Last Week in Montauk

The End is here in Montauk. My last week living in an unpopulated retreat for the poor and the rich and everyone in between. The past 5 months have been an exciting new experience filled with special occasions, exciting trips, and new friends whom I've enjoyed getting to know while living and working with them. As my time living in this cottage and working in outdoors for The Nature Conservancy comes to an end i feel that this has been an important chapter in my book of life. An as this chapter ends a new one begins as I head back to Indiana and the Holidays are celebrated. But this life of mine by the sea really does come to and end I reflect on the good times I've had out here.
The first day in montuak, exciting and new, strangers who would become friends, Devin and Kate, and disagreements to be had.
The early trips and SCA events which grow our understanding of each other as we begin our 6 month journey.
The friendships formed with Jordan and Kaley from the brookhaven site.
The trip in to the City for the Fourth of July, while Erin comes and goes within one week, due to flies.
My mom comes out for 13 days to enjoy the Hampton lifestyle, and the Montauk busyness and oceanic natural landscape.
Fishing Trips on Bruce's Boat
Trips to Brookhaven to see Kaley and Jordan, along with a taste of the real life with normal stores and prices, along with fast food restaurants.
Then my Birthday came along and a small celebration at the Fite House filled with turtle cakes, and fun friends.
Celebrating The End With Friends as they Depart.
Someone new who became an important part of my life Meg
Halloween celebrated in New York City, along with the Marathon

Soon it will be my turn to leave just to return two weeks later for a special birthday and Thanksgiving, Macy's Style but for now i am saying goodbye to Montauk, The End.

TS Hanna

So the first week of September was after the Labor Day weekend which out here signifies the end of summer, but more importantly to us living out here the reduction of crowds. Labor Day Weekend was a long wekend of beach fun. This wek for work we went up to the North Fork and mapped areas the TNC calls Pipes Cove. This area is many different pacels in the Southold Town which most have many invasives all over the parcels. But it was four days of taking the ferries up there through shelter island, which is an interesting way to go to work. Now this weekend there was Tropical Storm Hanna coming out our way, so we decided to have a Hurricane Party, which is highlighted in one of the Hamptons Magazines as oe of the best things to do out in the Hamptons this Summer. The storm had also brought 18 foot waves to the beach over night, and we went out before the storm and saw the 7 foot waves, and now the data reads 9 fet sso i'm off to the beach to enjoy the gorgeous day today.

August

August was a fun month out here in Montauk, it started off with the first weekend to celebrate my birthday with my new found friends. The month for work was pulling barberry and out at cedar point county park, for three weeks, and then the last weak making our way out to Montauk State Park where we mapped the park and around the Lighthouse. It was a really fun and nice area to be outside and mapping, an area which is enjoyed for its beauty of a lighthouse and seaside cliffs, and lunch on the rocks in the ocean. also in August we received a new teammate Meg who is from Rochester NY and she is enthusiastic about working with GIS.

Maps

So I said there would be maps and there are actual maps that I have been creating, these maps are what I have been creating out here in Montauk for The Nature Conservancy. So more background on what I'm doing out here is, I as well as three other team members walk\hike around in the woods, and parks around the south fork of long island. While walking around these parks we search for invasive plants which TNC wants to eradicate in the near future. We do a couple of treatments about ever other week, but for the most part we use handheld GPS units to map out invasive plants. Another thing we are doing is creating trail layers which are placed on the maps to better identify where certain items are, and so that there are actual trail layers available for the parks we go to, since most don't offer maps for users. So without furthur ado, the maps.

Hither Woods Complex with assessments, which include areas with multiple invasive plants located within them.

Treatment areas in Cedar Point state Park, this is where we use tools to dig out the invasives.

Weed occurances in Hither Woods, where each symbol represents a plant or/and area where invasive plants exist.

Shadmoor State Park, a cool place to go to the beach at, as well as an area where we manage the invasive plants.

Theodore Roosevelt County Park, where Teddy used to retreat to in the old days, no full of invasive plants.

