If you are able to bundle up and face the dropping temperatures, you can get some great sunset shots even in the fall/winter. This is a collection of my best sunset photos. These were taken at different points during the year but the results are always great.
The deer of Long Island are fascinating to me. Back home in Northern New York, deer flee the second they see humans. This of course is due to the fact that hunting is a more common practice upstate. Hunting is not nearly as prevalent here on Long Island. Most deer are still fairly skittish here but some will completely ignore a human if they see one.
I feel like it is important for me to mention one thing before I get to my pictures:Â Do not hand feed wild animals. If you hand feed wild animals they can lose their natural fear of humans. If an animal is no longer afraid of humans it can be life threatening. These animals will venture into more populated areas where they can encounter vehicles, pets and less than friendly locals. If you want to continue to enjoy these beautiful animals, leave them alone!
I am a lover of all things Halloween and I start getting into the holiday spirit by the middle of September. I spend the entire season watching scary movies and looking for scary places to explore. The following is a list of the three best places I have found so far:
Muttontown Preserve:
Muttontown is a several hundred acre preserve in Nassau County. Most of the preserve is a trail system but there is something else that makes it interesting to me: this preserve has ruins scattered along the grounds. The ruins were once a mansion that belonged to King Zog of Albania. The crazy thing is, King Zog never actually came to the United States and never even saw the mansion he was building. Nassau County eventually came to purchase the grounds and added it to the preserve. I have explored this place a few times and there are certain locations that just make me uncomfortable. The most unsettling spot is at the top of the staircase in the photos below. When you get to the top your heart starts to race and you feel like you are being watched.
Nissequogue River State Park is located in Kings Park, New York. What makes this park so unique is that it used to be a large psychiatric hospital. There were several different buildings on the grounds, including housing structures and a hospital. While it is illegal to enter the buildings, several people clearly do, as the grounds are covered in graffiti. If you are feeling curious but do not want to get in any trouble, you can look though the windows. Nissequogue has some trails that wind from building to building if you want to do a gentle hike. You can also launch a boat from the marina. If possible, I would recommend visiting on a rainy/cloudy day to get the full (spooky) experience.
Sleepy Hollow, New York:
Sleepy Hollow has become famous because of Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. In the story, a sinister figure on a horse with a pumpkin for a head terrorizes the townsfolk. The story became famous all around the world and was the inspiration for the 1999 movie staring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. The actual town of Sleepy Hollow has fully leaned into the lore and encourages tourists to visit around Halloween. In addition to the infamous Headless Horseman Bridge (which now looks quite plain), Sleepy Hollow has a sprawling cemetery that guests can explore. Washington Irving himself is actually buried there. The Old Dutch Church that is on the cemetery grounds was opened in the late 1600s. Sleepy Hollow is a fairly small village but it is definitely worth a trip. It is less than 40 miles from New York City in Westchester County.
Early tomorrow morning I will be headed back to the North Country to attempt the Cranberry Lake 50 with my husband and two our best friends. To celebrate I have put together a collection of my favorite Adirondack pictures. Cell service is very spotty up there so I will not be reachable for most of the trip. I do have two posts set to auto-publish while I am away though. Hopefully everyone has a great week!
