The Peconic Herb Farm and other photos

We took a short drive, 15 miles, to the Peconic Herb Farm in Riverhead. Riverhead is so named as it's location is at the head of the Peconic River, where it runs into and becomes the bay. The Herb Farm is a quaint place kept rustic, restful and informal. There are places to picnic on the grounds. There used to be places to get poison ivy there too but I didn't see any this year. The shop has some snacks, and there are sodas in the cooler that I thought no longer existed. We liked the fact that no one was in a hurry, there was plenty of business but not what you'd call "brisk". A most pleasant afternoon.

old seed showcases

quiet by the Peconic River

that time of year

barn on the north road

sweetening the soil with lime

white on white

An Afternoon Walk

Monday afternoon after a lunch of leftover applewood smoked chicken from the night before, potato salad, local sweet fresh clams and oysters on the half shell, corn on the cob and ice tea, two of our guests took naps in loungers under the star magnolia, three went shopping at Trimble's Nursery for plants to take home, Zack and Kenny went downstairs to play video games and I took a walk. I went along side the orchard a half mile and back looking and taking pictures of flowers at the edge of neighboring folks backyards. There is so much beauty there that can't be seen from the road. The sun was warming, not hot, and the flowers smiled.

The rhododendron in our back yard fully blossomed out in two days

nasturtium, a salad flower

Purple Siberian Irises as per Betsy from Tennessee

this is how an apple pie begins

the youngest of grapes

poppy bud

... as if the miracle of a poppy wasn't enough, our creator dabbed the petals of the poppy with a light brush stroke of contrasting color.

dianthus jungle

Shadows on Cedar

dianthus

zebra grass

Morning, Memorial Monday

Joe and I got up early on what promised to be a good morning to shoot some photos. We drove down to the East Creek inlet, then up to the Long Island Sound and back down to a New Suffolk creek. There was a stillness in the air as the sun gradually broke through a cloud mottled sky and burned off a light fog as the morning progressed. The light changed minute by minute keeping us on our toes making everything we saw interesting. We finally succumbed to the need for some fresh Wickham's cinnamon-sugar covered doughnuts and coffee... a great beginning for any day!

Lost horizon...

Friends and Favorites Award

I owe a debt of gratitude to Lily Robinson for honoring my blog with this award and for being a follower who has encouraged me and commented on my posts with thoughtfulness and sincerity. Thank you MzzLily! Catch her at Blahwg.

Stipulations:

In accepting this award I agree to choose eight bloggers who are themselves worthy of the award and will include the following text:

"These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of the prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers".

I would like to honor the following bloggers:

1. The Journey Within Yourself

2. Coupon Clipping Momma

3. Hedgewitch Inn

4. Indra

5. Life in the Second Half

6. Being Gemel

7. Bradpetehoops

8. Joyful Reflections

"The fog comes on little cat feet... " -- Carl Sandburg

At the Close of the Day

Drove up Depot Lane to the Sound... there were clouds in the sky and it looked as though a colorful evening might develop. Off to my right I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and with my zoom maxed out was able to shoot a seal, it's face to the sun, head and tail in the air. The atmosphere was very clear as the Connecticut shore line could be seen beyond the seal 17 miles away on the horizon. A very short time later the sun touched the sea then disappeared in a few minutes. Such a satisfying close of the day.

Some North Fork "Reds"

I was going through some older photos and I got the idea to do a little post with a red theme. I'm glad I have a better camera now. Those are some of my tomatoes from last year. Nine plants produced over 250 lbs.

Camelia Blossom.

Kapell's sign, door and anchor.

Dahlia shot at night.

Two red stone cairn.

Reducing raspberries for sauce.

Fence

Azalea

Camelia

A camelia drops her blossoms like a skirt to the floor...

Indiana State Bird taken at Goshen, Indiana.

End of the Line - Greenport, NY

I had an errand to run in our main seaport village, Greenport, last Monday and it being a lovely day drove over to the Greenport Train Station which is the eastern terminus of the Long Island Rail Road on the North Fork. The other end of the line is Pennsylvania Station in New York City, located underneath Madison Square Garden in several levels. I find the old Greenport Station House and Depot Warehouse picturesque especially with "Jaws III" the snowplow locomotive along side the depot and the red buoy next to the station now turned Maritime Museum (more on that another day).