"Turn your wounds into wisdom." Oprah Winfrey
The official closing of the Fire Island house happened yesterday. As always for me when I leave Fire Island at this time in the fall there is a little sadness. This year there is also concern for my honeybees. Did they make enough honey for the winter? Will they survive the cold months ahead? There is also relief, and 'thank goodness'. A relief that I can leave behind the drama of the summer.
I had very few direct wounds this summer. But one major direct wound was the loss of my friend, Michael. I also did not get to see my family on mainland Long Island due to my New York City work schedule. Other wounds from the past five years have subsided. The direct wounds this year were focused upon how damaged many individuals truly are. My wounds are non directed, but I feel the wounds through family--"my true friends/partner" Blackwell Island (aka Roosevelt Island ) was also known as Welfare Island, and some referred to it as "Isle of Misfit Toys." Although the beauty of Fire Island is sometimes foreshadowed by its names, "That Gay Island", "Isle of Fire" and I can say (in words of a friend), "Viper Island"
I had very few direct wounds this summer. But one major direct wound was the loss of my friend, Michael. I also did not get to see my family on mainland Long Island due to my New York City work schedule. Other wounds from the past five years have subsided. The direct wounds this year were focused upon how damaged many individuals truly are. My wounds are non directed, but I feel the wounds through family--"my true friends/partner" Blackwell Island (aka Roosevelt Island ) was also known as Welfare Island, and some referred to it as "Isle of Misfit Toys." Although the beauty of Fire Island is sometimes foreshadowed by its names, "That Gay Island", "Isle of Fire" and I can say (in words of a friend), "Viper Island"
I will definitely turn my wounds into planning a spectacular summer 2012. I will start with rejoicing, thanking and praising "my girls." And I do not mean gay women or lesbians (there are a few, only a few who are not in this category ) but instead my Honeybees. I also have two new friends, the Long Island Daisy and the Tiger Swallowtail.
Pterourus glaucus, the Tiger Swallowtail, was in abundance this weekend. I saw far more butterflies than anticipated. It is a common butterfly with a wingspan up to 5 inches. The colors on the female are amazing, yellow with black markings and margins, blue and orange markings and a black tail on the hind wings. Some females are black with blue and mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail. The caterpillars are fat, green and orange with black stripes.
To see 6 or 7 of them on a single plant is breathtaking. My honeybees and butterflies co-mingled around the late blooming plants, which made me smile and even shed a tear. Even the Yellow Warbler and the Black Swallow could be seen. Some individuals love Pride House (Cherry Grove residence) for its history of surviving the 1938 Long Island hurricane. I enjoy Pride House for its acre of woodlands surrounding the house.
Rick and I also went to visit "the girls." We needed a last look at their progress. I wondered if they will have enough honey for the long winter. I hoped we did not rob too much honey--one to two jars is certainly not a lot to rob. I reminded myself that the average healthy hive can produce 40-60 lbs of honey. We also wanted the girls to have class. So we gave them gold and ivory china bowls of bee tea made with chamomile, spearmint and meadowsweet.
I saw a Cypripedum acaule through the corner of my mesh hat. I swung around thinking it was the sunlight reflecting on the Long Island daisy patches, but it was truly C. acaule. I gasped. I hadn't seen one since hiking with 7song and my class during Botanical Medicine Training. I had never seen one on Fire Island. This is the Pink Lady's Slipper, also known as Moccasin Flower. It is a showy orchid usually seen in late spring. I saw it was beginning to die. I have a warning for you. IT IS ILLEGAL to injure or pick these flowers in New York State. I said thank you and moved quickly on. I didn't want any neighbors to see me observing this plant, as I didn't want to give any neighbors an idea to pick it.
I saw a Cypripedum acaule through the corner of my mesh hat. I swung around thinking it was the sunlight reflecting on the Long Island daisy patches, but it was truly C. acaule. I gasped. I hadn't seen one since hiking with 7song and my class during Botanical Medicine Training. I had never seen one on Fire Island. This is the Pink Lady's Slipper, also known as Moccasin Flower. It is a showy orchid usually seen in late spring. I saw it was beginning to die. I have a warning for you. IT IS ILLEGAL to injure or pick these flowers in New York State. I said thank you and moved quickly on. I didn't want any neighbors to see me observing this plant, as I didn't want to give any neighbors an idea to pick it.
I also thank the Long Island Daisy for feeding our honeybees and our new friend the Tiger Swallowtail.
An effective way to help with the preservation of Long Island/Fire Island is to share your opinions on its conservation and become involved. I became involved with bringing honeybees back to Fire Island. I will continue to do so with the assistance of some community members. I try to not have any expectations, but who knows.
Get involved. Attend the public meetings on conservation. You can write letters to members of the government and the Township of Brookhaven. Brookhaven usually only gets complaints from residents of Fire Island. When I called our Congressman about the tick epidemic on Fire Island and the decline in honeybees, I got a quick response return call.
Get involved. Attend the public meetings on conservation. You can write letters to members of the government and the Township of Brookhaven. Brookhaven usually only gets complaints from residents of Fire Island. When I called our Congressman about the tick epidemic on Fire Island and the decline in honeybees, I got a quick response return call.
You can volunteer for beach cleanup or helping a neighbor clean up wooded areas. Be careful about the ticks (use thyme essential oil /spray), spider bites and poison ivy. My friend Michael was a real stickler about keeping the beach clean. Rick and I encouraged recycling at our store Simply Green. I find it hard to imagine that no recycling takes place in Cherry Grove. It would be nice to have less partying, less drinking and more recycling in the future.
Until tomorrow....
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