Coming and Going

I was sitting on the balcony the other day, gongoozling as I am now wont to do.  I was watching the water flow, when I had an eerie sensation, and wondered if I was losing my mind.  The day before, I was down at the river, and the water was going from right to left (south to north) – which made perfect sense.  But on the balcony, I noticed the current running from left to right (north to south).  Honestly – I thought the end had come and I was completely mad.

So I googled it – and did you know, that the Hudson River isn’t only a river?  It is actually called an estuary:

The Hudson River flows both ways for 150 miles, from Manhattan to Troy, due to tidal changes1234. The river is an estuary, causing it to flow both north and south4. The Algonquian-speaking Mohican people named the river Muhheakantuck, meaning "river that flows both ways"13. The Lenape called the Hudson River Shatemuc, which also means "the river that flows both ways"4. The river's current changes direction four times every day as ocean tides pulse upriver to the Troy dam3.

This lovely river flows both ways!!  And I’m not losing it!  I realized that the only people who actually know this are those who learned something in school about rivers (ahem), those who pay attention (ahem, ahem), and those who frequent the river.  No – not everyone, I’m out there a lot on the ferry.  I mean the mariners – the captains of the boats and ships, and especially the ferry drivers!  All of a sudden that seemingly innocuously boring job suddenly has a new twist.  They are the keepers of the knowledge of the estuary!

Another source I read says it takes 120 days for the waters of the Hudson to finally get out to sea.  So if you had any thoughts of dumping something in the Hudson, like putting a chicken bake in a small boat to find its way to say, Washington DC, or London, or somewhere in a far distant land – put a 4-month delay on your plan.

This morning it was going right to left, and now the white caps are definitely heading left to right.  It is the coolest, most awesome thing ever.

Another awesome thing?  It was approximately a billion degrees here today.  Actually 97 with 50% humidity.  HOT.  I love hot, don’t get me wrong…but with my AC on the fritz and the part to fix it back-ordered, it was just plain HOT.  But then, half an hour ago, some big, heavy clouds rolled in, and now the temperature has dropped to the low 80’s, and the smell of rain has entered the lovely breeze.  I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this beautiful place.

Two quick updates:  Arthur gets his own captain's chair in the Grandmobile, and will take his first ride tomorrow after his parents anchor that car seat in, good and tight.

Glizzard was missing today when I went out.  I was distraught.  I got all the way to the end of the sidewalk when I spotted him!  He was sunning himself on a Hosta plant much closer to the parking lot than usual.  When I returned, he had gotten himself back over to his usual spot by the front door.

Exciting times!!