Devil's Den Nature Preserve Offers the Perfect Summer Getaway

Devil's Den Nature Preserve in Weston encompasses 1,756 acres and is the Nature Conservancy's largest preserve in Connecticut. The Den provides a valuable oasis for species that require interior woodland for successful reproduction. Research has shown that such large unfragmented forest areas are vital to the health of a variety of species. 

Devil's Den also represents a significant portion of the watershed of the West branch of the Saugatuck River, a habitat for many of aquatic species, including several uncommon species of mussel. Devil's Den is also of historical significance. Archaeological evidence indicates human use of the area, mostly for hunting, as long as 5,000 years ago. 

The remains of an up-and-down sawmill below Godfrey Pond testify to the importance of the lumbering that dovetailed with charcoal burning. The production of charcoal was an important commercial activity in the 1800s and marks dozens of sites. The Den was created by the late Katharine Ordway through a series of donations from 1966 through 1968, beginning with an 1,100-acre purchase from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

The Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil's Den Preserve is the Connecticut Chapter's largest continuous preserve and the largest tract of protected land in densely developed Fairfield County. Its patchwork of woodlands, wetlands and rock ledges and a series of north-south ridges and valleys woven with streams and swamps make the Devil's Den ideal for low-impact outdoor activities such as hiking and bird watching. My sons and I enjoyed a seven-mile, two-and-a-half hour hike through the preserve this past Saturday.

Devil's Den is the chapter's most frequently visited preserve, hosting more than 40,000 people per year. It is ideally located to provide an enriching and educational outdoor experience for residents of surrounding towns such as Redding, Easton, Westport and Wilton, along with the nearby metropolitan areas of Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford. The Den is part of the extended 70-mile Saugatuck Valley Trails System, with contiguous forest and watershed lands.

The preserve's 20-mile trail system winds past dramatic rocky crests, outcroppings, and cliffs forming high ledges partly covered with grasses, mosses, and lichens. The preserve features more than 500 types of trees and wildflowers, including the beautiful pink lady's slipper, cardinal flower, and Indian pipe. Devil's Den is home to red fox, bobcat, coyote, Eastern copperhead, wood duck, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker and more than 140 other bird species.

The Den was created by the late Katharine Ordway through a series of donations from 1966 through 1968, beginning with an 1,100-acre purchase from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

Paul

A Summer Reality Check

We're off to a beautiful start this morning. Clear skies and light winds allowed the temperature to drop into the 50s in some local communities. A refreshing breeze out of the Northwest is delivering much lower dew points and humidity levels through the start of the weekend. Dare I say it almost looked and felt like early Autumn outside this morning.

Believe it or not, yesterday marked the midway point of Summer vacation for my younger son. How is that possible? It seems like only yesterday we were helping them celebrate the last day of school. That was more than four weeks ago. In less than five short weeks, the students and teachers will be heading back to the classroom once again.

The days are indeed getting "shorter." In fact, we have lost nearly 40 minutes of daylight since the first day of Summer. Sunrise on June 21st happened at 5:19. This morning's Sunrise was at 5:44, 25 minutes later. Sunset is now at 8:17, 13 minutes before the latest Sunset, at 8:30, on the Solstice.

By the end of the month, sunrise occurs at 5:47, while the Sun sets at 8:10. Two weeks later, by mid-August, the shorter days become even more pronounced, with Sunrise and Sunset times at 6:02 and 7:51, respectively. The "shorter" days have to do with the Earth's revolution around the Sun, and the 23.5 degree tilt on its axis. By the end of September, the Autumnal Equinox begins a six-month period of longer nights and shorter days in the Northern Hemisphere.

Need further proof that we're moving through Summer rather quickly? My favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots, opened training camp yesterday in Foxboro, Massachsetts. Their first exhibition game is scheduled for Thursday, August 7, against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. That's less than two weeks away! Before you know it, the regular season will be here.

Make sure you get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather day. It will be picture-perfect under mostly sunny skies and seasonably warm temperatures. Tonight will be mostly clear and comfortable with lows in the low-to-mid 60s. Tomorrow will be partly sunny and pleasant before a warm front arrives early Sunday, bringing a threat of a shower or thunderstorm. Our streak of nine consecutive weekends without measured rain may come to an end.

