Tue 1 May As one walks out onto the Captain's float and looks down at the shallow bottom mud, it appears dotted with small holes... like a miniature moon surface. We have often wondered what creatures or phenomenon was responsible for making them. Now, after hours of dedicated staring... the mystery is revealed (Yes folks... this is what you pay me for). The holes are miniature methane volcanoes. I am not kidding. Those bubbles in the river that often seem to be coming from nowhere are in fact often methane from decaying organic matter, and some combination of river and sediment conditions has made this visually apparent. Because it happens underwater there is a slow motion effect... ...sometimes easily seen in shallow water... but before the bubbles manifest themselves on top of the water the responsible hole blows mud out just like the effluvia of a volcano. However, as it happens in the water it looks more like the NASA pictures of eruptions on a Jovian moon than anything earthlike.

Wed 2 May Walking out to the Captain's float this morning there was a huge splash... as if some large animal was jumping in the river from the fallen tree. Moments later there was again loud splashing as though some large animal was thrashing about in the water... but this happened several times more before it became apparent that it was a pair of large carp chasing each other about. Furthermore... after another few minutes it was clear that this was happening all over the river. From the float at least 6 pairs of carp could be seen "playing" in the river... always near the shore or next to a fallen tree or some such in the river... as though something solid was required to be near by for "corralling". Walking to the other side of the Island there was a stunning realization of how many carp are in the river here... and huge carp... as this behaviour could be seen everywhere... a dozen thrashing couples were counted... and it was the loudest thing going on in the river. Some combination of river and temperature conditions had triggered a mass love-in. Three years ago there was a large die-off of carp floating in the river... so much that the State authorities were called to report it. At the time we were told that the cool late spring had caused a delay in carp mating and that the die-off was a result of "post coital stress". Today it seems they could just have easily said "exhaustion".

Thu 3 May Early in the year when it was cooler and we would walk the Island before retiring, we would often find a couple of geese bedding down on the Captain's float. Not planning on staying out, we would not walk onto the float so as to not disturb them. But the seasons have changed and they must learn to get with the program. Last night when walking out there they did not seem uncomfortable with us or bother to move. Sitting there it occurred to us to be flattered to be allowed to join them on the Captain's float. Whose presence is important is always a question for the moment at hand... certainly we are always flattered to be in auspicious company... but then, at that special moment on a beautiful evening... I guess we were. For instance... at that moment we certainly were not taking calls from the White House... or from anywhere else. We were honoured guests of two geese and all else was unimportant.

Fri 4 May Somewhere on the Caretaker's job description should be some comment about a willingness to be interrupted during the evening meal. During high season this is a frequent and unavoidable event. So many of you have been thoughtful and sweet and even apologetic about disturbing the Caretaker during the dinner hour... but let's be clear... this really is part of the job. No apology is ever necessary unless it makes you feel better. Like a fireman... the primary function of a caretaker is to be on duty to answer the bell. There are things that happen around here that occasionally justify a grouchy caretaker... but answering the ferry bell should always be done cheerfully.

Tue 8 May A wandering morning dove strolled by unconcerned on the lawn as the Caretaker was practicing being part of the dawn furniture on the Island. Humans seem to always be broadcasting their presence in one way or another, and sitting quietly is something that no longer comes naturally in our modern culture... but has to be learned. Watching a morning dove go about its wanderings in the early morning light is a treat anyone would be lucky to be around for... and this morning was just another lesson about how treats of all kinds abound when by happenstance or design the "broadcast-off switch" can be found.

Thu 10 May Yesterday we again heard from the estates across the river frequent chain saw sounds mixed with the clamour of heavy machinery. What can they be doing over there... and can it be anything good for the river gorge?

Fri 11 May Finally there are again small fish hanging out by the Captain's float. In this case tiny, tiny fish... certainly new babies. With the season continuing to turn, the "fecund" word has been heard on the Island again, and is certainly apt. The green is lush and so there is plenty to eat for exploding populations... especially insect populations. Yesterday, Maria Stensel reported that the fog of insects hanging over the water made it difficult to be kayaking on the river and breathe without a mask. And yet... it is all organic food... and while we tend to think the main purpose of all green life is to be food for animal life... in fact the purpose for which most of the tiny animals swimming at the float were born, was to serve as food for other animals... and ironically, if successful at avoiding that... ultimately to serve at the end of the cycle as food for plants. Only mankind, with his hermetically sealed caskets, tries in the end to defy Mother Nature and deny the worms.

These thoughts call to mind the famous science fiction story of lofty aliens who landed on an overpopulated earth to save us from ourselves by offering to transport the excess population to other, habitable worlds. Descriptive travel brochures of these worlds were very successful in getting humans to sign up and depart earth by the millions until, on a lark, a scientist stole an alien book entitled "To Serve Man" and had it translated. To his horror... it was a cookbook.

Mon 14 May Club Members have taken as a cause the restoration of the natural habitat on the Island. The first stage is to identify invasive non-native plants on the Island that are taking space, light, and nutrients from native plants which in turn provide habitat and nourishment for our local fauna. The general problem with these invasive exotics in our area is so great it has even made the local media, so many of you are already aware. On Sycamore Island the primary species identified for elimination are kudzu, Japanese knotweed, and oriental bittersweet. The pernicious kudzu is, and will always be, an ongoing problem... and is attacked on sight. This year we are targeting Japanese knotweed... and next year the oriental bittersweet. You may see an example of oriental bittersweet on the deck... where it is the vigorous vine that is outstripping our native five-leaved Virginia creeper.

Tue 15 May Early this morning the babies were all out... there is one gaggle with 10 goslings and a brood of 12 wood duck babies that live at the bottom of the Island. The geese are all presumed to be visitors from Ruppert's Island as both nesting pairs remaining on Sycamore are still sitting their eggs. There definitely seem to be fewer geese this year... and one wonders if there is some relationship with the fact that the numbers of cormorants is on the rise. Thinking back over the last three years it seems as though the cormorants may be gradually displacing the geese at the bottom of Ruppert's.

Today was the first opportunity to survey the lower path leaving the swimming area. Although the lawn is parched and cracked from the record low rainfall... the lower areas near the river have remained unaccountably wet and muddy... witness the fact that we still must use the long plank to get across the mud to the Captain's float. There must still be significant soil moisture at some level... both the lower reaches and the up-Island trails seem pretty lush and the daylilies in particular seem taller than ever before. And speaking of tall... the summer phlox is up and stinking up the Island. Take the upper path from the swimming area and have a fragrant feast.

Wed 16 May The Island is now mostly mowed... the exceptions being the area near the nesting goose beneath the big maple and those few raggedy areas where the lawn mower swerved to miss some seeding wildflowers. It is such a good mower... always starts on the first pull... even after sitting up all winter. It is hard to overestimate the importance of an Island mower with a good dependability. So any wildflowers it wants to go around is OK.

Sat 19 May Last night the Caretaker's Wife checked on the goose nest in the tree root ball near the Captain's float and found Momma goose sitting goslings instead of eggs. This morning the goose nest beneath the big maple near the deck looked enlarged and slept in... there were small shell fragments in evidence this time looking... and there are two new sets of goslings walking around today... so thus endeth any speculation about whether or not these second seasonal layings of eggs were fertile or not.

Excerpted from the Caretaker's Log at sycamoreisland.org

-- Doc Taliaferro, Sycamore Island Caretaker