The end in July

So, it's been awhile, and i have a lot of catching up to do before we head into August. so i left off by saying my mother was coming to visit, well she did, for a little over a week, and it was a good time, she took me out to dinner, for 3 course meals, which i miss now, and I'm back to the basic do it myself dinners, but oh well. My mom got to see a lot of the areas that i am and will be working in around Montauk, and she got to see the beaches and surfers, as well as some good size waves, which have gone down to about 2 feet, and it looks like a completely different ocean now than it did when it had 6 foot waves, and even 8 foot waves as it did last week during some intense rain storms that passed by. My mom enjoyed the visit to Montauk although she wouldn't want to live here, due to the small village and mass of people that come here over the summer, and weekends especially. I myself have gotten used to it but i have also left many of the weekends, since being here, and when my mom was in town we went to the City, NYC that is, for a Sunday which as the tour guide I was we got to see many parts of the city I have seen plus some new areas such as the heart of Chinatown and pier 17, I believe she enjoyed that visit also, but NYC is quite overwhelming for a Midwesterner from Jasper. The only thing I don't like about the City are the people, the tourist that is, even though I am technically one when I'm there I don't see myself as one. And I wanted to go back this weekend, but it seems that i my not be able to, oh well, I'll spend my time in Montauk and at the beach.

Week of the 11th

So my Mom has come to visit, which is a good thing, I hope she has a good week of venture around the area Parks that I work in. she had a god trip over through Wheeling WV, through PA and a visit to the Statue of Liberty and off to The End, Montauk. The waves here are become larger, apparently due to the hurricane out in the Atlantic, they're at about a 5 foot peak, which is larger than any waves I've seen in Miami. I'm trying to do more things out here, I've gotten caught up in watching TV online and movies, so I've been going to the beach more and ride my bike more. Erin has left, one week after we picked her up to join our team she decides to leave with her boyfriend who came to visit, it sucks because she was a fresh face, and she enjoyed doing things other than sitting around here. But all is well, and we may get a new fifth member, this would be the 4Th now, we'll see if that happens or if they leave like the rest. But work is going well, we are mapping and pulling the invasive plants in Cedar Point County Park we were pulling Japanese Barberry last week a popular landscaping plant, which I have planted when worked for Buschkeotters, and now I am killing it out here. But all is well with me and I continue to adapt to this different lifestyle and unique world.

July 4th

July 4th in New York City, an experience I will not soon forget. The weekend started with an hour drive to Brookhaven Ny where me and Kate my roommate meet up with Kaley and Jordan, where we stayed over night in preparation of our city journey. We caught the train the next morning at 8:15 and took it into Penn Station in the city. Our next leg of the journey was our driving appetite for Dunkin' Donuts. After filling our tanks we headed up fashion avenue to times square where all the tourist like to hangout. After walking in seas of people we went up into central park and found a little piece of wilderness within the city, this is a huge park and we went up about halfway to turtle pond, and Belvedere Castle before heading back down by the strawberry fields and in to the Worlds greatest Apple store, on fifth avenue. Then following a walk on fifth avenue we went off to grand central station to ride to Subway to Greenwich, where we ate Thai food of all thing in new york, but it was pretty good. Then we went on an interesting walk down and through Canal Street, this street is full of tiny merchant shops, and fake goods, and peddlers all along this single file street, for about 2 miles, if you want a fake gucci bag then this is the place for you but otherwise forget about it. Then we went to Piccolo Italia, where it was like a modern day street market. This is where we got on another subway and headed down to Battery Park to watch the Famed New York fireworks. The fireworks where interesting becuase the Jersey side started at about 9:15 and then the New York Fireworks started at about 9:30 an they both went on for another 20 minuetes and then the New York Fireworks went on an additional 15 mins, so for 20 mins, there were fireworks on both side of where we were sitting, so it was pretty cool, but the New York, Macy's fireworks were much better than the jersey side. Well after the fireworks we went back to greenwich to a pub, and hungout there until about 1 am, playing pool and shooting darts. We then went back to Penn Station where we found out that the next train out of the city was at 7:13 AM so we had 5 hours to wait for the next train. we went over to Tick Tock Dinner were we got some omlets, which were not very god, and then me and kaley sat on the street waiting and watching the Empire state building go from complete darkness to were it became lit from the rising sun. And its interesting that we stayed up all night in the city that never sleeps wathing the cabs and other crazy people out on the streets, but it was fun and I would do it again if I had the choice. 4TH of July, about 24 hours in New York awake and taking a self guided Journey around the city one thing I will not soon to forget.