Paul

Sun's Angle Lower & Shadows Longer Since First Day of Summer

Even though we're just a little more than a month removed from the Summer Solstice, there are subtle signs that the "longest day of the year" was just over four weeks ago. You may have noticed that the days are getting shorter, since the Sun rises 19 minutes later and the Sun sets 11 minutes earlier than it did on the first day of Summer. However, less discernible is the change in the length of shadows. Believe it or not, the shadows have been slowly getting longer, and that's due to the Sun's lower angle in the sky.

The Sun reached its highest angle in the sky --- or declination --- in the Northern Hemisphere on the first day of Summer. The declination of the Sun is the measurement of the angle between the Sun’s rays and the Earth’s equatorial plane. The Earth’s axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees away from the solar plane. This explains why we have different seasons and why the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere always have contradicting seasons. When tilted towards the Sun, it's Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Sun’s declination varies throughout the year. Its declination becomes zero during the Spring Equinox and reaches the maximum declination angle of 23.5 degrees during the Summer Solstice. It reverts to zero declination when the Fall Equinox occurs and drops to a negative 23.5-degree declination during the Winter Solstice.

Today, for example, the declination of the Sun is an 20.24 degrees North of the celestial equator. That's more than three degrees lower than where it was June 20. By the end of the month, it will be 18.5 degrees North of the celestial equator. The Sun's declination will be +14.15 degrees by August 15, and +8.52 on the final day of next month. By September 16, it will be just 3.16 degrees North of the celestial equator. As you can see, the Sun's angle will be dropping lower in the sky over the next two months.

The change in the Sun’s declination results in yearly cycles which are observed as each season progresses. The declination of the Sun has effects on its own altitude and to the duration of daylight. The Sun reaches its highest altitude above the horizon each day at noon in the Northern Hemisphere. With respect to the celestial equator, it reaches the highest altitude of 73.5 degrees the first day of the Summer, while its altitude reaches the minimum 26.5 degrees during the first day of Winter.

Yesterday marked one month since the Summer Solstice, and the Autumnal Equinox is two months away. Hot and humid weather is expected through tomorrow before a cold front arrives, triggering showers and thunderstorms. Much more comfortable weather will be with us later Thursday into Friday.

Paul

"One Small Step for Man" Marks 45th Anniversary This Weekend

Some dates naturally carry more significance than others. Birthdays and anniversaries come to mind instantly. One such "anniversary" happened 45 years ago this Sunday. Those of you old enough to remember Sunday, July 20, 1969, no doubt can recall watching Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong descending the steps of the lunar module’s ladder and setting foot on the Moon for the first time. I was mesmerized by what I saw that night on the black-and-white Zenith television set in our living room.

Apollo 11, the fifth human spaceflight of the Apollo program, launched from the Kennedy Space Center four days earlier. As a young child of 10, watching the late Armstrong walk on the lunar surface was probably the most significant news event of my youth. I can still remember the late Walter Cronkite on CBS television describing the landing, and the bundle of nerves I felt for myself and the Apollo astronauts, Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins.

I was fascinated by the space program in the 1960s. Naturally, I couldn’t wait for the landing of Apollo on the Moon. As I recall, while on the far side of the Moon, the lunar module, called the Eagle, separated from the Command Module, named Columbia. Collins remained alone in Columbia, while Armstrong and Aldrin used Eagle’s descent engine to right themselves and descend to the lunar surface. The wait seemed interminable for this youngster, who couldn’t believe that we would actually see LIVE images from the Moon later that night.

I kept asking questions of my Mom and Dad all day and evening. “What will it look like on television?” “When will the astronauts climb out of the Eagle?” “How are we able to see it if they’re so far away?” They couldn’t answer most of my questions since this had never happened before. I still couldn’t believe what we were about to see. I’m sure it’s what ultimately piqued my interest in astronomy, subsequent space missions, and Science in general. This is what it looked like 45 years ago this weekend.



Our family gathered in the living room in front of the small TV set with rabbit ears and watched as Cronkite prepared us for the first step on the Moon. Just over six-and-a half hours after Apollo 11 landed on the Moon at 4:17 p.m., we sat in silence and awe as Armstrong made his descent to the Moon’s surface at 10:56 p.m. and spoke his famous words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

I'm sure the momentous event will be featured on newscasts this weekend. Incredibly, more than half the people living in the United States today weren’t even born when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. It was arguably the most historic event of the 20th century. I, for one, am glad I saw it LIVE, and I will never forget it for the rest of my life!

