Off-season

Tiana Beach, Hampton Bays, NY


Cupsogue Beach, Long Island, NY

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! This year I am thankful that I beat my neighbor to the finish in the great ground floor renovation: New kitchen; redone floors; moldings; windows; paint; bathroom for her, laundry room for me - the same upheavals and stress. She started long after me, but her crew is bigger. We were both behind schedule but the last coat of paint dried on our back stairs while her guys were still going strong. November 11 2010 at 4 PM was the exact moment I closed the garage door on the last contractor, which marks the official end of the project. Unless, of course, you count that missing baseboard in the closet...

Orange and Blue

I don't know whether it's the time of year or the design zeitgeist but I'm pretty obsessed with this Termez Crewel Oscar de la Renta fabric for Lee Jofa


Of course orange and blue is a color scheme I have used before. I chose it last year for the great room.


Now I see it everywhere: Fresh and smart in this kid's room by Erika Ward via Houzzz


and in this mouthwateringly delicious scallop on ice

After a very long wait George* stopped by last night. He was supposed to come with Warren but he met with an accident and we decided to postpone his visit until the kitchen was renovated and he had a safe place to hang out.


I think he'll be sticking around for a long time.

*George Nelson Sunflower clock

Leaves

Maple leaves on a neighbor's lawn - just before the landscapers tidy up for the winter. Enjoy!

Man v Bird(s)

A plan to take breakfast at Northport Harbor, NY goes horribly awry...
There might have been other shots, many whirling birds, much flailing of arms but I was too busy laughing hysterically to shoot straight. The Palmier cookie from the Copenhagen Bakery was sacrificed in the name of self-preservation.
Man 0-Seagulls 1

North and South

More fall photography - no apologies, it's beautiful and so short... looking north


and south across the neighbor's lawn to The Cool House

Peak Fall

We didn't make it upstate to see the leaves turning but even in the back yard the show is amazing at this time of year.


the hints of colour in the woods


the citrus tones of the maples on the side yard


the browns against the green hemlocks



and the deep reds and oranges towards the pool

What Once Was

"Go get your camera" the squirrel said as he sat on the branch
"I don't think so" I replied. "You'll just move while I'm gone"
"C'mon, trust me. I've been sitting here for five minutes. Do you think I'd leave now?"
"Sure, squirrels are notorious for disappearing the minute your back is turned"
"Look, I'm here, I'll stay a little longer. Do you like my bushy tail? Wouldn't you like a photo of my cute eyes, my tufty ears?"
"OK, don't move, I'm coming right back"
...

"You're still there!"
"Of course I am, I said I would be"
"Hang on while I pull the lens cap off"
...

Point. Click. Gone!

Peace

Appropriately, on Armistice Day November 11 2010 after days of pounding surf that made Long Island Sound look like the North Sea, the wind dropped and the water became calm again. I escaped from the chaos that was the final day of painting and out at West Neck Beach I took this shot of the sun reflected on the bay. Light against dark; perfect peace.

Foamy

Refreshing, invigorating, sparkling - almost as good as a glass of champagne but a lot saltier!

Blown Away

Yesterday's beach walk was abandoned due to strong winds whipping the sand into our eyes... but at least I remembered the camera to capture that one gull riding the waves!

Draught free

via Decorexi

I had to ask the help of the twitterverse and facebook so I could write this quick post. Thanks Jenni for the correct answer and Heidi for making me spill my drink.
Yesterday while I was screwing up the last socket plate in the mud room/back hall I noticed a howling draught coming from under the garage door. Since the hardwood was installed and a new bullnose on the garage steps there has been a small gap that we hadn't noticed until now. Apart from the draught I didn't want our energy bills to increase so we needed to find a solution pronto. That's when I realised that "draught excluder" is British English and the locals had no idea what I needed. I was offered weather stripping that goes around windows and even a stuffed dachsund. It was also suggested I roll up a towel and stuff that in front of the door - great for when the door is closed, not so good when I've left in the car and there's no one to put it back in place after me!
Anyhow, after weighing up the options I had a Eureka moment and remembered I'd seen a metal strip with rubber attached in the back of the book closet and I wondered if we could screw it to the underside of the door rather than the bottom as a "draft stop". The answer was we could and, even better, it fitted perfectly. Hey presto, no more draught - in the nick of time for this morning's hail/sleet/snow/howling wind weather extravaganza. I have since learnt this strip is called a door sweep, I call it magic.

Tide's In

We were denied our morning beach walk twice this week for no reason other than poor planning on my part meant we arrived at high tide both days. But what a difference twenty four hours can make. Yesterday the wind was whipping up the waves and the gulls were buffeted up and down the water's edge.
Today it was so calm I could see two swans bobbing on the water as I approached the end of the road. Twenty gulls and terns of various species and sizes were perched along the shoreline and a couple of ducks waddled out for a dip; the dogs and I stood and watched as a grey heron flew over the sound from Lloyd's Harbor, circled and landed on a strip of sand amongst the other seabirds.
Of course today was also the day I forgot to take along my camera...

