Jones Beach Free Concerts Dr. K's Motown Review 2015

Where do you go on a Saturday evening in August when your brother comes up from Florida?   Well your younger brother says "Jones Beach!"  The Motown Review by the group Dr. K's fit the bill for bringing back memories of Jones Beach and the Music of the 60's & 70's that we all grew up with.

 The Italianate style water tower monument, in the center traffic circle, at the end of Wantaugh Parkway, is the centerpiece for the entrance to the State Park. It was built in the 1920's and has been recently restored.

 The boardwalk and the mast  styled decoration along with other details give the feeling that patrons are on an ocean going ship.
 

Art Deco detail on the sides of the Bandstand

 The concert started at 8:00 pm, and was free to everyone.

 The group covered the Motown classics from the Supremes and groups like the Four Tops.  When they belted out "Heard it on the Grapevine," everyone jumped up and danced.  The musicians were especially good and the music sent us all lovingly into the past.

On the Thursday evening before, we all went to Huntington's Paramount to hear and see Credence Clearwater Revisited, which was also amazing.  Cannot beat Long Island for coming up with venues for Music! 

Robert Moses Beach June 2015

This was our first trip to Robert Moses Beach, 2015, which is on the south shore of Long Island.

 It was a really windy and gray day when we got there around 10:30 in the morning.

 The snack bar was not ready for the new season's customers.

 The Sea Gulls were flying above hoping not to miss anything, especially food scraps.  They can be very aggressive, so hold on to your food.

The Italian inspired "Pencil" tower at the entrance to the parking lots.

 City friends walking on the beach

 Gull just sitting, not paying much attention to me.

 Remains of shells and flotsam and jetsam as the tide recedes.  I did trip over some fishing line that was buried in the sand.  I wound it up and tossed it into the nearest garbage can.  It can be dangerous if there is a hook on one end, but this line , fortunately was just a line,  no hook.  It is dangerous to animals and birds.

Rockweed, or Fucus,  a Seaweed we used to call "poppers" which when dry from the sun, produces small pops when the air bladders which keeps it afloat are pinched between kids fingers or toes.  It is a very common seaweed on the cool and rocky North and South shores of Long Island.

This is a fragment of a Moon Snail's sand collar egg nest, where masses of eggs are laid by the snail.  Usually it is a complete circle made from the spit of the snail and sand.  It is flexible when wet, but very crumbly when dry.

 A sand dune and snow fence

 A fisherman was surf casting.  I had never seen anyone actually catch anything, but today he caught a Striped Bass.

After his wife measured the catch and found it too small to keep, the fisherman returned it to the sea, much to my relief.  It was a beauty, and swam quickly away.  I had  hoped that it had learned a lesson;  hooks are dangerous.

 The surf was wild from the aftermath of a southern hurricane.

 Waves dwarfed visitors, but people went into the water which was about 65 f. degrees.  Too cold for me, to too early to get in beyond my feet.

 The American Flag was full out, indicating probably around 15 to 20 mph winds.

The lifeguard's flags were up

 These are images of the shells that I brought home, featuring the Moon Snail shells.

 This is part of the Moon snail, the Operculum, or trapdoor, which seals the opening of the shell.  It is thin and horny and feels like a finger nail.

 This is an egg case from a Skate, or perhaps some sharks.  It is also known as the "mermaid's purse," or "devil's purse."  Probably by the time it washes up on shore, the young fish have hatched out, and it is empty.

 Over the years I have walked the beaches on both shores of Long Island, and inevitably collected, carried home in my pockets, and sketched and painted shells and other beach items.

 I have sat on the sand and painted the "pencil,"

 and people in their chairs between the blowing flags

 These beach remains find their way into all of my drawings and paintings.

 Just a wonderful day, the first of many this season.

Summer of 2013 So Far

 Why haven't there been more posts on Jarvis House Blog this summer?  Maybe it's because there was so much going on.  Here is an Osprey's nest perched on top of a boat lift at a nearby beach club.  The parents were diving into Huntington Harbor for Bunker to feed to their young.

  There was the kitchen that our family gutted at our son's house.  We had just installed the vinyl flooring.

 I went into New York City with a friend to a very lovely French restaurant.

The weather was wacky, cold, rainy, really hot for over a week, then rainy, but a rainbow formed one afternoon.

 I was lucky enough to visit the Google building in New York City with another friend.

 They bought the very large New York City Transit building and have transformed the interior to very high tech standards.  Although I wasn't permitted to take pictures, I can tell you that there was a lot of color, food, and creativity going on inside!

 These were the essentials that I kept on the dryer right next to my back door.  Because of the daily rain and heat, mosquitoes were everywhere.  At the suggestion of a friend I tried the clip on repellent and the spray on.  I continued to be attacked, so I stocked up on alcohol, which hazel, and Benadryl spray.  I also used sun block and wore sun glasses all of the time.

A Tiger Swallow  Tail hovered on the Pholx.

Lovely Japanese Iris

 One of the many varieties of Day Lily

 Across the street, on the Village Green, the Militia hung King George in effigy,

 and boomed their cannon.

 The Miscanthus really grew to new dimentions because of all the rain.

 

 A black Tiger Swallow Tail visited the Phlox.

 The plants in my containers did dwell with all of the mositure.

I took care of Nick the Boxer for a week.  He loves his toys and blanket.

 Yesterday I went for the first time to Robert Moses Beach.

 After the distruction of Hurricane Sandy, the state restored the beach.  It seemed to be flatter, but lovely.

 Eyes in the sky were watching us.

 The dune grass and snow fenses were restored.

 There were the usual Sea Gulls,

 some new shells.

 and Terns were feeding on the beach.

 They usually stay in the dunes, but very tiny mollusks were plentiful, so they were having a banquet picking them out of the sand.

A double Day Lily out front.  All in all Summer so far has been busy, and fun, but rainy and really hot.