It was cloudy in Sayville Friday afternoon. I decided to sail anyway. The Great South Bay was pretty empty. I got some uninteresting shots on my approach to Davis Park. I decided to process a couple of them as panoramics. They came out better than I predicted. Before sunset, I sat on a dock and took shots of boats entering the marina. If one of them is yours and you want a hi-res file, check out the page for this on this site.

Sleeping on board is not usually a problem. However, the wind blew out of the west all night long. Slow swells made their way into the marina and set every boat to swinging like a pendulum. It was like sleeping on the inside of Big Ben. It must be the topography of the harbor. It usually happens only once or twice a summer. I hope we've had our one time.

Here's a shot of the east side of Davis Park:

And the west side:

A working barge that was leaving as I entered. They had been repairing a bulkhead.

The next few shots are of boats entering the marina toward the end of the day.

Here's a shot of one of the water taxis answering a call. The water taxis serve as transportation between the Fire Island communities, which are generally situated a long walk from each other. Davis Park is within a short walk of Watch Hill to the east

Here's a shot as he approached the dock:

Then it got too dark for photos. I returned to my sailboat, S.V. Harmony, to do some photo editing and play some guiter. Then it was time for my beach burger at the Casino. I got two shots of the bartenders, Chris and one whose name I don't know. The first one is Chris.

I've had a few inquiries from patrons at the bar if I could take their pictures and post them on the web. I'm reluctant to do that because I don't know their stories and I one never knows who might not want to be seen in a certain place at a specific time. Maybe if I get to know them better.

That's it for Friday. The remaining shots were from Saturday morning. That's when the Fire Island wildlife take over the area. As soon as people start moving about, they shy away.

Here's the sunrise:

A mallard walking the boardwalk:

I believe this is a Canada thistle in bloom. This is an invasive plant, according to my guide. It first came from Europe. For those who don't know, invasive plants are non-native to an area. They often do not have enemies in their new home, which allows them to crowd out native plants that do have enemies.

Also blooming were the wild cherry trees. In the morning, the scent of spring flowers seems strongest.

I took a walk to the ocean to get this moody shot:

On the way back to the marina, I observed a couple of situations that cause one to worry about the future of our species on this planet. We may trash it as much as we choose, as seen from the next shot. However, in the end, I believe we are only hurting ourselves. The planet will always be here, as long as the sun remains stable. However, we may ruin it to the point that it will no longer support us. We're supposed to be intelligent - or at least we think we are. Sometimes the way we behave makes me wonder.

And here's a scene of some beautiful beach evergreens, vibrantly colored with new spring growth. And what's the decoration? It is likely that these deflated balloons were released, either on purpose or by accident, in some distant place - perhaps not even in America. Earth is 2/3 ocean. If you release a balloon, it will probably end up in the ocean. There some marine creature will mistake it for a jelly fish, try to eat it, and die of painful starvation with an obstructed digestive system. Balloon releases are illegal in Suffolk County on Long Island. They should be illegal everywhere.

There are positive aspects to human nature. My last shot is one of a bayman digging for clams in about 11 feet of water early on a Saturday morning. It was windy and the bay was pretty rough, but he was there. I had a tough time getting this shot because my sailboat was pitching and rolling in the wind and waves. I had to steer with my knees while braced against the cockpit seat, hoping that I wouldn't be surprised by spray hitting my camera from a sudden wave.