This week’s Discover Challenge is perspective. Last Sunday, our dear friend Luke, aka Kayak Hipster, and his camera drone (!) supplied an all-new birds’ eye view of us paddling—and Horseshoe Harbor coming back to life. No telling what that curious seagull thought about it! 🙂
Horseshoe Harbor
All posts tagged Horseshoe Harbor
December 12, 3:16 pm: Seals checked us out near Middle Reef and Machaux Rock, a shallow area just south of Davids Island. Click for video:
More photos from that still, gray afternoon… the curious seals (and our gear!) were the only bright spots.
We love this photo from our paddle on Saturday, 12.12.15 (a surreal, windless day). Oops…
…Hahaha, still water can fool you! Let’s try that again:
That’s better. Um, or not… On certain days in winter, Long Island Sound turns into a hall of mirrors!
And the only way you can tell “right side up” in photos is by your kayak’s wake.
Saturday morning was unusually warm and still. With temps in the low 50sF, the water and air mirrored each other in every way.
Sky, sea, and horizon became one. Symmetrical and calm…like a Greenland blade.
See other interpretations of this week’s Photo Challenge here. 🙂
We couldn’t be more thrilled about this week’s photo challenge: orange. There’s no word that rhymes with it. No color quite like it, either. It’s happy. Practical. Visible. And at times, serene. Orange is at the top of our list—on the water and off.
This week, Ailsa’s travel theme is colorful. Hmmm, bad timing. Our autumn leaves have died, and we’ve gone bleak. Photos from today, 11/23.

The boathouse at Horseshoe Harbor is in hibernation mode

Party’s over til next May

The docks are gone, so Alex preps to launch from the beach

Even the park feels abandoned
No obvious riots of color here. But all that can change quickly, when you wriggle into your mango and paprika dry suits and paddle 4.5NM to City Island, in the Bronx. Winds this Sunday morning were 10 kts. SW, water 43F, the air around 55F—enough to put some color in our cheeks.

Andrew brightens the day

Passing Hunter Island

Orange and yellow aren’t just for trees

Reflections of Rick

The extent of the “boat traffic” between Long Island and Westchester. Can you find all four vessels?

Brunch at Sugar & Spice Bakery. No one notices that the aliens have landed at the next table over.

Jean and Alex drip, while Jerry ponders the menu

Even the choking emergency poster is cheery

Paleo pastry it isn’t

Jerry

This colorful character was fascinated by our beach launch

Salty sea dog of City Island

City Island is known for its shipbuilding. During WWI and II, it produced minesweepers and tugs, as well as many landing craft used in beach invasions. City Island has produced seven Americas Cup-winning yachts.

We relaunched around 12:30. Andrew and Jim headed for home.

The rest of us circumnavigated City Island. That’s Stepping Stones light and Long Island on the horizon of a deep blue-green sea.

Going around clockwise for a change

Alex’s paddle wins the Most Likely To Be Seen award

Local color: According to area tradition, anyone actually born on the island is known as a “clamdigger.” A City Island resident not born on the island is known as a “musselsucker.”

Calm, cool scene at the top of City Island
We’re always amazed to see the sky on fire. But oh, when it’s the water… A study in color(s) from 40.917N, 73.747W