Week 3

I'm still hard at work, mapping and today pulling some garlic mustard, which is an invasive plant. and i have a photo of an area where two of us pulled the weed for an hour and a half, not a very large area either, it just takes forever to pull out all of the small growths. But this past weekend Montauk had a harbor festival, which was nothing more than about 15 street vendors out by the harbor. The main attraction was the shark tournament, which was on Friday night, but we missed it, i didn't hear about it until the next day, but there was about 950,000 dollars in prize money available to the participants. the largest shark weighed 350 pounds. wish i could have seen it, but there is another tourney this weekend, on Friday and Saturday, so I am going to try to go Friday. That is if or new team member doesn't cause me to miss it, because she comes Friday and she is flying, so we may need to pick her up from JFK. She is from Ohio, that is all i know, it will be interesting to start living with another person. On Saturday I amd attending a GALA which is being hosted by The Nature Conservancy, to support the local bays. I will be helping little, and mostly having the chance to mingle with the rich locals, since the minimum is $600 a ticket, and there will be free drinks. So I look forward to this weekend to meet a new member and to mingle in the Hamptons. Today i started to traing for the Montauk sprint triathlon, which is in September. I got home after work, sat on the couch for about an hour, and eat junk food, and then I went down to town on my bike, a mile bike ride, then i ran a 5K around the pond, thats 3 miles, and then i rode around town and back up to the house another 4.5 miles, all in an hour, the run was 26 minutes, so i am happy that i can at do that from working and sitting on a couch for the past couple of weeks, since i haven't ran that much at one time in about 6 years. so i am felling that if i keep training I'll beable to complete the triathlo, so wish me well as i do to all who read. Next time I will include some maps i have done for the TNC.
View of the Montauk Harbor
Netting on a dock
Fog in our backyard, this was really thick fog which covers the entire area, when in town you can only see about 100 ft around you, this thick fog has come through twice now.

Me behind the house
Shore along gardinars bay on the other side of the island, near harbor
Entrance to harbor
Crab boxes in harbor area
view across harbor to Gosman's who have the best fresh seafood available

Garlic Mustard Patch before
Garlic Mustard patch after
Price at the pump, 6/23/08
Picture of us putting Osprey nest back up, the baby osprey is in the white bag on the right side of the picture
Or turtle friend who greets us when we come home

Week Two

First Aid and CPR Certified, now, I am able to save lives in times of crisis or simple injuries. After a very long weekend, full of driving and sitting for two full days in a classroom, I have returned to Montauk with the abilities to save lives through the ABCs and administer help to all injuries that I may come accross. Last wek we started to map out the Hither Woods State Park which is about 2 miles aay, here we are mapping invasive plants which will later be located using our maps and then the plants will be eradicated from the area. We are also making a trails layer, wich can be used by The Nature Conservancy for future projects. After returning Monday on Tuesday we went back out to the woods, where we mapped 5 miles of trails, and we will be returning agian today to continue the fight against invasives, focusing on the bayside of the woods. Nothing exciting has happened to me since the last Blog, but may be I'll do something this next weekend.

