Thursday -- June 1, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.1     Water Temperature: 80

The swimming season is now in full swing and everyone is coming down to the river to cool off. I finally jumped in for the first time on Saturday, usually I'm in by late April but this year it was too cold.

I had twenty five-year-olds here on Tuesday and yesterday there was a party of ten that came down for a picnic. The fishermen are also out now that the water is warm and the fish are active again.

Monday -- June 5, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.3     Water Temperature: 76

I finally spent the night on Ruppert's Island. I took two thirteen-year-olds up there Saturday night and the three of us had a great time canoeing and camping. The stinging nettles were everywhere but we came prepared with a weed wacker and a machete and were able to carve out a nice spot for our campsite.

Tuesday -- June 6, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.5     Water Temperature: 73

There is a strange white fuzz everywhere. I guess it's pollen from the trees and the fuzz from the new sycamore trees. Since we haven't had any rain it's had a chance to accumulate on everything.

I swept off the canoe shed yesterday, its really in need of a paint job. I think I'll make a bid to the Club to paint the old metal roofs. I also spent some time clearing spider webs from all the windows.

Wednesday -- June 13, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.9     Water Temperature: 73

The young eagles are still hanging around the nest but it won't be long now before they are able to fly and hunt for themselves.

The mulberries are just about all gone and happily that means the geese have all gone as well.

I've been busy stirring things up in the men's locker room. I moved the door to the bathroom down there and moved a bunch of lockers around too. I organized the life jackets and I even painted! It looks much brighter and roomier in there now.

We just saw our resident barred owl. We were waiting for the school bus when it flew up and landed on the big spruce tree in front of the Sycamore store.

Today is the last day of school so I should see a bit more activity down here soon.

Friday -- June 16, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.8     Water Temperature: 75

The river is low, especially for this time of year. I'm not complaining, a low river means it's easy to pull the ferry, but I am concerned about this drought and what it might mean for my water supply.

The weather is beautiful again today and I should get some business. Yesterday we were honored to have a long time member, Phil Thorson, down here. He's been a member since 1947!!! It was great to see the two old-timers, John Matthews and Phil, chatting by the canoe shed.

I guess if you live in the woods you'll see a tree fall sooner or later but it was startling to be on the swim dock when a huge limb broke from a tree and loudly crashed into the river.

The owls woke me again last night with their eerie hoots and chatterings.

Wednesday -- June 21, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.8     Water Temperature: 75

I finally have my phone and internet working again, a tree fell and snapped my phone lne up on the parkway and it took some time for Verizon to get around to fixing it.

There is an important event taking place this weekend, The Bioblitz!

Over 115 scientists will be in town volunteering their time for the survey, often staying out through the night for their surveys. The event is based out of Glen Echo Park, MD, just north of DC. Educational events will be open to the public through the weekend and a final species count will be announced Sunday, followed up in one year with a publication of findings in the journal Banisteria. Volunteers are needed throughout the weekend for a variety of tasks, including helping with set-up and breakdown of tents, tables and chairs, registration, meal set-up, data recording, and other tasks related to running this large volunteer event. This is a great opportunity to interact with biologists from many places and watch as discoveries are made. Volunteers are needed to help with base camp set-up, registration, meal set up, driving, etc., in two or four hour shifts 10am-10pm Friday, 6am to 10pm Sat and 6am to 6pm Sunday. Please sign up to help! Contact Mary Travaglini at PotomacGorgeVol@tnc.org or call 301-897-8570 if you would like to sign up to help out.

I decided to help out by offering the Island as a place for the scientist to camp while they're here. I talked with the coordinator and it looks like we will have about twenty scientists here on Friday and Saturday night. They will be hard at work all day and won't show up here until 11:00 p.m. They all leave again by six a.m. so I don't think it will effect most Islanders. I'm glad that we are able to provide this much-needed camping space and do our part for a very worthy cause.

Friday -- June 23, 2006
Water Level at Little Falls: 2.8     Water Temperature: 83

We see the adult eagles almost everyday and sometimes we see them together by the nest feeding their young. I can't be sure that there are still two baby eagles in the nest. It won't be long now before the young ones leave for good.

Air Force One flew by yesterday, it was impressive to see it zoom by below the tree line at a hundred miles an hour with it's fighter-jet escort. Our tax dollars at work.

I've been enjoying the most idealic summer days down here this week, this is really the time to be on Sycamore Island. I've had my young neices and nephews here this week and we have been having so much fun fishing, swimming, watching beautiful sunsets and thunderstorms, and sleeping outdoors.