[Journal entry for November 4, 2006] In the afternoon, Dallas and I drive to East Hampton, NY and walk along the beach at Laforges Landing, heading out onto a spit of land that separates Three Mile Harbor from Gardiner's Bay. The afternoon is cold but not at all windy, with bright sun and blue sky. The folliage is very beautiful - mostly browns and tans and yellows, but with occasional reds from red oaks and some type of bush. The spit is a nature preserve. It is quite broad and hilly, with some juniper trees and bushes between dune grass fields. We find several patches of prickly pear cactus, rather wrinkled and wilted in this cold season. But I know from having grown it as a kid that it will perk up next spring. It is pretty tough! The soil on the spit is mostly sandy, but has an unusual number of cobbles, up to 4-5 incheas across, and numerous shells, too. A salt marsh, cut by tidal streams, is positioned along the inland side of the spit. The spit has been cut through at its end to provide boat access to the harbor. We watch several sailboats pass through as we walk along. We encounter a flock of sandpipers as we walk back along the beach. One hour forty-five minutes.