Paul

Minneapolis to Host Mid-Summer Classic This Evening

The annual “Midsummer Classic” takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota this evening, when the American League's Minnesota Twins host Major League Baseball’s All-Star game. It's the first time in 29 years that the Twins are hosting the game. The National League defeated the American League, 6-1, at the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome, 6-1, in front of 54,960 fans on July 16, 1985.

The weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 69 degrees at game time. There will be a light wind out of the Northwest at five to ten miles an hour, and the humidity will be a comfortable 53 percent. Sunset is at 8:56 p.m. The American League is hoping to make it back-to-back victories after posting a 3-0 shutout victory at Citi Field in New York last year to snap the National League's three-game winning streak.

Prior to 2010, the National League won just three All-Star games since 1988. The “Senior Circuit” won the 1994 contest in Pittsburgh, 8-7, in ten innings, and the next two years as well. However, the American League claimed 11 of the next 12 classics, with the only exception being the controversial 7-7 tie in Milwaukee 12 years ago. The National League is hoping to extend its winning streak to four games.

As for rainouts, perhaps the most memorable was the 1969 game in Washington. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening, July 22, but a torrential rainstorm forced a postponement to the following day. I vividly recall the images of water flooding the dugouts at RFK Stadium in the nation’s capital. The outfield grass featured standing water and deep puddles. However, the next afternoon, 45,259 fans watched as the Nationals easily defeated the Americans, 9-3.

Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants was named the game’s Most Valuable Player by hitting home runs in the third and fourth innings. That tied the record previously set by Arky Vaughan (1941), Ted Williams (1946), and Al Rosen (1954). Johnny Bench also homered for the winners. Frank Howard, the hometown hero with the Senators, and Bill Freehan hit round trippers for the A. L. Oddly, the National League stretched its winning streak to seven games with the easy victory.

The first All-Star game I clearly remember was a “classic” in Anaheim in 1967 in which the National League edged the American League, 2-1, in 15 innings on a Tony Perez home run. Twelve pitchers were featured in the contest and each had at least one strikeout. There were 30 strikeouts in the game, an All-Star record. Tom Seaver of the Mets picked up the save by pitching a scoreless 15th inning for the National League.

Will the American League win again? It looks like Mother Nature won't play a role in this year's contest, save for the setting Sun and the pitcher throwing from the sunlight into the shadows early in the game. The Midsummer Classic means it’s time to relax, sit back, and enjoy major league baseball, just as long as the weather cooperates. Soon, it will be time to “Play Ball!”

Paul

July's Full Thunder Moon Happens Early Saturday

You may have noticed the nearly-full Moon in the Western sky early this morning. Unfortunately, lingering clouds partially obscured the view, but tonight will be mostly clear. That will afford us the perfect opportunity to see July's Full Thunder Moon. It will be completely full tomorrow at 7:25 a.m. EDT.

The Full Thunder Moon is so named since thunderstorms are common during this time of the year. Another name for this month’s Moon is the Full Buck Moon. July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer rush out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. Another name for this month’s Moon is the Full Hay Moon.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

A Full Moon rises at about the same time the Sun is setting. Since the length of daylight is about 15 hours and four minutes today, the Full Moon will rise later and set earlier this time of the year. In addition, the Full Moon will appear lower in the sky since it won’t be visible nearly as long as during the mid-Winter nights. However, since it is at perigee with the Earth, it will appear fuller and brighter than normal.

For example, the Moon rises at 7:35 this evening and sets at 5:52 tomorrow morning. That means the Moon will be visible for ten hours and 17 minutes. Conversely, six months from now in January when the amount of daylight is at a minimum, the Full Wolf Moon will appear higher in the sky and be visible for about 17-and-half-hours. That’s over seven hours longer than this time of the year!

A fairly nice weekend is ahead, but I'm not sure it will be the eighth straight weekend without any measured rain across southwestern Connecticut. Saturday will be mostly sunny and pleasant with a high temperature in the lower 80s. Sunday will be partly sunny and humid with a late-afternoon shower or thunderstorm and a high in the lower 80s. Monday and Tuesday will be humid with thunderstorms likely each day.

Paul