Spooky Tree

Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, NY. Happy Halloween!

Preserving the Andrew Geller Legacy

Jonathan Pearlroth, owner of the Pearlroth House

A warm October evening in the city brought out a good-sized crowd to the Andrew Geller Architectural Archive Preservation Projectat DWR East 62nd St NYC. Many Geller homeowners were there to lend their support as well as architects, authors, academics and assorted enthusiasts.


Fun facts and memories were shared by the original beach house owners at the slideshow presentation of Andrew Geller's life and work. Afterwards I met Philip Monaghan and learnt that he used the reputed first gay porno film, which was shot in the Frank House, as a resource to restore it to its former glory.


Fundraising took the form of a Silent Auction (rear of photo) and an entrance fee for which there were door prizes. Ironically The Guy won Can't You Hear Me Callin' Blue Grass: 80 Years of American Music produced by Gregg Geller (left) that I mentioned here.


It was great to see so many fans of the iconic modernist architect and I was thrilled to finally meet Andrew Geller's granddaughter jewelry maker and rabbit rescuer Nancy Schindler (left). I've been a fan of her blog The Rabbit Muse for years. Though I'm sorry about taking the prize you had your eye on, Nancy!

For more information on the Andrew Geller Architectural Archive Preservation Project or to make a tax-deductible donation visit here.

Everything AND the kitchen sink

This bugs me on so many levels


Take the back wall: The sink off-centered between two windows - although the faucet seems dead centre; the tiny backsplash that serves no purpose. But most egregious to me is that the windows are cut off a few inches from their base. This looks odd from the interior and will look even more bizarre from outside. Believe me, I know; I lived this in the original kitchen, it's why I fought the carpenter to get zero backsplash on the new sink wall and at least my windows were sealed units.


Then there are the finishes. There is so much going on in this room: saltio floor, Calcutta Gold marble, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel, white and Anigre cabinetry, glass pendants, drum pendant, suspended pan rack and two kinds of wood furniture. Contemporary/traditional, cool/warm, square/rounded - this kitchen doesn't know where it's going.


Individually I love most of the fixtures and fittings but together it doesn't work for me. It's tagged as a Showhome Kitchen. Would you go for it?
via Houzz

The perfect place for a rock garden...

would be here or here but


who would have the audacious landscape design chops to build it right at the bottom of the beach access steps?


It adds a sense of danger to our daily walks - especially in inclement weather. But the kicker? That would be


this. I have nothing further to add.

Neutral Layers

Peeling bark


Hen of the Woods - the mother of all mushrooms


Tropical plants

All photographs taken on a beautiful Fall day at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY one of Long Island's famous Gold Coast Mansions, now a New York State Park.

Good for another 25

Another CFL downlight blew in the kitchen last week. They are supposed to last 5 years but we have averaged 18 months, not really good enough considering the price ranges from 5 to 9 bucks a pop. I was so mad I decided we were going to try the Cree LED lights I posted about here, which come as bulb and housing in one piece. They are reputed to last 25 years - far longer than I expect to be living in the US, let alone this house - and take no more than a few minutes to swap with the old cans. We set out to buy one as an experiment - if the unit was as easy to install as the video promised we'd replace them all. By sheer good fortune, we found out Home Depot is having an eco-friendly sale so those $50 lights were only $35 each. If the trial LED fit, I'd go back and buy the other thirteen.


We watched the video, read the enclosed instructions, turned off the power and went for it. The old housing had a plate we had to take out, and The Guy had to undo the wires to take it off but that was the only scary part of the process. He scewed the new housing on to the old socket, pushed the unit up until it clicked in place. Then we turned on the power and stood by. Unlike the other LED lights I bought for the mudroom the Cree Ecosmart are instant on and have a nice bright light. The best thing is that bulb is enclosed behind a diffuser so that lightbulb isn't noticeable. We were sold.


The most difficult part of the LED downlight changeover? Getting our hands on fourteen light bulbs. It took four trips to three different Home Depots in two counties to garner all thirteen.


I delivered the first nine home and by the time I got back with the final four The Guy had walked the dog and installed all the downlights. All. By. Himself. No drama, no emergency call for help. Who is this chap and what has he done with The Guy?


Twenty minutes later we had three piles of trash - plastic, cardboard and original plates and a kitchen with one-style eco-friendly lighting.


Thanks to Cree Lighting and The Guy we can enjoy a maintenance-free lighting system in the kitchen and see what we are doing without getting overheated... like painting the walls and ceiling!