----- Original Message -----
From:
m*@optonline.net
To: g*@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 9:00
AM
Subject: Re: [gwl] weather - Coming to
Long Island
Coming to Long Island for the convention? Here's
some packing tips from a local gal. The weather forcast is high 70's in the
day, low 60's at night, some sprinkles, some sun.
The key word for our weather is "Humid". If you
aren't used to humidity you will be glistening or "schwitzing" as my Mom used
to say.
The bus and the hotel will be airconditioned so I
recommend layers. Loose cotton tee shirts, but bring a light sweater, or
better yet, a water resistant jacket you can leave on the bus. Past experience
on garden tours tells me half the people on the bus will be freezing, the
other half will be complaining that it's too hot. For women, capri's can keep
you cooler than full length jeans and still keep your legs from sticking to
the bus seat.
Long Island is really an island, that means we're
surrounded by water! The temperatures can vary greatly from the eastern end to
the central portion (where the hotel is) to the city. So once again,
layers.
Mosquitos and ticks? We've got em both so if
you're a bug spray person, you'll be wanting it. It's also yellow jacket
season so bring along what ever you need in that area including those great
little bug bite pens that squirt a drop of alchohol. Throw some sunscreen in
too. Poison ivy runs rampent so look before you tramp through any underbrush.
I carry a tiny bottle of tecnu which removes the oil from poison
ivy.
Comfortable shoes are imperetive, I like having a
pair that I can take off if it's raining. Bare feet work fine in puddles and
dry faster than shoes. If you aren't a bare foot person you might want two
pairs of shoes to alternate wet/dry or throw in a pair of flip
flops.
For garden tours I like using a small backpack.
It holds all the above items, a bottle of water, extra film, a small notebook
and pen, a visor or sunglasses, chapstick, tissues and more. The garden owners
will also be grateful you aren't knocking their plants around with a big tote
bag.
Yesterday I put together a local map and list of
shops & eateries near the hotel. There is very little within walking
distance of the hotel (I considered 1/4 to 1/2 mile as walking distance). But
there is a Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, two deli's, pizza and chinese food. If
you are a hiker, you can get to the nearest department store, Kohls, which is
just over a mile away but you will be walking along a major road with heavy
traffic and under the highway. As you walk around you will be walking right
over the ground that Walt Whitman used to walk upon. It looks a bit different
today.
Tomorrow I'll be at the hotel stuffing the
registration packages but don't know if that list of shops will be
included. If you really want a copy, I can e-mail it to you now and you can
print it out. Just let me know at m*@optonline.net
Newsday photo shoot scheduled in my garden this
morning at 10:00. So far we've had three inches of rain, my basement flooded
and the pool overflowed. We're pushing it to 11:00 and crossing our fingers
that we can dash out and get some shots. They called for something "earthy",
it might end up being "muddy" :-(
Melanie Vassallo
Garden Lecturer, writer,
photographer
m*@optonline.net
_______________________________________________
gardenwriters
mailing
list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters
GWL
has searchable archives
at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters
Send photos for GWL to
gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos
Post gardening questions/threads
to
"Gardenwriters on Gardening"
<gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
For GWL website and Wiki, go
to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters
