Even on a quick visit, the differences between the mountains of North Carolina and our simple beach town are evident.
Walmart- they sell both gluten free/organic food…AND guns (seriously, in adjacent isles).
Their ice cream shop offers goat milk ice cream on gluten free cones (will take a closer look at the menu in Springer’s to compare).
I hear “Yes, Ma’am” often- and it sounds polite and respectful.
I’m self conscious when I say “water”. Â And, I talk WAY too fast!
A few days out of town for a family visit. I will be back in the office tomorrow.
Lights on in homes, and more businesses open- happy to see the island come back to life!
P.S. Â Picture taken last night of the beach fill crew working under the lights- operating 24/7 to make sure we have a nice beach for summer!
We appreciate the positive press from Philadelphia news stations (and British royalty)- encouraging people to vacation at the Jersey shore. Â The message is clear: Â We are open and ready for summer!
See you soon 🙂
Great progress in the past 24 hours with the Stone Harbor beach fill. Â The beach is growing before our eyes!
That black plume in the center of the picture is sand shooting out from the pipe. Â It looks like black mud- yet dries to soft, gray sand.
Hearing from contractors working for local homeowners in preparation of the summer season.
Two issues related to Sandy are causing great concern: electrical and air conditioning.
If there is a possibility that any salt water was in your crawl space during the storm (even if it quickly drained), please take the time to inspect the area.
I looked in a crawl space hatch for a house in Avalon last week- Â the duct work was on the ground, and the insulation hanging down. Â Now, with just a few weeks left before the first tenant arrives, an HVAC company has to remove all of the insulation, duct work and trunk lines, and replace with new. Â An expensive and time consuming job; and the central air will not function until the work is complete.
Electricians are making repairs to junction boxes in crawl spaces, too. Â Property owners may find their breakers tripping or appliances not working. Â The cause: corroded wires in the crawl space (even with enclosed junction boxes) from salt water. Â This is a serious safety issue and warrants an inspection by a licensed electrician.
Tenants expect their rental property to be fully functional and safe for their vacation. Â If you need a recommendation for a local contractor, please let me know.
A sand wall built to block the incoming tide. Â We see large family groups do this (on a smaller scale) to avoid the dreaded retreat to the soft sand. Â Moving 4 umbrellas, 10 chairs, 5 boogie boards, 2 coolers, and several beach carts filled with toys is no easy task!
In this case, the beach fill crew starts with the wall, and back fills the area between to create a new beach. Picture taken this morning- 123rd Street looking south.
Did you manage to visit your favorite food spots this weekend? Â So many options…and so little time.
We had breakfast at Uncle Bill’s in Stone Harbor on Friday. Â Several feet of water from Sandy forced a complete renovation, and an empty adjacent store allowed for needed expansion. Â Check out the restored wall paper discovered during the renovations (it’s in the background of a picture with the original “Uncle Bill” hanging nearby). Â The furniture and decor are all new; yet traditionalists will be pleased to see the t-shirt uniforms remain the same 😉
Kohler’s Bakery in Avalon yesterday- to buy my first cream donut of the season. Â And sticky buns to take home. They will be open again for Memorial Day weekend; Father’s Day weekend; and full time in late June. Â That’s good, because it allows me to burn off the calories in between!
The last hurrah of the weekend may be Mack’s Pizza in Stone Harbor for my Mother’s Day dinner…followed by a LONG walk on the beach.
Well…not ideal.  A few rays of sun (and rain drops) this morning on my walk before work.  The beach fill crew are working 24/7- actively rebuilding the south end Stone Harbor beach!
Good news: the dredge returned to the inlet this afternoon, and resumed active pumping. Â I posted a few pictures tonight on Twitter.
Because of time lost due to bad weather and rough seas, the project will extend into the early part of our season. Â The dredging company will create beach access over the pipe and open beaches within a safe distance from the work area.
A crew member said they will be working for several days in their current location – 123rd Street and south to the jetty – before moving north.
The project runs 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. We will see amazing progress in the next few weeks!
Will continue to post updates.
Picture taken Thursday evening- that’s “beach” coming out of the pipe!
Busy Week Ahead
Most of the vehicles on the island this week? Contractor and delivery trucks.
Trades people are working long hours to complete projects in time for Friday; outdoor furniture and gas grills will be delivered to numerous homes; food stores and restaurants are stocking up; and Borough workers continue to prep the beaches and town for the big holiday weekend.
On Memorial Day (Monday), there will be 2 parades: Â Avalon at 9am; and Stone Harbor at 12 noon. Â A great excuse for a bike ride to catch both events.
P.S. Stone Harbor will also join in with the Jersey shore ribbon cutting Friday morning. Â 9am at the 95th Street beach. Encouraging business owners, residents, and visitors to help with the event. Â This will replace the Thursday beach opening.