On June first of this year I published a blog that explained my husband was coming home from the hospital and I would be responsible for his care. It was hard, and scary, but we got through it. My husband's operation was called a proximal tibia replacement. Mobility post-op was very limited. This week my husband graduated to walking with a cane. He can get around, slowly and carefully... so we went to the beach! That beach, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, is close by and has a variety of recreational options. My husband and I settled for the most basic, which is taking in the beautiful and varied scene.
Today's pictures were taken on our outing that day.
The video at the top of this blog shows a boat coming into shore at quite a clip. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park is popular with recreational boaters. You can see in the following image the number of boats out on the water.
The boats pull up at a pier, or they pull right up to a boat slip, such as the one in the picture below.
They back their vehicles up to the slip and hitch the boats onto the back. You can see the tire marks on the pavement. While this looks like a neat setup, there is a latent danger in having the boat slip right next to the parking lot. In February of this year a man drove his car down the slip and into the water. A rescue operation eventually retrieved the vehicle and the man's body.
No fishing is allowed from the piers, and the boats that pull up can only tie up for a maximum of 30 minutes. So, if they want to dock their boats they have to go to another part of the harbor.
I don't know if fishing off the rocks is allowed, but there are no signs prohibiting it, and people do fish there. In the closeup shot below you can see a man and his son getting ready to cast their rods.
According to the site All About Fishing, fish are plentiful in the bay. In summer, bluefish and flounder are abundant. In spring, porgy, flounder and striped bass are easily caught. And, in fall striped bass, bluefish, porgy and blackfish are available.
I walked out on the pier to get a feel of the water. My husband's gait was not steady enough to accompany me out on the pier.
You can see seagulls on the pilings. No doubt, they are hunting for the same fish sought by two humans fishing off the rocks. I believe there is enough for everyone--winged and biped fishers alike. The fish are more than safe to eat. According to the site, Friends of the Bay, " The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Complex is the cleanest estuary in western Long Island Sound and is a vital ecological, economic, and recreational resource." (The park is located in Oyster Bay).
From the pier I watched the boat (seen at the top of the page) dock, and it's pilot get his car in order to haul the craft off. Here's the boat after it had reached the pier.
Here is a view of Oyster Bay. The shot was taken as I stood on the pier and was looking east.
If you look at the map below (New York Geological Study, public domain), you will note that Oyster Bay Harbor is nestled between Center Island and the shore of Nassau County. The pictures on this page were taken from a beach on the left side of the harbor. The land across the water is Center Island. This is an enclave for very wealthy people. I've heard this is where Billy Joel makes his home.
My husband can't stand for too long, but we didn't want to go home yet. We followed a little road that ran west along the beach and found Beekman Beach, which shares the same harbor as Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. Beekman has a different flavor to it. There people can rent small boats, kayaks and paddle boats. In the picture below you can see the inevitable seagull in the foreground, and two people sitting on what appears to be a paddle boat.
Here are some other people with small water craft enjoying the water. You can't really tell from the photo, but the beach is rocky. Many people wear flip flops to protect their feet as they walk on the shore.
We didn't go down to the beach but sat instead on benches provided in a small sitting area.
I know the shot is off balance, but at least I don't have my thumb in it, as I do in so many other shots. Here is a fuzzy shot of my finger and the shore in the background. This might have been a great shot--without my finger!
You can see the benches have plaques on them. Here is a closeup of one bench.
I think the sitting area is sponsored by the Lions Club. Here's a picture of their seal on the brickwork.
I don't see much mention of the Lions Club these days. When I was a child, though, they were a presence. I lived in a farming community. They sponsored plays and parades. I always was cast in conspicuous ethnic roles because I had straight, jet black hair. Once I was cast as a Native American (in a parade) and once as a little Chinese girl (in a play).
Here is a sign (at the beach) that offers the public an opportunity to sponsor a memorial brick.
Here is a picture of what those memorial bricks looked like.
(Yes, that's my shadow...I don't know how to stay out of a shot!). I think it's a nice idea, having a memorial brick. For a few moments I dwelt on Granny, on her lifespan (which seemed to be too brief), on how she must have been loved.
Here is a shot of Beekman Beach with humans at sea, abandoned watercraft, and birds on shore.
We didn't only have the lovely shore to view from our bench vantage. We also had beautiful shrubs. Behind us was this flowering shrub, and across the parking lot other trees. I'm a fan of trees, even more than I am a fan of the beach. I can't identify the flower. Maybe one of my readers can.
As lovely as the beach scene and the flower were, our car was just feet away from where we sat on the bench. I took this picture from the bench. The beauty of this visit was that all of the natural wonder was accessible.
That's it. My first excursion to the beach this season. The park is about two miles away from my home, but sometimes that can seem a very long distance. Not anymore.
Thank you for reading. Peace and health to all.
