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.

The Nor'easter Called Nemo Snow Storm February 2013

 According to meteorologist and long term weather forecaster, Joe Bastardi, we are in a weather cycle similar to what we experienced in the 1950's.

 This week, February 2013, Long Island and most of the top half of the Northeast, was slammed with a storm named Nemo.

 Here on the north shore of Long Island, the western end of Suffolk county, snow totals were as high as 29 inches in Huntington.  The further east you got, it rained for the first part of the storm, then caught up later with snow.

 These are the back steps with the snow covering.  I started using a broom to whisk away the crystals of ice and fluffy snow.

 Later I went out to see how things looked.  The snow was up over the mailbox.

 The back yard look pristine.

 The shrubs were laden with ice and snow and the sun dial was covered with many inches of snow.

 Winds were fierce, and blew snow up against doors and buried the boxwoods.

 The only thing nice that I can say about Yews, is that they hold up under mountains of snow.

 Everything was coated with ice and heaving under the snow.  The  very old Quince tree split in half.

 Looking west.

 Drifts were up past the front steps, and almost to the windows.

North where the plows has piled road snow in front of the driveway

Looking south

 The big holly tree, shown here with its berries, fed the wild birds, especially the Robins.

 The Leylands were droopy,

 the Kwanzan Cherry trees in the park were covered.

 For some reason, Robins forgot to migrate south and were in the trees.  Fortunately, there were plenty of berries to eat on the trees and shrubs.

 It is a long walk to the street in deep snow.

 Garden furniture

 Rhododendrons covered with ice

 Starlings waiting for better weather and warmer temperatures.  Today started out at 15 degrees F.  Tomorrow it should get up into the middle 40's, then everything will begin to melt.  Long Island is know for its roller coaster weather.  "If you don't like the weather on Long Island when you go out the front door, go out the back door."