FOG AND BEACH REPLENISHMENT

Though our immediate beach came back very well after "Sandy's destruction of the Jersey Shore" last November - the Corps of Engineers slated us for another beach replenishment this year, along with more needy parts of our island.  On a nice blue sky day several weeks ago I spied a strange looking
creature traveling south on the beach, with its head showing over the dunes.

Jumping in my car, I decided to intercept it further down the island to capture a photo.

I found it already a mile away, obviously measuring the height of the beach above the ocean and plotting the contour of the existing dunes.

Off shore were the ships that were laying the pipes which would carry the sand to the beach

Sometime later on a foggy morning we decided to take a walk towards where the work was beginning.  Some of the good and bad side affects were already beginning to show.

While this gull was having an easier time finding its dinner -

The water's edge was littered with the carcases of dead sand crabs.

The end of the pipe that would bring in the sand on shore lay on a support at the edge of the ocean,    ready to  be  connected to the pipes that were lying on  the beach.

The "monster" towered over the bulldozers as they pushed up the sand, and the cage that would be    

                                             used the filter it as it sprayed onto the beach.

This morning this whole crew had already reached our street, and the beach was closed for the work.
Since the ocean is cold and the sky is foggy between intermittent showers there are no sunbathers anyway.

                So the bulldozers are pushing up the new sand to fortify the dunes,  
              

While "the monster" awaits its turn to continue its measurements.  We will see what nature has in       store for us this year as it redistributes the new sand to its liking over the winter.

4TH OF JULY IN SURF CITY

July 4th on our blocks in Surf City has a tradition of more than 40 years in duration. It begins with a parade around our 2 ocean blocks of all residents, children, grandchildren, pets and guests, singing "God Bless American" with all the enthusiasm and accompanying noise we can muster - and there is always plenty of that. Passerby's honk their horns and more people join us every year.

The leaders always carry a flag , followed by everyone  dressed in the colors of 

of the flag, children; adults, babies in carriages - young and old, with smiles.

Sometimes too "Uncle Sam"  joins in the procession to the beach where after the singing of our national anthem and saluting our flag, games are held for the children - of all ages.

There is always the famous "Sack Race" - different heats of course for different ages.

                                                              And the wheel barrel race,

The water balloon toss

the crab race,

and the pie eating contest and finishing with a Tug-O-War, boys against girls, with somehow the girls always winning.  Help always seems to arrive when it is needed!!

It is a great way to spend the morning with family and friends and celebrate America's Birthday.

EARLY SUMMER ON LONG BEACH ISLAND

We have been back at the New Jersey Shore for almost 2 months and I have totally neglected my blog. Thus far the weather here has been very "iffy" and my camera has not left our house very often. But in spite of our late arrival, I did get the flowers planted before the rains settled in. Generally it has been abnormally cool on our island for this time of the yer, with cold water and a strong south breeze, but if one wants some heat all one has to do is cross the bridge to the mainland. We know it will be coming.

However, when we arrived, anxious to see the recovery of the beach after the devastation brought upon most of the Island by "Superstorm Sandy" last November we were pleasantly surprised.  The beach size was ample with the addition of a pseudo smaller island in the water at low tide.

Brenda - a well know surfer and beach walker had added shell topping to the fence in front of the home where she lives.

The tides had left their marks in the wet sands at the end of the tidal pools.

And the "Laughing Gulls" paid little attention to any temporary changes in their beach.  They were just happy to have it mostly to to themselves before the summer crowds arrive.

But the small local children love playing in the pools and beach away from the main ocean waves.

A yearly visit from our Pittsburgh "cousins" and their friends is always a special treat, and you can see from their tans that they had taken advantage of the sunny days.

But then the rains started!!  The flowers on the dunes bloomed with the added moisture, but some of the annuals in my pots drowned.  But rain came many, many days - rain I would have liked to send to Colorado as we watched the terrible fires on TV.  Thankfully, for us,  the fires were on the other side of the Rockies from our town of Crested Butte.