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.