BACK IN SURF CITY

We have been back at the New Jersey shore for almost a month, but my camera has been sitting on the sidelines due to blood clots in my left leg and a second cataract surgery.  Now I can see whites as a true bright white, not the yellow beige they have been for a while.  What a difference!!

And we had a beach visitor just before Labor Day -

This Harbor Seal had come ashore deciding it was timr for some R&R I guess and watch the goings on at the beach.

He seemed well fed, uninjured and totally relaxed, so I approached slowly to snap some shots of him.

He watched me carefully for a while, but seeing no threat, I guess, proceeded to put on a small show,

Which I guess he found exhausting for such a big guy.

Rested, he renewed his antics with greater vigor, to my amusement - a real showman!

As I left he looked very pleased with himself - as he should have been.  His audience of one, was!!

SUMMER IN CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO

Unlike my friends whose Blogs I follow, I am always behind these days.  Now  that we are back in New Jersey I realize that I never posted a thing from our 3 weeks in the Colorado mountains.  My excuse, if I need one is that a good bit of my time was taken trying to get our home ready to put on the market. We have gotten to the place in life where downsizing is becoming more than just a wish, it is a necessity.  Since I couldn't bring myself to sell our New Jersey home, for many reason hopefully it will be possible to do in Crested Butte.

Coming to our door, I have never seen this bush in full bloom.  Can anyone tell me what it is??

One of the first things I have to check when arriving home in Crested Butte is the horses across the street.  When not giving rides to patrons they are free to roam and graze on Snodgrass Mountain.  It is a beautiful sight in the morning and evening.

This year the wildflowers were exceptionally beautiful, even though we arrived after the end of the Wildflower Festival when they are at their height.  This view is looking from our yard towards Mt Emmons and Red Lady Bowl in the background

And the tip of Mt Crested Butte peaking over the old Link Runs - nice intermediate runs in the winter.  How I will miss these views.

Looking to the north from our home is the East River Valley with Mt Avery showing over the edge of Snodgrass

A trip into town for garden supplies made me stop by the Slate River for a shot up the Valley in the summer time.  This is a favorite of mine in the winter, when we spend most of our time here.

Passing the cemetery on the way back up the hill, I wandered through and snapped

This one of some of the beautiful wild flowers there.

Continuing on, I stopped by this beautiful display of Fireweed, always a favorite of mine,

Looking out our living room window one morning the fog in the valley between us and town looked like a large lake.

 And it lay also in the bottom of Gold Link, providing a lovely backdrop for the houses behind us.

But as the sun got warmer we could see clearly the horses as they worked their way back to the  corral for the oats always provided at the start of the day.

Both morning and evening views from our house are often spectacular as the clouds catch the rising and setting sun.

Just in case someone who looks at this might be interested in a home in this beautiful place, I am providing the web site and video.

Listing - http://gcaor.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=5a0e6276-c561-4338-8086-3d0 750088237&Report=Yes

Video Tour -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puTwdBIAVeo

 

A WALK THROUGH PROSPECT

Leaving our home for a walk through Prospect behind us is always a treat for my camera, and me.

Gothic Mountain, I think my favorite, appears behind the edge of Snodgrass. and our neighbor's yard.

Flowers everywhere draw my attention, and my camera, as did this Gaillardia or blanketflower.  Thanks to my good friend, Don Hempel in Crested Butte who helped my faded memory with flower IDs.

I was happy to see a variety of colors in this patch of yarrow beside the road.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon and Showy Fleabane were often side by side.

Silvery Lupine was still in bloom everywhere -

As were the bright yellow Sunspots.

The Rocky Mountain Penstemon and Scarlet Gillia or Fairy Trumpets complemented each other.

The aspens were in full leaf on the mountain sides behind a carpet of wildflowers.

We visited a new home under construction, and from its porch I took this picture of the East  River Valley.

Returning home after our walk Gothic Mountain with its smoky like cloud and the flowers on Snodgrass made a memorable sight.

As did the clouds that appeared to be emanating from the rock wall near our street end.

One last shot of the view across from our home as a final reminder of this beautiful part of Colorado,

As the clouds built up behind us to end another wonderful day in Paradise

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.