Meanwhile on the North Fork...........

[AndyinPA]

[Volkonski]

After yesterday's great weather today is gray, cool and rain is forecast.

Schools on LI closed for the summer this past Friday. As a result the Sunday night westbound traffic last night was light. Summer is here.

[Volkonski]

New York State just issued an air quality alert for NYC and all of Long Island for the next few days. Here we go again.

[Volkonski]

The smoke has reached the North Fork.

It is worse toward NYC.

Forecast is for south winds which may blow the worst of the smoke away from us and into New England.

Eastbound traffic on the South Fork is already red crossing the Canal and heading out toward Montauk.

[Volkonski]

For some fool reason Riverhead is holding its first street festival of the summer today.

So as people head east to the North Fork for the July 4th weekend the main road thru downtown Riverhead will be closed from 3 pm until 11 pm. Moreover crowds of people will be headed downtown clogging the side roads near downtown.

Not only all that but there will be fireworks there tonight.

I'm staying home.

[Volkonski]

After a delayed grocery shopping trip Mrs.V is braving the holiday weekend traffic to pick up friends from Texas at the MacArthur Airport which is 30 miles west of here.

This will put her back on the eastbound roads just in time for holiday Friday rush hour.

Her plan is to go onto the South Fork as far as the Cross River Road and take that over the Peconic River to the North Fork thus avoiding Riverhead where the main road is closed this evening.

And then, pizza!

[Volkonski]

It is Sunday evening but due to the long July 4th weekend (for some people) westbound traffic is light.

The last two evenings were noisy with fireworks. I expect more of the same this evening and on Monday and Tuesday. Sigh.

[MN-Skeptic]

I thought of you when I saw this cartoon today -

Cornered - Lawn Mowers.jpg (70.59 KiB) Viewed 750 times

[Volkonski]

I think they send all the "LOUDEST" ones to the North Fork.

[MN-Skeptic]

Which is why God made noise-canceling headphones!

[keith]

We have been here 3 weeks. I have just now seen turkeys in the yard for the first time this season.

Don't know where they have been hiding.

There were 3 of them. They walked around for a while then while I was typing this they took off and landed on our cottage's roof. Still surprises me how quickly such big birds can fly up so high.

Les Nessman and WKRP taught me that turkeys cannot fly.

"I swear to God...."

[Volkonski]

Happy 4th of July from the North Fork where most folks were loyalists during the Revolutionary War.


But I am from Massachusetts with plenty of Revolutionary heritage. Great grandma was in the DAR.

[Volkonski]

Yesterday our guy guest from Texas went in to see the horse races at Belmont.

This he managed via the LIRR.

You can take the train from the North Fork to Belmont?

I guess that North Forkers go to Belmont fairly often. Otherwise why would such a connection exist?

While he was gone our gal Texas guest, Mrs.V's cousin across the Circle and Mrs.V went out to lunch in Aquebogue and then went to the seafood shop in Cutchogue.

The shop had steamer clams! For a price ($8.99/lb). Last year we couldn't find any steamers at all. Global warming. Like lobsters, steamers need cool water.

So we had those for dinner. Steamers are the finest clams in the world.

[Volkonski]

Our cottage is hosting the cookout tonight for our guests and Mrs.V's cousin who has a cottage across the Circle and her husband and her brother and his lady friend.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, watermelon etc.

However the local Oldies station is forecasting rain from about 2pm to 6pm.

Now that would be OK. However that station tends to report news in the most favorable way for east end businesses.

We could be facing a monsoon.

We have enough room inside for everyone and hamburgers and hot dogs can be cooked on our stove.

Happy 4th of July!

[Volkonski]

Local Oldies station going all out this morning with patriotic music from the 1940s and 50s.

They are covering the Southampton parade this morning.

[Volkonski]

Sirens, horns, must be some kind of emergency.

[AndyinPA]

Happy 4th of July from the North Fork where most folks were loyalists during the Revolutionary War.


But I am from Massachusetts with plenty of Revolutionary heritage. Great grandma was in the DAR.

I got an American History Award from the DAR! A long time ago.

[Volkonski]

For those who recall Fractured Fairy Tales on the Bullwinkle Show-

Red Riding Hood-

"Grandmas you can tell afar. They belong to DAR."

[Volkonski]

One of our neighbors to the west just started a loud party with not very good live music. Live and loud but not good.

[Volkonski]

What with last night's low clouds and all the fireworks, smoke became trapped near the ground.

This morning was hazy and gray but the sun is out now and the haze is slowly lifting.

[Volkonski]

Multiple shark attacks reported off New York shores; 50 sharks spotted at one beach

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shark-atta ... one-beach/

Two swimmers were apparently attacked by sharks off the shores of Long Island on Tuesday, a day after two others reported being attacked while enjoying the water at popular New York beaches.

At least one beach delayed opening to holiday revelers Tuesday, after officials said drones spotted some 50 sand sharks that morning near a popular beach park. When the beach reopened, swimmers were advised to stay close to shore.

[Volkonski]

After a cooler than normal spring, summer has arrived at the North Fork.

Temperatures today 86F with real feel of 96F due to high humidity.

This won't impress folks in the triple digits areas but most folks here lack air conditioning.

[Volkonski]

Crazy holiday week traffic continues.

On the South Fork the main eastbound crossing over the Shinnecock Canal is already dark red. The other crossing is red. Most other South Fork roads are very busy.

Good time to be on the North Fork.

[Volkonski]

Greenport Band Concert
COLIN VAN TUYL, Neighbor

Fri, Jul 7, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Add to calendar
Mitchell Park & Marina, 115 Front St, Greenport, NY, 11944
The Greenport Band, conducted by Colin Van Tuyl, presents free community band concerts on Friday evenings from July 7 through Sept. 1 (except August 4). Bring your chairs. Rain cancels.

The Greenport Band will also play in Southold on Wednesday, July 12 at Silversmith's Corner, as part of the Summer Showcase Concert Series.

https://patch.com/new-york/northfork/ca ... nd-concert

Mrs. V. started another season with the Greenport Band this past evening. Lots of marches in honor of July 4th. Included was the new official march of the US Space Force- "Semper Supra" which means "always above".

Next Friday will be their Bastille Day concert.

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[Volkonski]

Busy weekend on the North Fork.

This morning the annual Jamesport Triathalon is already underway. The race includes bicycling, running and swimming. Peconic Bay Boulevard is closed until about 10 AM.


Today and tomorrow up on Sound Avenue the LI Antique Power Association is celebrating 100 years of Farmall tractors. Expect slower than usual traffic on Sound Avenue all day.

The Riverhead Fire Department is holding the Suffolk County fire departments parade and drill. Route 58 will be closed this morning.

Today is the last day of the Greenport Fire Department Carnival with fireworks tonight. We drove by the Greenport polo grounds last night. Lots of rides and concessions. Expect heavy traffic in west Greenport today and tonight.

Cornell University's North Fork agricultural extension campus' open house is today from 9 to 3.

Tonight the Cross Sound Ferry Fireworks Cruise will run from the Orient Point ferry docks. See the best Saturday evening fireworks in Connecticut and the North Fork from the comfort of a ferry. Ferry cafe and bar's food and drinks available. I recommend the foot long chili cheese hot dog and a local craft beer.

If you are still around Monday evening try Dancing in the Park in Greenport with live local bands. Admission is free.