First week

My house and Vehicle for the next 6 months


Hey, well this week has been a long and interesting one. I started the week on monday meeting our project leader, and then the next day she decided to quit, so that was interesting. And tuesday we started our training, which consisted of two other project teams, and the higher ups to come out to our house and meet each other, before we went into Farmingville for our training. So we went to the Hampton Inn and stayed there for 3 nights to do our traing, and we meet up with another team in central long island, and another one in Massachusetts. All the people seemed pretty cool, and it was fun to meet and talk to other people and discovering were they are from, and other interesting facts from people who are doing similiar things as us. So we went over many power point slides, driving test, teambuilding workshops, the maritime museum, and other activities to get to know our roommates, and other team members. After Friday we headed back to our House in Montauk. The next day we went surf fishing on the beach, never caught, or had a bite on anything, very hard to get the line out far, still working on this. So instead we bought soft shelled crabs, weakfish, and swordfish, which we fryed, and grilled, accordingly. That night went out to the local bar scene, interesting bars nonetheless, and the place called nicks reminded me of Sports back in Bloomington. The crowded bars reminded of me of the places I didn't like in b-town, with new yorkers, and frat guys. and here everyone's a new yorker. The most interesting day came on Sunday, i went to a local park wich is helped run by The Nature Conservancy, and i did some mountain biking, and i went down to the beach where there were tons of surfers, and i watched them for awhile before making a journey up the beach. Now the beach here is very different from most beaches, such as on the east coast, it reminds me of the west coast beaches. there are high bluffs and rocks out in the water, and some parts mainly rocky beach. I have pictures of this below. I went a couple miles down the beach until it started to get cloudy, now the day started out sunny clear skies in the lower 90s, and after i saw these clouds about an hour later there were hurricane force winds, lightening, storming rain, and i was out on the beach running back to my bike, and then i had about a mile or two more to ride to my truck, this was a very scary storm to be out in the middle of,( and today i heard that some one in Rhode Island had been struck by lightening, and died). Lucky enough i caught up to this couple who had been surfing,and were just leaving when i got back to the parking lot, and they gave me a ride back to my truck, so thanks to Pete and Vera, i made it back safely. When i got back to the house the screens were blown half way into the living room, and fans knocked over with the power out. This was a very interesting day where it was gorgeous to an instant mini hurricane. Today Monday We went into work at the Nature Conservancy Center in east hampton and on our way there we saw numerous trees down along the roads and many workers our sawing and cleaning up the downed trees. Today was my first day at work and we only worked a couple of hours besides getting paperwork and other important things done for the SCA. We
Helped put back up an Osprey Nest which was knocked over last night and one chick died, but the other was saved and taken to this lady who takes care of animals. Well we went here and stabilized the nest a tree working put up a ladder and climbed up and we gathered the nest back up and he put it back together on top of the platform. Then the lady came with the chick which was in this box, and so little starting to chip as the mother came flying around us. the guy put the baby back on the nest and we left and watched as the mother circled and eventually perched back on the platform. This was a really cool experience and one that i could opnly experience out here, where i get to help nature and reunite a n Osprey Family. So this next weekend i get to travel to Pittsburgh for wilderness First Aid training, so that will be a good long trip. But i'm have a good time out here, and learning to live with people from other walks of life. I'll be back next week until then see ya till i see ya.

Boats in the Boat House at the Maritime Museum
SCA Native Plant Corps at the Maritime Museum

The Commodore a really nice old wooden boat in the Boat House

grilling Swordfish, and weak fish (aluminum foil)

Fried Soft shelled crabs

Devin Casting (Just to show you how we surf fish)

This is Jon, and Devin out at the Beach getting ready to fish

Some cliffs and the ocean near Montauk

A veiw of a nice house over looking the Atlantic Ocean

Looking down at Ditch Plains Beach where the surfing is good, but the beach is better. This is From a Nature Conservancy site called shadmoor, this is before the Storm.

A Surfer Babe

Shadmoor Bluffs

This is me out on my Adventure

A surfer shot

The beach where the surf is best, called Trailer park, due to the trailer park adjacent to the ocean.

Surfing near a breaker

View of more rocks coming out of the sandy cliffs

Horseshoe Crab on the rocky beach

View of the various colors and layers in the cliffs.

some stairs from a private cottage

Tracking my way along the beach

In the Beginning

After a long trip from Indiana, I have made it to my Destination; Montauk NY. My travels have taken me from Indiana through Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and finally to New York. It took me two days to make it, the first was a 12 hour drive through the first four states mentioned above. The second started at 4:10 A.M. and a quick drive to New York City, my first visit and where I spent the morning, approximately 6 hours. I saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and I visited an interesting contraption near the Brooklyn Bridge which allows the viewer to see across the Atlantic Ocean to Londen (Tower Bridge) where there is another contraption which allows them to see the viewers in New York. Then I rode across the Brooklyn Bridge into the city, where I rode my bike to Battery Park, New York Stock exchange, up Park Avenue to the Grand Central Station. Then I ventured over to Times Square, and had an authentic New York hotdog in the middle of Times Square. Then I journeyed back down Broadway avenue, past the Empire State Building and on back accross the Brooklyn Bridge. This was an extraordinary exploration of New York City, where I rode at least 15 miles around the city, from the empty streets in the early morning hours, to the packed sidewalks and streets leading to the afternoon. A little after noon I made my 3 hour drive to Montauk from the city, and arrived to my new home around 3 P.M. I've meet to of my new house mates, and toured my twos story small house where I will be living and working for the next 6 months, it will be an adventure, and hopefully I will be able to document it along the way.

(Click on images to Enlarge)

Sunrise over Downtown Manhattan

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Telectroscope (where you can view other people in front of the tower bridge in London) and Brooklyn Bridge


the Bull in the financial district, Came across this riding down broadway

New York Stock Exchange

Ground Zero, Site of New Freedom tower

Trinity Church

Grand Central Station

Empire State Building
Times Square



New York Skyline from Brooklyn bridge


Montauk Point Lighthouse

Sunset in Montauk