A Bit of Nature

I have been up dating this home for marketing. My friend Chris suggested that I needed tress between the dining area and the living room. I made up these topiary trees, built much like head pieces for the rose girls the tree trunks are built from hedge in my yard.

Pond View

This is Old Town Pond located where Old Town Road meets the dunes and the beach. The stucco wall on the right once extended past the prent dune line well out into what is now the ocean. Remains of the wall can be seen at extreme low tides.

Beach Art

This pole at Old Town Beach is often the center of decoration.

In the English Manor

The Hampton's have been very successful in taking the English vernacular for a home and interpreting it in cedar shingles. I think this home is an excellent example.

Proud Cedar

This tree is growing in a field in the Hampton Bays cloverleaf on Sunrise Highway. I thought it was in very good form.

Details

This photo is a detail of the fireplace mantle at a friends home in Water Mill. The home was built in the late 1990's. I believe this is a very custom design with a care set of molding priorities to give a very solid look that anchors the living room and the heart of the house.

When Does Spring Start ?

This blast of crocus enjoy a warm west facing wall protected from the north east wind. Still it was a supprise to see then so early in the season.

All Vined Up

The style of glass work on the structure would indicate that the building is newer than one might guess. The ivy trained to cover the columns give the structure a nice old established appearance.

Stuck on the Sideline

The village puts these ladders out in winter to help people if they get stuck out on the ice. It has been hard to find any real ice out here this winter. In past winters we have had skating on the ponds and ice boating on Mecox Bay.

Back to Basics

There are a lot of old established privet hedges in the estate area. Most years they are trimmed in July and September. It seems about every ten years a hedge gets a deep cut back to firm up the foundation of the hedge. By mid summer this hedge will have filled in like the other hedges, but with a good strong branch structure.

Rare Glimpse

This handsome oceanside home is hard to see in the summer. The hedge for home was recently trimmed allowing for a much better view.

Smart Geese

We have smart geese in Southampton Village, they seem to know that there is no hunting here.

After the Rain

We have had a couple of days of rain. It all cleared mid day. We then had this nice sunset over Lake Agawam. The air after a rain is often exceptionally clean and clear

The Great Divide

This photo is taken from a bridge in Riverhead NY. Riverhead is named fror the tidal river that opens into a string of bays that seperate the end of Long Island. We are looking east. The left side of the view is the North Fork, the right side the South Fork that further east becomes the Hamptons.  

Mild Winter

The middle of February and I have parsley growing out in the back yard. Scruffy, but growing.

A Moment of Winter

We had a little bit of winter yesterday. It snowed here in Southampton. It was not an inconvenient snow as it did not freeze on any of the road, just a dusting on trees and the lawn.

Crazy Color

The sun was hitting the side of this tree just right to set of these colors.

Big Green Gumdrops

I am amazed by some of the carefully crafted shrubs in our village. These are near the old Post Office, the new Post Office has a lower maintenance landscape design.

Twisted

I was out east looking at a cutting edge modern home. The property included this very custom stair from a deck down to the lawn below.

Artful Fuzz

The array of lichen on this gate is just amazing. Like lichen in the woods all of it is growing on just side with the exact exposure it likes.

For a Good Foundation

Most new homes in our area have a poured concrete foundation. Before that foundations might be stone, then brick and later concrete block. Now all the new foundations I see are poured concrete. The couple Bircher & Bircher are noted for their photographs of factory buildings showing that common functions lead to common forms. These two cement plants near each other in Westhampton gave me the idea to photo the pair showing their common parts.

Water Water Water

Small fresh water ponds tucked in on the back side of the dune line are more common that you might expect.

Spirit of the Night

Monday afternoon my good friend had a closing on a nice home in the village. After a mad dash to P C Richard's  for TVs, brackets and associated cables we came back to the house to toast the new house. I chose a picnic theme for the night with pink champagne in dixie cups.

Sand Trap

This array of fencing is an attempt to trap wind blown sand to build a bigger dune. If you look between the slats you can see the sand forming a mound. It seems the plan is working.

Jackalopes Found at Waldbaums

This Christmas the Lindt Candy Company of Switzerland further documented the existence of Jackalopes with these chocolate bunnies with antlers. I am not sure if these are based on the Texas Jackalope or based on an alpine species.

Thought Full Spot

The decks on this home designed by Charles Gwathmey are tucked back like caves to shelter the occupants from winds. Wind on the beach here is very typical. I expect that the recess design allows for a much longer season of use in this northern setting.

Spot of Color

The red berries on the shrub show very well in winter. If you cut them for the house they tend to drop their berries making a bit of a mess.

A Little to the Left

The brickwork in this home was adjusted so the the fireplace could be located in a side room on the first floor with the chimney coming through the roof on the center of the ridge line. Offset brickwork like this is more common on older homes.

Out Near the Tip

When you get out east to Montauk the area gets more rugged with higher dunes and wide beaches. I am not sure if we still in the Hamptons, but it sure is nice to visit.