Day 9: Post-Storm/ New Year

Happy 2011 from the marshsicle

The post-Christmas storm didn't spare Breezy Point. Snowbanks piled four feet high lined State Road in places, and much of the marsh was buried under a foot of impacted crust. Ideal conditions for hauling a log sled, as Kim-Nora demonstrates:

We focused on clearing the area beside the ghost boats, which meant many long walks back and forth from the high-ground wood pile.

Dramatic before-and-after shots are harder to come by as the debris dwindles, but I think that's a good thing.

Perhaps the pile shot is more revealing.

Overall, we enjoyed an excellent year-opener. John Warren of Gateway NRA Public Affairs dropped by for a visit. Upon his arrival a sharp-shinned hawk swooped in and perched on a branch three feet from his head. As I pointed an accusatory finger at it stammering Hawk! Hawk!, John managed to catch a fleeting shot.

Thanks to Bill, Kim-Nora and Broc for your work today. And here's a behind-the-scenes glimpse of our evening routine: coffee on the 5-Train. Sorry for the wide-angle distortion; Tony doesn't actually have fiddler crab arm.

High of 39, wind WNW @ 10 MPH, -.5 low tide @ 2:35 PM, water level at -1-inch mark. All water frozen.

Birds seen: black brant, red-breasted merganser, common merganser, sharp-shinned hawk, black duck, American wigeon, western grebe, mockingbird