GOOD BYE SANDY, GOOD BYE LBI

This will definitely be my last post on "Superstorm Sandy" and what she has done to Long Beach Island. We plan to head back to Colorado in about a week and are starting to organize and pack for the long drive. Though I am not looking forward to it, I must admit that I am anxious to see our family and friends in the mountains.

But first, we made another trip to see our friend, John in Harvey Cedars and find out how he was doing with his 5 feet of sand. He has made progress with the help of family, friends and the use of this back hoe though it took the cutting down of trees to get it in his back yard. Still his wonderful work shop beneath his home and the vintage Volvo in the garage were a total loss.

Leaving his home this pile of debris at the end of the street was a testament to the destruction of Sandy.

Returning to Beach Haven at the southern end of the island to help my husband with waxing his boat for the winter I was astounded to see the changes.

When I was last there, just after the storm, the destruction was obvious but now it looked much, much worse. Residents and shop owners have returned, salvaged what they could and dragged what they couldn't to curb sides. Looking down street after street, piles were everywhere,and this is after trucks have been collecting and removing piles almost non stop for weeks.

Thanks to my friend Ralph Berglund for this photo of the temporary collection site, where "two Star Wars creature grab bucket-fulls of the stuff and place it in other trucks which then head off to the landfill in Stafford Township". Check out his wonderful blog at: bergiesplace.wordpress.com

Having taken many photos in past years of the causeway clam shack, originally named "Happy Dayz", I went back to capture its memorial plaque. Not a board of the old structure remained, but some enterprising person had left this marker on one of the pilings. A very different picture than my flag adorned shot in this years calendar.

Back home in Surf City where most of the trash piles are gone, I returned to the beach for some perspective. The gulls were enjoying their new low tide island.

The surfers were crossing the "bar" on their way ashore.

And wading through the deeper water to the beach.

As the sun set, I again appreciated the peace and beauty of living near the ocean - when storms like Sandy are not on the horizon.