Mon 12 Jun Before 0800 hrs this morning it was positively sultry down here... no breeze and the temp and the dew point must have been close... and thoughts of air conditioning were followed by the conviction it would be a terrible day if such thoughts came so early. Yet barely an hour and a half later the wind had picked up and switched to the Northwest, dropping the humidity noticeably. Living close to the out-of-doors causes one to become finely tuned to subtleties of the wind... just another of those things our DNA is programmed to notice but has become lost in our recently urbanized culture as we race from air conditioned box to air conditioned box. We have severed our cultural ties to the wind and hardly ever notice it unless it is dramatically "in our face" in some way. I also wonder the extent to which this is increasingly a generational thing. In West Texas the wind is an ever-present component of the environmental and cultural landscape, and it seems to me that every time my Mother walks outside she instinctively takes note of the wind direction. Yet I suspect that even in West Texas the only people who have been born after air conditioning who are personally attuned to the wind are either farmers or ranchers or someone who has recently gotten dust in their eye. As Nature increasingly disappears from our daily lives we are required to make ever-greater efforts in order to connect with it and appreciate it. Hence the "specialness" of Sycamore Island and the important responsibility of "stewardship" all Members share.

Thu 15 Jun As the water level has slowly dropped toward its summer levels the two small rock out-croppings have appeared n the middle of the river where the rock ridge runs down the middle. These are favored perches for the great blue herons we have in such abundance, and it is not infrequent to see both occupied at the same time. It would seem to be pretty barren hunting but recently water willow grass has appeared around them to give some grazing and cover for small fish. A smallish crow (young?) left his perch high in the tree above the captain's float and flew out over the river, where he managed to hover briefly like a harrier, and then reached down to the water's surface to pick up what appeared to be a small dead fish floating there. He then flew on and out to one of the out-croppings to dine. It was so daintily done... no osprey or eagle could have exhibited more grace and economy of movement, and I am not sure I ever seen any birds but the herons use those out-croppings. It seemed like such astonishingly un-crow-like behaviour, but then their ingenuity and diversity are legend.

Sat 8 Jul Yesterday, after delivering folks on the ferry to the towpath... the Caretaker turned to pull back to the Island and almost stepped off the ferry into the river!! Now it is true that a firm grip on the rope meant that only a foot got wet... and it happened so quickly that most (but not all) of the crowd did not notice... but there it is... after all the joking and comments to little children not to walk off the end of the ferry it was the pro himself who (almost) took a fall. It is also an important reminder how important it is that everyone pays attention while on the ferry... and it especially calls up the fact that a previous caretaker did in fact drown while operating the ferry.

But most embarrassing is the admission the Caretaker must make that this month's Notes From the Island in the Islander [July] was in fact the wrong file sent to the Editor and not the Notes as written. It is true that reminisces and observations have found their way into the Caretaker's Log on the web page and hence into the Notes... but the primary purpose of the Caretaker's Log is to function much as a ship's log or facility incident report... recording things broken or fixed or otherwise requiring official notice be taken. Prior to each monthly meeting the Caretaker's Log is culled for all "official" entries and this report is sent to all Officers and Supervisors of the Club. Thus it was not meant that Members should read of our tribulations in this month's Notes... it was this officer's report that was sent by error to the Editor. It can only be claimed that a borrowed and unfamiliar computer is being used while we still await the repair of the Caretaker's computer... but there is really no excuse.

Mon 10 Jul Over the Weekend Alex McCoy has installed a river aquarium in the upstairs reading room. He has filled it with aquatic plants and small fish from the river... sort of a living snapshot of the habitat and denizens of the riverbank. It is a great delight of little children to come down and look at the fish from the Captain's float, but there are times of high water or following the rains when the water is too cloudy and murky for much to be seen. Now they can at least go upstairs during these times and see the habitat in clear water. The concept, installation, and stocking were entirely at the initiative of Alex, who is seventeen.

Wed 12 Jul Fisherpersons might like to know that it is reported by the Potomac Conservancy that in late April biologists caught shad in the Great Falls area for the first time since 1949, proving that the newly installed fish ladder does work. Presumably these are fish that were released by students and biologists at Angler's Inn four years ago.

Mon 17 Jul Unfortunately, congruent with lots of lush is lots of bugs and spiders. We are sad to report that on the ferry this weekend it was discovered that a guest had a tick... a large tick that could be seen by all. At least it was not a tiny deer tick of the kind that can carry Lyme disease, but nonetheless it means that for the first time since we have been here we cannot give a negative answer to the often asked question about whether or not ticks have been reported.

Fri 21 Jul Looking out the window over the first coffee at around 0800 hrs a six-point buck and his doe were seen sneaking their way down-Island through the underbrush. It was a great show, as they could be observed with anonymous comfort from our "tree house" living room. They did not cross the ferry rope near the walkway, but after hanging out there for a while, walked back towards the top of the Island on the paths as though satisfied they had the Island to themselves. We imagined them hiding out for the day at the top of the Island, but a guest of John Krasny reported seeing the same couple at the Parkway parking lot at 1000 hrs, so clearly they were swimming rivers and climbing hills and covering ground in daylight.

Sat 22 Jul Our own Phil Thorson has decided to attempt to do something about the kudzu that is killing so many trees along MacArthur Blvd. and the canal. His investigations have revealed that various official entities are aware of the problem but are stymied by official reluctance to use herbicides on the kudzu. Phil spoke to Matt Barres of the Potomac Conservancy who turned out to be an information fount and indicated that the Park Service has newly appointed Susan Albert to supervise the removal of exotic invasive plants in the area, and that kudzu and oriental bittersweet are at the top of the list. There are many Club Members who delight in the plants of the natural habitat near the Island... and one cannot help but wonder if they could be motivated to provide a pool of labor to gather when the time and project are set and contribute to the effort. This has got to be the sort of project that would interest school age Members to help, as they often seem more conscious of the needs of the natural environment.

Tue 25 Jul Around midnight last night sounds in the screen porch were investigated and a "huge" raccoon was found to be sorting through the metal trash can there. The raccoon was reportedly not only extremely large but lighter in color than usual... in fact a sort of tan hue. The word "reportedly" must be used here because the source here is the Caretaker's Wife. You husbands know this type of incident... it usually begins with a comment such as "No dear, I am sure the sound is nothing, probably just the cats" and concludes with pithy comments from the Wife about how the partner who is supposed to be the protector cowered in his warm bed while the woman had to go confront dangerous noises in the night. You can be sure the Caretaker had harsh words with the watch-cats the next morning.

Thu 27 Jul Yesterday while walking into the screen porch and past the metal garbage can a squirrel shot out of it and streaked away under the far door... scaring the dickens out of your poor Caretaker. As the day before was the "huge raccoon" event, an investigation of the contents seemed in order. Sure enough, Members or their guests have been naughty... extremely naughty... in avoiding their responsibilities about taking garbage up the hill. So let's be clear... the metal can (w/o a lid) is solely for members to have a place to put "trash" they may have picked up around the island. It is not a receptacle for "garbage" or the food remains of your picnic dinners or snacks. I suppose this is the place to mention that this year there has been a steady increase in the amount of garbage left on the island, especially inexcusable, as the wet weather has meant less traffic. This phenomena is "country club creep," unsuitable for a Club with a long co-op tradition.

Excerpted from the Caretaker's Log at sycamoreisland.org

-- Doc Taliaferro, Sycamore Island Caretaker