Wild, wild Long Island

We are having such a good time in NY.
So Ariana could have some normalcy in her routine while we are here, we took the day off from grandparenting to explore Long Island.
We took I-95 to New London, CT to catch the Cross Sound Ferry to Orient Point, NY. It is about a 90 minute drive along the CT coast. New London is home to the Coast Guard and lots of ship yards. We saw a submarine in mid-repair. The ferry was quite nice. The lounge was big and roomy and the ride was smooth. We were perpendicular to 4 foot swells so there was a little rocking, but not bad. It took an hour and 20 minutes to cross. Then we set out along the North Fork (if you look at a map, you can see that the east end of LI is forked like lobster claws). Our first stop was at a farm stand where they had raspberries in three colors and strawberries. We got some of each. Organically grown so we could eat without washing them. The guy ships homemade preserves all over, including a place in Tucson.
He told us that the next thirty miles was wineries and sod farms. There was a "watch for deer" sign, and sure enough, there was a six month old fawn right in the field. No sign of Ma Doe. I had no idea Long Island had deer. How long has the population been isolated? We passed lots of wineries, then had lunch at Cliff's Elbow Too. The waitress recommended a winery and we went for a tasting and bought a bottle for Greg and Tomoko. Merlot seems to be the grape that likes Long Island the best.
We decided to go to Montauk at the point of the south fork, just because. We were already in the Hamptons, after all. At Montauk Point State Park there is a sign posting all the hunting seasons. October is bow season for deer. So watch out. We saw a doe grazing by the road on our way out. I guess she can't read.
Now, most of the way, is agricultural rural. Which is to say, populated. Deer like that kind of area because there is plenty of food, and hunters are too near buildings to shoot. But I no more expected deer on Long Island than bears in PA. Then, right on the edge of Southhampton we saw 8-10 turkeys! This is like the Yukon for heaven's sake! Well, a drive in the country is more complete when wildlife is sighted, just like a good day jeeping is guaranteed when you get your wheels wet.
It was beginning to get dark as we crossed the pine barrens in central Long Island, but we were on the Long Island Expressway, so we made good time. The whole trip took us about twelve hours from portal to portal. It was a good day.